Catalyst GPS

[IMPACT]

Catalyst GPS - Global Participation Solution - is an open strategy development framework based on time-tested methodologies, custom-made to fit the needs of Project Catalyst community.

Please check this introductory slideset before commenting on the proposal.

Balanced scorecard—a time-tested solution for strategic planning, setting and implemetation of goals, objectives and initiatives—and the related Strategy Map methodology is now paired with agile implementation framework to create a scalable, inspiring and unique model for collaborative strategy making.

This Open Strategy Development Framework is developed and perfected in collaboration with community advisors, based on input and feedback received. It is then tested and put into practice, while the process participants are being trained to step up to the responsibility.

This approach aims to:

• Increase the strategic thinking, acting and influencing capabilities of everyone involved.

• Align strategic goals with the objectives of different stakeholders within Catalyst.

• Visualize the strategy and make shared success metrics clearly understood throughout Catalyst.

• Make it faster for new Catalyst members to grasp why we exist, where are we headed and how do we plan to get there, allowing them to contribute their fresh perspectives.

• Tie the strategies and metrics directly to decision-making processes and everyday work.

• Create intentional communication and feedback loops, allowing strategy to become a living and changing series of experiments, rather than a dull document gathering dust in a binder.

• Recognize grassroot-level development efforts and allow people's voices to be heard.

• Tie both "top-down" proactive strategies and "bottom-up" reactive corrections as part of the same map towards commonly defined success.

• Reduce the time to tangible value-addition and understand week-on-week efforts as part of the strategy.

• Drive change via named Sponsors, Champions and Owners that can gather teams to create and implement strategy when and where needed, quickly forming, norming, storming, performing and ultimately adjourning and focusing efforts elsewhere when the targets have been reached.

• Allow "eating an elephant one bite at a time", making the conversations focused on a task at hand, rather than getting an information overload.

• Help Catalyst maintain momentum on the execution of long-range strategic plans through shorter, iterative implementation cycles, meeting both immediate and long-term needs.

• Instill a sense of "leadership as a responsibility" in the hearts and minds of the Catalyst members, reducing the time for new members to step up and contribute in meaningful ways.

• Contribute to the maintenance of an inclusive and supportive culture where your success means my success and, ultimately, our success.

• Create a scalable, inspiring and adaptable model for agile strategy making and implementation with Sponsors, Champions and Owners driving change.

• Be reusable by other funded proposers and projects building on Cardano, increased strategic acumen can lead to a higher impact and ROI of any team that adopts the model.

Catalyst GPS model is inspired by:

The Balanced Scorecard

https://hbr.org/1992/01/the-balanced-scorecard-measures-that-drive-performance-2

Strategy Mapping

https://balancedscorecard.org/bsc-basics/what-is-a-strategy-map/

Agile Strategy

https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/agile-strategy-short-cycle-strategy-development-and-execution/

Focus: As I have many simultaneous projects going on, my attention is divided. To mitigate the risk of losing focus, I have included in the budget an incentive for a pragmatic co-facilitator who helps with practicalities. Timing has been selected so that it happens outside of the peak months.

Change resistance: It is possible that there are some people in Catalyst who are naturally resistant to change. That's okay and to be expected. This is more pronounced if one is not prone to strategic thinking. As we create supporting educational materials, we deliver two versions of the presentation: one more generic and strategic, another more down-to-earth and operational.

Unforeseen circumstances: Should anything happen to the project leader, the information needs to be accessible for others to build on. Therefore we follow "Release early, release often" guideline, making sure that everything gets documented and shared.

[FEASIBILITY]

Timeline:

MAY 2022 - Complete the initial framework design based on collected experiences and feedback

JUNE 2022 - Identify participants and carry out the trainings to prepare for implementation

JULY 2022 - Get the collaborative strategic planning and agile implementation underway

AUGUST 2022 - Complete documentation, recommendations and support materials

The plan is not to dictate the strategy or even to facilitate its creation but to enable those who are interested to step up to the responsibility and start creating the strategy on their own, in collaboration with others in the community.

If it seems that facilitation help is indeed needed and that there is great demand for collaborative strategy creation, we can amend this proposal in Fund9.

Terminology:

To understand the language used in this proposal, here some terminology:

Purpose (Mission): Why do we exist?

Values (Principles) & Culture: How do we work together?

Dream (Vision): What do we want to achieve by 2025?

Strategic Themes: 3-5 chosen strategic focus areas that, when combined, realize the Dream.

Core Functions: Lenses through which the themes are observed and made into Objectives.

• People & Culture what fuels the organizational learning and growth?
• Systems & Processes: how do we make it easier to get things done?
• Products & Services: what solutions and dApps are being built on Cardano ecosystem today and tomorrow?
• Outreach & Impact: how do we tell the world about our impact and invite more support to maximize it?

Objectives: How themes are put into practice and how progress is measured? A measurable statement, in the crossroads of a theme and a function, helps achieve a desired outcome. Coordinated by a Sponsor.

