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22 Key Questions
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In a recent article for 5 in 5 Mike Allen and Myles McClelland introduced a couple of the key techniques we have developed for starting up successful policy programmes. Here, Myles talks about the 22 Question Technique in a little more depth.
The 22 Questions Technique provides a simple yet powerful means for planning an initiative. We have used it successfully many hundreds of times on large as well as small initiatives and our clients have used them many hundreds of times more. The key benefit of using the technique is that once you have found the answers to the questions it becomes relatively straightforward to work out what needs to be done to deliver your initiative.
The questions are now used in a number of Government departments who are applying Programme and Project Management (PPM). They are taught by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies on the PPM courses for policy makers and fast-streamers. The questions also feature in the 'Best Practice Toolkit' on the Office of Government Commerce website at www.ogc.gov.uk.
The full set of questions are listed at the end of this article but in summary they cover the direction of the initiative, the delivery approach and plan, the context in which the initiative is working and the risks.
Direction
- Outcomes (what we want from the initiative)
- Stakeholders (who they are)
- Stakeholders outcomes (what they want from the initiative)
Delivery approach and plan
- Outputs (delivery options, what has to be produced and in what sequence)
- Scope (what's included and what's excluded)
- Success criteria (qualities, measures and milestones)
- Resource cost and who does what
Context
- Resources and skills available
- Assumptions & constraints
Risks
- Barriers and frictional forces and the risks they create
- Risks and problems of success
The questions are quite scaleable and can be used at all levels within a programme. An example, of this was when we helping to set up the Learning and Skills Council and manage the consequential changes (a programme of nearly 80 projects).
Here, we first worked through the questions at programme level in a fast-paced workshop with about 30 of the top managers in the organisation. Subsequently we asked the same questions at sub-programme level and then again at project level.
Though the questions were the same, the answers focused ever more closely on the detail of what had to be produced. At the other end of the scale we regularly use the questions on medium-sized initiatives right down to single-person part-time projects.
The questions can be used to:
- test the implementability of policies (ideally before they are agreed)
- drive the detailed planning and setting up of an implementation programme
- plan and set up individual projects and work streams
- provide regular stock takes of the scope, plans and implementability of an initiative.
They can also be used in conjunction with Outcome Relationship Mapping (another simple but powerful technique developed by Oakleigh consultants - see next issue) to provide a simple but effective policy model.
Oakleigh offers a range of programme and programme management related services including healthcheck, gateway reviews (and the occasional post-mortem!) as well as start-up support and programme office expertise. Many of our team are PRINCE qualified and we offer accredited PRINCE training as well as training for Senior Responsible Owners and others in our cutting-edge techniques for policy-led initiatives.
The 22 Question Technique
The detailed questions and the normal sequence of tackling them is as follows:
1. What is our vision? (In what ways do we want the world to be different as a result of this initiative?)
2. Who are the stakeholders?
3. What outcomes do the priority stakeholders want?
4. What mechanisms, systems, processes and changes does the vision indicate?
5. What's the scope of this initiative? What are we prepared to do?
6. What are the success criteria?
7. What are the pre-conditions for success?
8. What are we going to have to produce?
9. What do we need from others?
10. How big are these things?
11. What sequence do they need to be done in?
12. What resources are available?
13. What assumptions are we making?
14. What are the constraints?
15. What are the barriers to success?
16. What are the likely consequences and side effects of our success?
17. Who / what is likely to be disadvantaged by our success?
18. What are they likely to do that would cause problems?
19. What is the likely probability and impact of each risk?
20. What should we do to reduce the probability and / or impact?
21. What contingencies do we need?
22. What's the plan?
If you have any questions about the subjects covered in this white paper or you would like to find out more about how Oakleigh Consulting could help your organisation, please contact us on 0161 835 4100 or email us.
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