STRATEGY TO

EXECUTION
FRAMEWORK
PREVIEW EDITION

BUSINESS 5
CASE
EXECUTION 4
ROADMAPS 6
SOURCING
STRATEGY
STAKEHOLDER 3
STRATEGY
v1 7
USER
JOURNEYS
8
SPONSORSHIP 2 TRANSITION
& GOVERNANCE STRATEGY
FRAMEWORK PROGRAM 1
STRATEGY 9
CHANGE &
ADOPTION
STRATEGY

A Guide to Strategic Business Analysis

for Enabling Business Transformation
 Strategy to Execution
Framework ®
Preview Edition
An insight into the guide to strategic business
analysis for enabling business transformation.
Strategy to Execution Framework® published by International Institute of Business Analysis™
(IIBA®), Canada.
Preview Edition © 2020 International Institute of Business Analysis. All rights reserved.
.
This document is provided to the business analysis community for educational purposes.
IIBA® does not warrant that it is suitable for any other purpose and makes no expressed or
implied warranty of any kind and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. No
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IIBA would like to thank Michael Augello, CBAP, and Dr. Cecily Macdougall, for their
contributions to the development of the Strategy to Execution Framework®. The framework
has been based on the doctoral action research by Dr. Cecily Macdougall.
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Table of Contents

Strategy to Execution Framework

1 Program Strategy 2
2 Sponsorship and Governance Framework 3
3 Stakeholder Strategy 5
4 Execution Roadmaps 6
5 Business Case 7
6 Sourcing Strategy 9
7 User Journeys 11
8 Transition Strategy 12
9 Change and Adoption Strategy 13

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Strategy to Execution Framework

Strategic business analysis guides the creation of the strategies that

organizations use to move from strategy to execution.
The Strategy to Execution Framework® consists of nine strategies and
elements:
• Program Strategy
• Sponsorship and Governance Framework
• Stakeholder Strategy
• Execution Roadmaps
• Business Case
• Sourcing Strategy
• User Journeys
• Transition Strategy
• Change and Adoption Strategy

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Program Strategy Strategy to Execution Framework

The strategies and elements are presented here in a logical and natural
order, but in practice they may be applied in different sequential order and
in parallel depending on the context and needs of individual organizations.
The strategy to execution process can be used in conjunction with other
frameworks as needed. Most often it tends to precede other frameworks
and methodologies because it forms the bridge between strategic
planning and implementation and sets the foundations for a business led
change program or transformation program.
The focus of the strategy to execution process is on programs rather than
projects, as programs produce a business outcome that is aligned to the
strategy. There are many moving parts, increasing the complexity,
ambiguity, and unpredictability.
Programs are temporary, have their own organizational structures and
may have several work-streams or several projects that come together to
produce a business outcome. The outcome from a program is greater than
the sum of the outputs of the work-stream or project. This often gets
described as the ‘sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’.
Programs are dynamic and emergent in nature, and are shaped through
interaction with stakeholders, the business environment, and the power
structures. As such they require periodic alignment with changing
organizational strategies and environmental changes. As programs have a
longer life, they can be structured in a cyclical manner, which encourages
learning and development and adaptivity.

1. Program Strategy
The program strategy is the first and most vital element of strategic
business analysis. The program strategy provides the foundations for a
transformation or change.

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Strategy to Execution Framework Sponsorship and Governance Framework

1.1 Purpose
Programs operate within an organization and are context sensitive. The
program strategy contextualizes the business problem within the wider
business function and articulates the outcome of the program. The
program strategy determines how to solve the business problem in the
way that will obtain the best result and contextualizes the change.
The program strategy uses visualization for sense-making and sense-
giving for sponsors and stakeholders to make sense of the problems and
intended change and enable the understanding of the new reality, in
complex ambiguous environments.

1.2 Description
The first and most important activity in the program strategy is to
determine the core business problem that needs to be resolved. The core
business problem may be surrounded by numerous other problems or
issues that may mask the true problem. Often the effects or practices have
been built up over many years in response to the fundamental problem.

2. Sponsorship and Governance Framework

Typically, governance tends to focus on the delivery aspects of a program,
including deliverables, time, and cost. There are two aspects that are
needed in our governance organization structures: governance and
sponsorship. The absence of, or ineffectual senior and executive
sponsorship, is a significant contributor to program/project failures.

