Planning Assumptions
Document the scope and provenance of the assumptions and estimates that underlie the IT business plan — for example, an internally generated sales forecast that is informed by market and customer feedback.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Planning Assumptions at each level of maturity.
- 1Initial
- Practice
- Check language/presentation of plan to ensure that embedded assumptions are discernible.
- Outcome
- Assumptions may be more easily identified.
- Metric
- # of assumptions identified in plan.
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Describe macro or organization-wide planning assumptions.
- Outcome
- Improved understanding of the basis of the plan helps to anticipate the impact of changes in key plan variables.
- Metric
- # of plan variables for which assumptions are defined.
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- Ensure planning assumptions have input from some business unit sources.
- Outcome
- A plan that is better aligned with the overall business plan, has more organization-wide acceptance, and improves likelihood of a successful implementation of the plan.
- Metric
- # and % of plan variables where assumptions originate with the business as opposed to IT.
- 4Advanced
- Practice
- Present assumptions down to the project level.
- Outcome
- There is smoother transition from planning to implementation stages.
- Metric
- # and % of projects for which assumptions are stated.
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Develop assumptions that have been agreed with and take account of the interests of all relevant stakeholders.
- Outcome
- There is better understanding of the roles and responsibilities by all plan participants.
- Metric
- # of stakeholders that have signed off on the plan assumptions.