1.8: Strategic Alignment
Align IT Strategy with Mission Requirements. Other Information:
Most of the program management actions we are recommending involve “getting the right people on the bus”: the early assignment
of qualified, experienced program management staff dedicated full-time to the project. But another essential element of effectively
managing complex IT acquisitions is that the process must begin with a clear definition/understanding of the “to be” mission
environment and/or mission goals. Additionally, there must be a clear understanding of the criteria to be used to measure
program success. The IT strategy must then be aligned to support these goals. This is the most critical step to deliver value
from IT. Starting with a clear definition of the “to be” mission/business environment and/or mission goals provides both the
business case and the compelling reason to act. For programs using agile/incremental development (discussed in Section 2.2),
the to-be definition is the framework for determining the capabilities that will be delivered in each increment. Most important,
the to-be definition becomes the vision that senior executives use to communicate why the new program is needed and what is
expected; while the budgeting process and other similar mechanisms become the enabler to deliver on the vision. It also provides
a framework for determining important decisions, including: * Metrics for measuring outcomes * What change is required to
operations to implement new environment * What requirements are really critical and which ones would be merely “nice to have”
* How to determine the relative value of proposed solutions * The IT approach best suited to producing mission/business results
* The value of changes in a program after award, specifically focused on measuring mission success and not process success
Following this approach will position the program to meet the criteria for success outlined by the Standish Group and widely
applied throughout the Government.
Indicator(s):
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