How do you define the scope and objectives of a gap analysis project?

The first step is to ask Why? Who? What? Where? and How? One needs a baseline understanding to proceed. More importantly, is the target state defined, and is a senior leader serving as the champion.

Defining the problem or opportunity is like setting the destination on a map before starting a journey. It gives you a clear direction and purpose for the gap analysis. Once you know where you're headed, you can plan the best route to get there.

A gap analysis project aims to identify disparities between current and desired states in processes, systems, or performance. Scope involves defining areas to be assessed. Objectives include pinpointing shortcomings, outlining improvement strategies, and enhancing overall efficiency or effectiveness.

In my experience, it is important to loop in stakeholders involved in the current state and get buy-in for the future state. This change work impacts people and they must help define the future state and provide a realistic view of the current state.

Describing the current and desired state is like understanding where you are and where you want to be. It helps you visualize the gap between the two and sets the stage for planning how to bridge that gap.

Consider a user focused lens to these questions above: - What user actions (user goals, user processes, or process steps) are you looking at? - How is the current goal/process/step performing? - What is he vision of a better performance? For example: Looking at "Customers Reserving A Space" = User Step/Action. --> How is this process performing? Completions, Abandons --> Time/Effort it takes each user? --> What would improve this? (not tech, but user point of view)? Now, you can look at the questions above in this section with a lens and context to answer them with. Determining the scope and boundaries is about context and understanding the context first to then draw the scope and boundaries around/within it.

Determining the scope and boundaries is like setting the limits of your project. It helps you stay focused and prevent your project from becoming too broad or complex.

Setting clear objectives and criteria is crucial for any project, including gap analysis. It helps you stay focused, measure progress, and ensure alignment with stakeholders. Using tools like SMART goals can make this process easier and more effective.

You also should think about how much time/money you want to spend on this work. How much detail will be included? Only do the work needed to meet the objectives.

Conducting the gap analysis is like putting together a puzzle. You're comparing what is with what should be, and figuring out how to bridge the gaps.

Implementing improvement actions is like building a bridge to reach your desired destination. It requires careful planning, execution, and monitoring to ensure success.

1.Area of Focus:Define the specific area to be analyzed (e.g., skills, processes, technology). 2.Current State:Assess the current performance against pre-defined criteria. 3.Desired State:Clearly outline the ideal future state or target goals. 4. Gap Identification:Compare current and desired states to pinpoint discrepancies. 5. Prioritization:Evaluate the significance of each identified gap. 6. Action Plan:Develop strategies to bridge the prioritized gaps. 7. Evaluation:Establish methods to measure progress in closing the gaps.

Gap analysis is important work and often overlooked. Present your results in a high level chart or diagram and help others learn the value of this technique.