We have recently completed working with a wide variety of large global firms on designing & planning unique complex global programs. Though each is uniquely different, there are patterns and threads that are the same. These ten questions provide a quick way of assessing how well such programs are being designed , planned, and managed:
- Who's in charge and serves as the overall executive leader of the program?
- Is she 100% dedicated fully to the program? Anything less is a recipe for disaster.
- Does the leader have full responsibility and authority to deliver the desired results of the program?
- Who is the sponsor? Who has the money and provides a clear escalation path for the program executive?
- Are the boundaries (scope) of the program well-developed and understood by ALL on the team?
- Are key program parameters in writing and actually known by all team members?
- Are meetings designed and managed to reflect differences in culture, time zones, and work styles across the globe?
- Do schedules and timelines reflect reality of what is achievable given available resources and market conditions?
- Do you routinely assess the risks to successfully delivering the program and make adjustments for prevention and contingency measures as needed?
- Are you learning--do you conduct pre-mortems, lessons learned sessions, or after-action reviews periodically rather than only at the end of the program?
