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Rational Objective: To determine the boundaries set in order to exploit the prospect. This method is best used in highly complex long-term projects. / Existential Aim To set foundational decisions and givens for the team.
Step / Procedure / Notes
Context
/ 1. The process is made up of two parts. The first part is a series of presentations covering all the aspects of the project: background, finance, human resources, markets, production, construction, etc. depending on the type of project. The second part is identifying the components of the Decision Hierarchy: Givens.2. Decision Hierarchy will enable us to set the boundary conditions, determine the key decisions and the supporting decisions in order to exploit the prospect being explored. There are three levels of the Hierarchy: Givens, Priority Decisions and Tactical Decisions. Givens are facts, assumptions, and decisions already made. Priority Decisions are those that must be made in order for the project to move ahead. They become recommendations for milestones. Tactical Decisions are those that support the Priority Decisions but do not need to be made now.
3. This workshop is just the Givens part of the Hierarchy / You will need markers and Post-its at every table.
Make sure that all of the aspects of the project are on this team.
This workshop can be divided into three parts: presentations, Givens and Priority Decisions.
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s / 1. Ask the presenters to limit their presentations to 20 – 25 min. (In a typical project there may be 8 – 10 of these background presentations. They are designed to get everyone at the same level of understanding as far as the project is concerned.)
2. At the end of each presentation ask the group to list on post-its (one per idea) the givens, priority decisions and tactical decisions that they noticed in the presentation or that came to mind during the presentation. Ask them to put them up on the Decision Hierarchy Chart (see chart).
3. Repeat this process for each presenter.
4. When the presentations are over, ask participants to list any additional items that have occurred to them.
Givens
5. Read each of the cards that are in the Givens category.6. Check to see that it is clear (Sometimes something identified as a given is not once it has been clarified. They can be opportunities or priority decisions.) In order to clarify ask if appropriate:
a. What decisions have already been made? (The board, the owner of the project, etc.)
b. Are there facts that constrain the project?
c. What assumptions will be we make in order to set aside uncertainties?
7. Rewrite it if necessary.
8. Put them all on a flipchart so that they are readable by the whole group.
9. Read the list out loud. Ask if these are the givens for the project.
10. Hang them on the wall. / Make sure that all of the aspects of the project are covered in the presentations. Require that only flip chart drawings are used and presenters use no overhead slides. The presenters should only use simple language that everyone in the room can understand
Conc. / This workshop normally does not have a formal ending but leads into another workshop.
This Chart should be at least the size of two flipchart pages taped together side by side. For very complex projects even larger size would be appropriate.
@ v xc 27 April 2005 Coehoornsingel 49, 9711 BN Groningen, The Netherlands Tel.+31 (050) 318 3032 FAX +31 (0)50 311 7370
Workshop [Form] at Document1