Join the discussion on twitter: What sign off process do you currently have for your digital strategy? #DTW2022

 

Together with your team, you’ve written up your digital strategy. It most likely includes how technology and systems can help meet business objectives, such as improving performance, efficiency, and processes. Your team is excited to get started on the new strategy but before that can happen it needs to be signed off.

 

First, we need to rewind

 

Don’t wait until you’ve completed writing up your strategy to then start the sign-off process. The sign-off process should be thought about and agreed upon at the beginning of the project. There are certain elements that could be signed off along the way, such as any graphics that may be needed from a design perspective.

 

 

Identify who needs final sign-off

 

Find out at the beginning, who needs to sign off the digital strategy. It may even have a layer of sign-off. As it’s such an important piece of work, it may need sign off by the CEO and then the board of trustees have final sign-off.

 

Decide whether those who have final sign-off need to be brought in at the beginning of the project, the midpoint, or only at the end. If your board of trustees needs final sign-off, it is usually a formality and is not necessary for them to be involved from the start.

 

 

Agree the process

 

It’s important to agree the sign-off process in advance so that you can manage expectations. A simple spreadsheet or Gantt chart can work well, with stages set out, and responsibilities and deadlines agreed.

 

 

Set clear deadlines

 

Not only should you set clear deadlines in terms of dates, but the deadlines should also be clear in terms of who is delivering what and by when. Whatever project management tool you’re using to keep track of tasks and deadlines, ensure that there are names against each task so that it’s clear exactly who is responsible for it.

If tasks are not assigned, then it’s likely they will get missed if no-one has ownership. Once tasks are assigned, be sure to let everyone know that this has been done so that they can see which tasks they are responsible for.

 

 

Set clear feedback principles

 

In an article for CharityComms on how to make sign-off less stressful, Trina Wallace advises using a feedback pyramid. Start off by giving everyone you want to be involved, the opportunity to provide the first set of feedback.

 

Once you have the next draft, reduce those who you want to get feedback from to people who have expert skills in those areas. The tip of the pyramid is the final sign-off, which is usually one person, such as a director or CEO.

 

 

Be clear on how you want to receive feedback

 

How you want to receive feedback is often a personal preference. Do you want to allow those reviewing the strategy to be able to comment on the document or can they edit directly? Do you want them to use tracked changes so that you can see what they have changed? Would you prefer they take notes and then give feedback in a face-to-face meeting? Whatever your preference, be sure to communicate it clearly to those giving feedback.

 

 

How to give feedback on feedback

 

You may find some of the feedback is difficult to understand or unclear. It’s important to go back and ask for clarification. Ask if they can be more specific and give more detail. Can they offer a solution or point you towards helpful resources?

 

You may also find that you disagree with some of the feedback. In these situations, it’s important to have a conversation to try to understand their point of view or their rationale. It may be that they have misunderstood or misinterpreted something which you can explain further. Having a conversation will hopefully lead to an agreed outcome.

 

 

Get the sign-off in writing

 

Once your digital strategy is signed-off, ensure that you have this in writing, such as an email from your CEO to say that the board of trustees has approved the strategy.