British Secretary of State for War from 1914-16,
Lord Horatio Kitchener is most famously remembered for being the face of the WWI recruiting poster.
Kitchener was a master of mobilisation, with a mathematically adept mind and
renowned powers of organisation.
His "call to arms" echoes down through the generations. You will need to be
similarly resourceful in recruiting allies to your cause and getting your intranet project 'off the ground'.
Before
Be prepared for a long haul. It may take up to a year to
win your business case and mobilise the project team.
A portal is not intrinsically
difficult to deliver technically, but an intranet project can be fraught with emotional and political issues, due to it's high level of visibility within the organisation.
Many such problems tend
to stem from a poorly executed pre-project phase, where inappropriate expectations are set and insufficient sponsorship obtained.
As the old adage has it, 'people do not plan to fail, they fail to
plan'. This is never more true than with an intranet project. Pay close attention to the following key areas for best results:
Getting Started Are you up to this? An exploration of some of the key qualities you will need to possess - or develop - in order to succeed, plus a quick guide to the key concepts.
Vision It is vital to develop a simple, compelling and consistently held vision of what an intranet portal will mean
to your organisation. Some ideas and tips.
Sponsorship How to identify your natural allies and select your project sponsors. Where the likely opposition will
be and how to turn them to your cause.
Influencing Tips on successful selling - including how to appeal to more than just the wallet – and a guide to
stakeholder analysis, including links and downloads.
Architecture The main intranet portal vendors, some general principles for the high level design and downloadable
product selection criteria for you to adapt & use.
Business Case / ROI Introducing a 10 step approach to making the business case, this section includes advisory downloads
and the "wall of benefits" intranet benefits register.
Prioritisation A guide on how to prioritise your scope, based on strategic alignment, ease of delivery and value. Downloads and tips to get the right scope and then defend it
Mobilisation Tips on skill sets for your core team and models for team building. Advice on siting the project office and useful equipment for the project team.
The 'before' section ensures that you set expectations correctly from the
start and mobilise your intranet project elegantly.
Follow the simple tips in these eight chapters to lay the right foundations
for successful delivery.
