A09 – Make a go/no-go decision

This is a draft of the manual for review. If you have any comments, please email them to info@omimo.org. Please check back for the final version.

What

At this point, you’ve spent enough time exploring the idea of the program, tried to understand the real outcomes people expect from it (without missing anyone out), and used that to create one or more Scenarios. Now, it’s time to decide whether to execute the program.

Why

You want to make sure the program is viable and justifiable before you invest in it. The obvious reason is that you don’t want to lose your time and money. However, there’s another reason as well, which might be more important in numerous instances: A failed program can make it more difficult to have a similar program in the future. In other words, when dealing with something critical and sensitive, not doing anything at all might be much better than attempting to run a poorly initiated program.

Who

The program manager sends the documents to the sponsor, and the sponsor should make the decision. Often, the sponsor will have to discuss it with other people, such as those in the portfolio management system, and decide together. However, that’s up to the sponsor, and the program manager shouldn’t be worried about who should be included in the decision making. From the program’s perspective, there’s only one high-level decision maker, and that’s the sponsor.

How

The Scenarios you’ve developed create a range of time and money needed for the program. There may be a Business Case for the program at higher levels, such as portfolio management. In that case, they will use the data to update the Business Case and use that to assess the justification of the program by comparing its estimated investment and benefit. They will also check the Scenarios to see how viable the program is and compare its level of risk with the level they are willing to accept for the goal of the program.

Finally, the decision will be made, and only after the sponsor formally communicates the decision to the program manager in writing may the program manager proceed to the next steps. If the decision is to execute the program, the program manager proceeds to A10, and otherwise they would archive the documents and release the team.

Everyone in the organization must understand that initiating a program or project and deciding not to run it is not a failure but rather a sign of good management. There may be many ideas worth exploring (initiating), but it would not make sense to pursue all of them at that moment. You may decide to return to an idea a few years later or permanently reject it.