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GRAIL FRAMEWORK

GRAIL Framework

The GRAIL framework is designed as a holistic framework, enabling organizations to deliver projects in a repeatable and predictable manner while ensuring the realization of desired business value.

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The framework has 5 key steps, namely:

​Groundwork

Right Stuff

 Alignment

Implementation

Legacy

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​These elements are integrated with appropriate levels of governance, training, and reporting capability to ensure comprehensive oversight and effective project management. The GRAIL Framework is not linear.

 

Importantly, while the framework is intended to be used as a cohesive model, its steps or individual elements can be adapted, tailored and applied independently based on the specific needs of the organization.

grail (noun): a thing that is eagerly pursued or sought after

Phase 1

gROUNDWORK

The Groundwork step distills the company's strategy into specific focus areas with the senior leadership team, ensuring alignment and clarity for effective execution.

Phase 2

RIGHT STUFF

The Right Stuff step ensures project selection aligns with key focus areas, clearly understanding each project's contribution to the company strategy.

Phase 3

aLIGNMENT

The Alignment step ensures organizational alignment for project success. It prepares all stakeholders to deliver on approved projects with clarity and cohesion.

Phase 4

IMPLEMENTATION

The Implementation step ensures efficient project execution enabling delivery of tangible benefits. This step ensures controlled, repeatable delivery to achieve project benefits effectively.

Phase 5

LEGACY

The Legacy step ensures systematic capture and evaluate all realized benefits against the original expected benefits. Retrospectives and continues improvement activities are also included in this step.

Core – governance, reporting & Training

The primary objective of the Governance, Reporting and Training core serves as the cohesive framework that binds all elements together.

Step 1 – Groundwork

Phase 1

This is typically conducted with the senior leadership team in the organization. It is advised that an executive is assigned to each focus area, taking overall accountability for its delivery in alignment with the strategy.

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Each focus area is further detailed to outline the vision, core objectives and the required benefits to achieve its goals. Key resources are allocated to support each focus area.

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The main benefit of doing this step is to ensure that all projects are directly linked to the organization's strategy. Allows projects to be measured from both a cost and benefit perspective, ensuring the right projects are prioritized for delivery. It facilitates the creation of dashboards and reports that provide an organizational view of progress towards achieving the company strategy.

Step 2  - Right Stuff

The key elements in the Right Stuff step consist of:

 

  • Business Process Improvement: Focus on analyzing 'AS IS' processes and assessing current data integrity.

  • Business Case Creation: Develop robust business cases with a clear benefits realization capability.

  • Alignment: Ensure the portfolio is in alignment with key focus areas.

  • Priority Assignment: Assign priorities within each key focus area.

  • Resource Allocation: Allocate key resources to each focus area.

  • Pre-Project Readiness Assessment: Conduct readiness assessments before project initiation.

  • High-Level Approval: Secure high-level project approval.

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The main benefit of doing this step is to ensure selected projects are solving real business problems and delivering tangible business value. It promotes doing the ‘right stuff right’ by spending time on projects that align with strategic goals.

Phase 2

Step 3 - Alignment

Phase 3

The key elements in the Alignment step consist of:

 

  • Demand Management: Setting up the right level of governance oversight to provide consistent direction to the change portfolio.

  • Resource Management: Balance resources across the portfolio and determine the timing of each project.

  • Business Process Improvement: Focus on the 'TO BE' processes.

  • High-Level Project Planning: Conduct strategic planning for project execution.

  • Business Case Update: Revise and update the business case as needed.

  • Team Alignment: Alignment of teams / individual KPI’s tied to project success criteria

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The main benefit of doing this step is to ensure all parties understand what needs to be done, by whom, and by when. This ensures that no projects are railroaded through to delivery, but that the portfolio roadmap is controlled and is clear to all parties concerned.

Step 4 - Implementation

The key elements in the Implementation step consist of:

 

  • Project Execution: Conduct the actual work of the project.

  • Project Methodology: Apply the chosen project management methodology.

  • Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define roles and responsibilities.

  • Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks.

  • Stakeholder Communication: Maintain effective communication with stakeholders.

  • Project Governance: Ensure proper oversight and governance.

  • User Adoption: Facilitate user adoption of project outcomes.

  • Transition to BAU: Smoothly transition from project mode to business-as-usual (BAU) operations.

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The main benefit of doing this step is to ensure that project are delivered in a controlled and repeatable manner, meeting all expectations. This step also concludes the project delivery and ensures a seamless transition to a BAU model.

Phase 4

Step 5 - Legacy

Phase 5

The key elements in the Legacy step consist of:

 

  • Benefits Realization Tracking: Methodically monitoring and documenting achieved benefits to assess alignment with initial project benefits.

  • User Adoption: Ensuring that stakeholders adopt and utilize project deliverables effectively, thereby enabling the realization of anticipated benefits.

  • Retrospectives and Learnings: Conducting structured reviews to glean insights and lessons learned, facilitating continuous improvement.

  • Continuous Improvement: Iteratively refining processes based on retrospective findings to enhance overall project value delivery.

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The main benefit of doing this step is to scrutinize project outcomes against the company strategy. Monitoring user adoption ensures that anticipated benefits are effectively realized through sustained engagement. Additionally, the Legacy phase fosters organizational introspection and refinement, optimizing the process of value realization from project execution.

Core – Governance, Reporting & Training

The key elements in the Core consist of:

 

  • PMO Structure and Governance: Establishing the Project Management Office's structure to ensure effective oversight and governance.

  • Reporting Dashboards and KPIs: Providing comprehensive dashboards and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) at both portfolio and project levels for informed decision-making.

  • Overall Portfolio Health: Monitoring and evaluating the overall health and performance of the project portfolio.

  • Financial Tracking and Reporting: Tracking project finances and providing accurate reporting to stakeholders.

  • Resource Training and Development: Developing and enhancing team capabilities through targeted training and skill development initiatives.

  • Continuous Improvement: Fostering a culture of ongoing enhancement through feedback loops and process refinement.

  • Communication: Facilitating transparent and effective communication channels across all project stakeholders.

 

The main benefit of this core lies in providing the necessary structure and expertise for teams to consistently deliver outcomes in a reproducible, predictable, and cost-effective manner aligned with organizational strategy.

Phase 6
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