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Sponsorship and Governance Framework Strategy to Execution Framework

2.1 Purpose
The sponsorship and governance framework creates a terms of reference
document that outlines the
• program organization structure,
• roles and responsibilities of each of the functional areas, and
• escalation process.
The framework also articulates how often each functional group meets
and communicates. It provides a clear understanding of the governance
and sponsorship required for the program. Nominations for the
sponsorship group and program board are put forward in this document
and these nominations are then ratified by the sponsor and executive.
Sponsorship is crucial to ensuring the products, services, and capabilities
of the program align to the purpose of the business and to sponsor the
programs into the business.
To engage stakeholders and ensure value is delivered, sponsorship is
required from all the members of the program board, not just the program
sponsor. Sponsorship means championing, protecting, facilitating, and
enabling the transition and adoption of the enabling innovation in the
adaptive program into the business operational environment. In order to
successfully implement the change for the execution of strategy, many
sponsors are required to work together to provide sponsorship.
The sponsorship and governance framework ensures that there is both
sponsorship and governance for the program and functional stakeholder
groups and the communication protocols necessary to succeed are in
place.

2.2 Description
The sponsor is typically an individual executive who champions a program
initiative, provides leadership, resources and is accountable for the
benefits. Actively engaged sponsors are needed for program success. The
sponsor usually chairs the program board/steering committee of a
program. The program board/steering committee is responsible for the
achievement of goals, delivery within constraints, addressing risks and
issues, investment decisions, alignment of the program to the strategic
direction of the business, and the implementation to ensure the
realization of benefits.

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Strategy to Execution Framework Stakeholder Strategy

3. Stakeholder Strategy
A stakeholder strategy is vital for any transformation program.
Stakeholders need to be involved through the life cycle of a transformation
program. Lack of effective engagement with stakeholders is one of the
major causes of failure.
A stakeholder strategy includes the identification of the functional areas
where decisions and contribution are required for the change and the
identification of the key stakeholders groups that will provide this. The
term stakeholder refers to anyone who has an interest or who may be
affected by the change.
The outcome of the stakeholder strategy is to form partnerships with the
stakeholders, with the term partnership referred to as establishing
working and committed relationships.

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3.1 Purpose
Relationship-orientated factors of leadership, the culture of the team and
organization, communication with suppliers and sponsorship group, and
partnerships with stakeholders is essential for the achievement of
objectives.
The stakeholder strategy identifies the functional stakeholder groups for
the program. The stakeholder groups are integral to the sponsorship and
governance structure of the program.
The stakeholder groups are formed from the functional areas that will
require stakeholder involvement to provide business knowledge, draft the

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Execution Roadmaps Strategy to Execution Framework

user journeys, make functional design decisions, and assess the overall fit
for purpose of the business solution.
These stakeholder groups also assist with the early adoption of the
transformation.

3.2 Description
Programs are dynamic and evolve throughout the change journey. They
are shaped through the interaction with stakeholders, the business
environment, and the power structures.

4. Execution Roadmaps
Execution roadmaps provide a high-level view of all the moving parts of
programs in context.
Execution roadmaps provide sponsors, program team, stakeholders, and
suppliers a visual representation of the program including what has
changed, who is involved and when, what is needed, and when at a
program stream/project level, and at a program portfolio level.

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FRAMEWORK PROGRAM 1
STRATEGY 9
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ADOPTION
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4.1 Purpose
Execution roadmaps provide a high-level guide for the planning and
delivery of a program or stream of work/project. They provide a visual
representation of the program as a whole and do not focus on the details
of delivery. Execution roadmaps provide focus on the outcome and what is
needed when and by who, in context. They enable more informed decision
making.

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Strategy to Execution Framework Business Case

4.2 Description
Execution roadmaps enable the program team and the sponsorship and
governance group to plan and then monitor the health of the program.
They are crafted for each stream of work/project and then rolled up to give
the program portfolio view. Each individual stream is intended to achieve a
business outcome. For example, one of the business outcomes for a
program may be the adoption of new workflows and practices, supported
by enabling technology. This stream is visually represented as part of the
execution road map.

