Course Description
Introduction
Strategic initiatives succeed when they are well-defined, prioritized correctly, and governed with clear decisions and accountability. This practical program equips initiative advisors with simple tools to shape initiatives, compare priorities, plan realistically, and support leadership decisions through structured criteria and transparent trade-offs.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
· Define initiatives clearly with scope and outcomes
· Apply simple prioritization frameworks and scoring
· Align initiatives to strategy and capacity
· Identify risks and dependencies early
· Build a basic initiative roadmap and review cadence
Target Audience
This course is designed for:
· Initiatives advisors and coordinators
· Strategy execution and PMO support staff
· Performance and reporting specialists supporting initiatives
· Program and project teams shaping new initiatives
· Teams supporting executive decision forums
Course Outlines
Day 1: Initiative Definition Basics
· What makes an initiative “strategic”
· Outcome vs activity thinking
· Scope, assumptions, and constraints
· Basic initiative charter elements
· Activity: Draft an initiative one-pager
Day 2: Prioritization Frameworks
· Value vs effort basics
· Strategic alignment scoring
· Risk and urgency considerations
· Simple portfolio balancing (quick view)
· Workshop: Build a scoring model
Day 3: Capacity and Roadmapping
· Capacity and resource basics
· Dependencies and sequencing
· Milestones and phases
· Quick benefits view (high level)
· Activity: Create a simple roadmap
Day 4: Decision Support and Governance
· Decision forums and approvals
· Writing decision papers (short)
· Handling trade-offs and conflicts
· Escalation and issue logging
· Case study: Prioritization meeting simulation
Day 5: Tracking and Continuous Improvement
· Simple initiative KPIs
· Status reporting and dashboards basics
· Review cadence (weekly/monthly)
· Lessons learned and updates
· Final project: Prioritization pack
