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Standard : Strategy and execution are aligned through continuous feedback

Purpose and Strategic Importance

This standard ensures strategy and delivery remain in sync through continuous feedback loops—letting teams adjust execution based on real-time insights. It fosters agility, reduces misalignment, and maximises impact.

Aligned to our "Fast Feedback Loops" policy, this standard drives iterative learning and strategic refinement. Without it, delivery drifts off-course, wasting effort and diluting business value.

Strategic Impact

  • Stronger alignment between teams and business objectives
  • Reduced rework and faster course correction
  • Higher trust in strategic decisions and delivery roadmaps
  • Accelerated time to value with clearer priorities
  • Informed leadership decision-making with live data

Risks of Not Having This Standard

  • Delivery drifts from strategic goals without detection
  • High volume of low-impact work due to misaligned priorities
  • Frustration from lack of clarity and direction
  • Ineffective investment and prioritisation decisions
  • Reduced adaptability in dynamic environments

CMMI Maturity Model

Level 1 – Initial

Category Description
People & Culture Teams have little visibility of strategic goals.
Delivery feels disconnected from business intent.
Process & Governance Strategy is defined annually or quarterly and rarely updated.
Little input from delivery teams.
Technology & Tools Feedback is anecdotal or gathered in ad hoc reports.
No shared tooling for strategy tracking.
Measurement & Metrics No metrics tie delivery activity to business outcomes.
No routine review of alignment.

Level 2 – Managed

Category Description
People & Culture Teams are aware of strategic themes but unsure how their work contributes.
Some influence is seen.
Process & Governance Feedback loops are introduced (e.g., retrospectives, review cycles),
but not yet linked to strategic change.
Technology & Tools Basic OKR or roadmap tools are in use.
Some KPIs are linked to delivery data.
Measurement & Metrics Delivery impact is tracked occasionally.
Insights are surfaced to strategy leads infrequently.

Level 3 – Defined

Category Description
People & Culture Teams understand how delivery connects to strategy.
Product and platform managers actively engage in feedback cycles.
Process & Governance Strategy is revisited regularly based on delivery results and user insights.
Governance adapts priorities.
Technology & Tools Strategy, delivery, and feedback tools are integrated.
Work tracking links to strategic goals.
Measurement & Metrics Delivery metrics and customer outcomes are reviewed to inform strategy.
Changes are tracked and explained.

Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed

Category Description
People & Culture Teams use metrics and user feedback to challenge and improve strategy.
Leadership fosters transparency.
Process & Governance Strategy-execution alignment is reviewed as part of regular planning cycles.
Gaps prompt intervention.
Technology & Tools Dashboards and telemetry surface leading indicators.
Roadmaps adjust dynamically.
Measurement & Metrics Strategic fit is tracked using delivery data, customer metrics,
and objective measures of business impact.

Level 5 – Optimising

Category Description
People & Culture Teams co-own outcomes and drive strategic change through feedback.
Strategy is a living artefact.
Process & Governance Adaptive strategy practices are embedded.
Strategic priorities evolve iteratively based on real-world impact.
Technology & Tools Automated feedback loops inform continuous strategy refinement.
Insight flows into planning in real time.
Measurement & Metrics Strategic direction is assessed and refined through ongoing impact review,
customer response, and delivery signals.

Key Measures

  • % of work traceable to strategic goals
  • Time lag between feedback insight and strategy adjustment
  • Number of strategic reviews informed by delivery metrics
  • Ratio of high-impact vs low-impact initiatives delivered
  • Team understanding of and alignment to strategic objectives
Associated Policies
  • Fast Feedback Loops
Associated Practices
  • Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
  • Modular Monoliths
  • GraphQL-first APIs

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