6-7-Monitor and Adjust

The last step entails periodically checking and adjusting the implementation to verify that the process is working as intended and resulting in the intended outcomes. This step includes scheduling regular check-ins with the implementation team, the project lead and leadership, if necessary, during implementation, especially at the start of the initiative.

This step includes developing performance reporting mechanisms, and documenting and executing a process to show progress toward the vision for the capability-building effort. Thought should be given to the reporting mechanism(s) most appropriate for the audience. Possible performance reporting mechanisms include:

• Dashboards
• Performance reports
• Presentations to leadership

Reviewing how the process is operating and making small adjustments prevents major rework loopbacks that slow the overall implementation.

Triggers should be built into the review and reporting structure to provide a signal that an adjustment is needed to the overall implementation process or one of the tasks within the plan. This trigger should be based on performance measurement results, and an associated mitigation strategy should be aimed at bringing the project back within acceptable tolerance. For example, an agency is undertaking an implementation to build process agility/innovation using organizational management strategies, specifically, using the lean methodology. One of the action plan metrics is operational efficiencies, measured through process improvement dollars saved. The agency is targeting $3M in bottom line savings by the end of 2021, but has only achieved $250K in savings to date. A look at the pipeline of continuous improvement project savings on a quarterly basis could be used to establish a trigger based on dollars saved, active and planned projects and the deadline for achieving the savings.

The trigger in this example could signal a need for escalating results to division or regional leadership advice on ramping up the pipeline of projects. Adjustments are integrated into the implementation process steps.

The project team should track successes and lessons learned during the implementation to build a feedback loop and make the next set of actions more efficient and effective to implement. This activity should be built into the implementation tasks rather than completed after the plan has been completed.

Typical steps for capturing lessons learned include:

The resources at the end of this chapter provide a sample template for capturing successes and lessons learned.