5. Business Case
A business case captures the reasoning and justification for initiating the
program or project and the anticipated commercial benefits. A business
case provides justification for the course of action based on the benefits to
be realized. It captures the rationale for change. It is a reference
document that provides a reference point at a point in time. A business
case is a living document to facilitate communication and needs to be
updated during the change journey.

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5.1 Purpose
A business case summarized the need, the business challenges, and the
business outcome desired by a program. The business case determines
what will be included and delivered in the transformation.
• Will it be a new product?
• Will it be a new service?
• Will there be a cultural change?

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Business Case Strategy to Execution Framework

• Will there be a combination of all of these in a transformation

program?
• What will be the new business capabilities for the organization?
The business case enables an investment decision to be made by the
executive.
The key elements to making an investment decision are
• understanding what is being are investing in,
• why the investment is being made,
• what investment is needed,
• what the risks of the investment are, and
• what the return on investment could be.
The business case is created following the program strategy and is
updated following the procurement activities and the first phase of
implementation. The business case is the first document that is requested
for review, such as during any audit or any post implementation review. An
unsound and unplanned business case is one of the leading causes of
program and project failure.

5.2 Description
There are several areas in a business case that leverage the program
strategy including the governance and sponsorship framework and the
execution roadmaps. The business case brings together these
components and combines them with the cost benefit analysis, so that
executive investment decisions can be made in context and with
confidence.

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Strategy to Execution Framework Sourcing Strategy

6. Sourcing Strategy
A sourcing strategy guides procurement. A sourcing strategy ensures
alignment with the information, communication, and technology (ITC)
strategy and partnership with the ICT department.

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ADOPTION
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6.1 Purpose
A sourcing strategy presents a preferred approach to sourcing the
products and services necessary to implement the enabling technology
required for the program.
A sourcing strategy determines such decisions as
• how the purchase will be funded,
• where the funding will be secured,
• the services required with the purchase, and
• any other decisions supporting the purchase.

6.2 Description
A sourcing strategy is a formal document that contains
• what will be procured,
• how it will be procured,
• what is required for implementation,
• what is required post implementation,
• what aspects will be owned and managed in-house, and
• what aspects will be managed externally.

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Sourcing Strategy Strategy to Execution Framework

A sourcing strategy is constructed as a document because it requires

approval by the executive to proceed to market.
Procurement of services and technology for a transformation program is
an expensive activity for an organization and the suppliers in the market. A
sourcing strategy that provides clear direction for both the organization
and suppliers minimizes the costs and time spent on the procurement
process.
A sourcing strategy outlines a proposed solution, the architecture, the
integration required, and the roles and responsibilities of the organization
and the market, and the procurement strategy.
A sourcing strategy includes consideration of:
• how the requirements for products and services should be bundled
together,
• what contract packages should be formed from those bundled
requirements,
• how to procure the required capabilities from the market in line with
those contract packages,
• contractual options,
• the contents and outcomes expected from each package,
• high-level timelines of procurement, and
• high-level timelines of implementation.
If the procurement documents and supplier responses are constructed in
the same manner as the sourcing strategy, evaluation can be managed
more effectively and efficiently.
Many of the sections of the sourcing strategy are incorporated into
procurement documents. The discussions and detail that goes into the
contents of a sourcing strategy prepares an organization for the questions
from suppliers during an initial industry briefing. This enables suppliers to
quickly understand and gauge their procurement responses.

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Strategy to Execution Framework User Journeys

7. User Journeys
User journeys are the visualization of the strategy. They illustrate the flow
of information and the touch points between parties in the new reality.
User journeys are used to illustrate core functions operating in context.
User journeys illustrate how the work and information will flow in the
future. Their construction leverages design thinking and are part of sense-
making for stakeholders.

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& GOVERNANCE STRATEGY
FRAMEWORK PROGRAM 1
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CHANGE &
ADOPTION
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7.1 Purpose
User journeys show how solutions function in context, the roles involved,
and the interactions between the roles. They capture the information flow
between stakeholders and are critical in providing a shared understanding
of the change and workflow of internal and external stakeholders. When
they include the required visual cues, they can be used as a basis for
functional organization design and change.
User journeys can provide a basis for the implementation team for the
creation of the user interfaces (UI), the development of screens, and their
relationships. Because they show the information required by who and
when, they can also form the basis for workflows in the solution. User
journeys precede the creation of processes and procedures, role design,
and position descriptions.

