Executive's Guide to Project Management: Organizational Processes and Practices for Supporting Complex Projects

Strategic Alignment Model

While this model can be used at the business unit level its best use is at the organizational level. The Strategic Alignment Model makes good sense because it attempts to align projects at all levels of the organization with the goals the organization has decided to pursue. In other words, it aligns projects with the things that are important to the organization. Figure 9.3 graphically depicts this model.

Figure 9.3 Strategic Alignment Model

Value/Mission

The value/mission is a very brief statement of why the enterprise exists. This could define an end state that the organization hopes to achieve or simply be a statement of how the organization views the business it is in. Whichever form is used, this statement is unlikely to change, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Goals

To achieve its end state or accomplish its mission, the organization has to engage in certain major efforts. These are likely to be multi-period or multi-year efforts designed to accomplish major results. These goals might define an ideal end state that is never attainable (eliminating world hunger, for example), or they might be achievable over long periods of time (finding a cure for cancer or a preventative program for the common cold, for example). Any of these are good examples of goal statements. The important thing to remember is that they must be each stated in a way that ...