Measures: 2-3 specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound targets that track the progress of each objective.

Initiatives: Improvement proposals dedicated to accomplish objectives, championed by Catalyst members. Scope, budget, personnel, other resource needs and start/end date defined. Broken down to user stories. Coordinated by a Champion.

User stories: Short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires the new capability (e.g. Lurker, Proposer, Voter, Advisor, Assessor, Veteran Community Advisor, Challenge Team Member, Circle representative, dRep, IOG Coordinator, Partner). User stories can be broken down to several tasks. Coordinated by an assigned Owner. They typically follow a simple template: "As a type of user, I want some goal so that some reason" and can be completed within maximum three weeks. Examples of user stories:

As a busy Proposer I want to be notified to either withdraw or complete my forgotten proposal so that they don’t stay cluttering the platform.

As a Voter I want to express my interest to join an interesting team so that I can provide more than only my votes.

As an Advisor I want to be compensated for proposals I have helped receive funding so that I feel motivated to play my part before proposals are finalized.

As an Assessor I want an easy, non-subjective way to judge whether or not a proposal meets the Impact, Feasibility and Auditability criteria so that I don’t have to second guess if I’m doing my job correctly.

As a Veteran Community Advisor I want to score a proposal and write a review without too many guidelines, to feel that my subjective opinion matters.

As a Challenge Team Member I want to automatically receive the contact information of the proposers that I’m responsible for guiding so I can easily get in touch with them.

As an IOG Coordinator I want to delegate strategic initiatives to the Circle so that I can focus on fulfilling my role.

As a Partner I want an easy way to contribute my skills, knowledge and networks to the funded proposals so I can feel that I am a meaningful part of Catalyst.

As a new member I want all relevant information to be readily available via a mobile user interface so that I can quickly take part in Project Catalyst.

The budget is made to cover the design and implementation costs of the approach, as well as training and documentation costs, both by the co-proposers and as bought services.

These are the tasks taking our time and associated costs:

• $3,000 Collect practical learning points from the CA community
• $4,000 Initial framework design
• $1,000 Brainstorming of Catalyst-specific examples
• $1,000 Strategic presentation design and production
• $1,000 Operational presentation design and production
• $1,000 Feedback collection and framework improvement
• $1,000 Creation of training material
• $1,500 Co-creation of Objective, Initiative and User Story examples
• $1,000 Process design for agile strategy creation and practical implementation
• $1,500 Training the Sponsors: former and current Circle members
• $1,000 Training the first Champions: up to 20 Catalyst members
• $1,000 Design finalization and kickstarting of collaborative strategy making
• $1,500 Practical arrangements
• $1,500 Documentation and follow-up
• $1,000 Support material creation
• $2,000 Agile implementation coaching

TOTAL COST: $24,000

Tomi Astikainen is a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration, who majored in Organizations and Management. He has worked as a Strategy Consultant and a Leadership Trainer, helping businesses, nonprofits and social movements alike. Currently he works as a Business Analyst in an agile team.

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiastikainen/

Nadia Hopkins has held several roles in her career, both as a business owner and as a Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives in several non-profit organizations, where community engagement was her key responsibility. She is also the Catalyst Circle Representative for Community Advisors, a role in which she has successfullly collecting perspectives, connecting doers, critiquing the process and communicating the next steps.

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiashopkins

Ondřej Hálek is a senior consultant, enterprise architect and analyst, who is experienced in customer-focused and culture-oriented design as well as in agile development.

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ondra-h%C3%A1lek-15107744/

[AUDITABILITY]

The work does not happen in isolation but in close collaboration with the community, including community advisors and Circle representatives.

Two after-townhall sessions are held to educate the Catalyst members and to collect feedback for the model creation: 1) the first one presents the model and invites input from participants, 2) the second one shows the results and the way forward is planned together.

Final documentation and support materials are provided for the community use.

Definition of done:

1. A presentation regarding the model is shared with the community.
2. Examples of Purpose, Dream, Values, Core Perspectives and Strategic Themes are provided.
3. A real Objective, an Initiative and up to three User Stories are mapped to the model to serve as a practical example.
4. A weekly process of strategy creation and implementation is introduced.
5. A training is held for current and former Circle members to become Sponsors who launch, track and manage Objectives and related Initiatives.
6. Up to 20 Catalyst members are trained to become Champions for Initiatives who help Owners craft and manage practical user stories that implement user-centric strategy in action.

Success criteria:

• The Circle is asked for input and feedback before, during and after the implementation.
• Each participant is asked to provide feedback after the trainings. Free-form feedback is used to improve the model and delivery. Quantitative feedback is used for tracking successful delivery.

This is a new proposal.

SDG Rating

The SDG this proposal relates to most is Goal 4. Quality Education, especially the part of promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Indirectly it can have an effect on all SDGs because, when implemented, this Open Strategy Development Framework has a multiplying positive impact: better equipped strategic leaders inflict postive change in all communities they operate in.