7.2 Description
User journeys inform organizational and cultural change, any product and
service development, and capability increase required. They are a
powerful communication mechanism and used at all levels of an
organization.

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Transition Strategy Strategy to Execution Framework

8. Transition Strategy
A transition strategy incorporates the information that is needed for the
program to transition to business-as-usual and embed cultural,
organizational, and technological change. A transition strategy focuses on
the long term strategy of the transformation and the future releases and
generations. A transition strategy tends to be created in parallel to
implementation.

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8.1 Purpose
The transition strategy informs the business-as-usual operating model for
• ongoing support and maintenance,
• the change and adoption strategy for the embedding of the change,
and
• the next generation of new releases for product evolution.
The transition strategy also informs the sourcing strategy and
procurement of services for ongoing support and maintenance of products
and services. The business-as-usual operating model encompasses the
new products, services, and capabilities that have been created as part of
the transformation program. The model focuses on the transition from
current operating models and technology to the new models and
technology.
The transition typically starts at least mid-point through implementation.

8.2 Description
There are several important areas that the transition strategy define:
• embedding the program changes,
• the next generation of development, and
• ongoing support and maintenance.

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Strategy to Execution Framework Change and Adoption Strategy

The ongoing governance and sponsorship structure is central to the

success of the transition strategy. The ongoing business capability owner,
the service and service capability leads, and the product and product
capability lead, play particularly important roles in its implementation.

9. Change and Adoption Strategy

A change and adoption strategy focuses on adoption and the
strategies for change. It is important to delineate the strategic
change and activities required for the transformation and the
organization change and activities required.
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9.1 Purpose
A change and adoption strategy focuses on the adoption of the change
from a strategic perspective. This is distinct from the organization's
implementation activities for the change. Strategic change and adoption
focuses on business outcomes, stakeholders, capabilities, and reputation
while organization change is focused on people, structure, competencies,
and credentials. Communication is vital for all types of change.

9.2 Description
One of the first parts of a change and adoption strategy is the
organizational areas and areas of the ecosystem that will be impacted by
the change. Visualizations help to illustrate the depth and breadth of the
change required and its cultural implications. Once the areas that are
impacted by the change are identified, a high-level impact assessment of

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Change and Adoption Strategy Strategy to Execution Framework

the impacted areas can be completed. This is the beginning of defining the
overarching change and adoption strategy.
A change and adoption strategy also includes identified stakeholder
groups from the governance model. It supports the nomination of key
individuals in each of the stakeholder groups, and identifies when and how
the stakeholders will be involved. Stakeholder groups are dynamic and
may be represented in different ways throughout implementation. It is key
that all identified stakeholder groups have a defined purpose and will be
involved in some form of decision making.
A change and adoption strategy also includes the planned
communications, the key messages, and when and how they will be
communicated. Communications are aligned with corporate
communications. Ideally, program communications are integrated with
corporate communications. However, toward the peak of the
transformation, or any product 'go lives', there is usually too much and too
many communications required to rely solely on corporate
communications. In order to ensure the key messages are received by the
target audience, it is good practice to use multiple channels to
communicate key messages at least 3 times. Measuring effectiveness of
communications and communication channels helps to gauge and
monitor adoption and resistance and to develop responsive actions.
A change and adoption strategy articulates the increase in capabilities
that are required to support the new business operating model and the
strategy. This may include new resources and training in any new
products. The change and adoption strategy includes at least three
methods to increase capabilities in order to begin to embed the change in
the culture of the organization. Methods of increasing capability include:
• first hand observation and support,
• additional specialized training,
• communities of practice,
• one-on-one support, and
• the use of a transparent backlog.
A change and adoption strategy includes the adoption baseline and the
measurements that will drive the adoption of the new products, services,
and capabilities of the transformation. Baselines in the current
environment are needed, as well as the post implementation measures.
These measures are key to driving the adoption behaviours and may take
considerable analysis and rework prior to finalization. Measurement often
drives behaviour; incorrect measures may give undesired behavioural
results. It is important to get the measures right.

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