Improvement Proposals

Planted 02023-01-09

Process goal: Source improvements and clarify decision-making accountability by removing uncertainty over roles or responsibilities for a decision.

There are four ingredients we always want to include in an Improvement Proposal:

1. Issue — the issue motivating change
2. RAPID — decision accountability
3. Proposed Solution — the proposed change
4. Next Steps — decisions result in to-dos with DRIs and due dates

Ingredient 1. Issue

Show why the status quo doesn’t work. What is the issue motivating change?

Ingredient 2. RAPID

The RAPID framework is designed to clarify decision accountability by including:

• Recommend: the person who proposed the Issue and Solution
• Agree: people whose input is required to make the decision (usually legal)
• Perform: people who will have to enact any decision and therefore should be heard
• Input: people whose input is worth considering
• Decide: the one who will make the decision

At a bare minimum, proposals should include:

• Recommend: the person who proposed the Issue and Solution
• Perform: people who will have to enact any decision and therefore should be heard
• Decide: the one who will make the decision

Not everything will have people whose input is required or people whose input is worth considering. However, everything should have the person who recommended, people who will perform, and the person who will make the decision.

Ingredient 3. Proposed Solution

All improvement proposals are required to include a Proposed Solution.

Even if you only have 10% confidence your answer is the right one.

The Proposed Solution should be phrased in very bold, directive terms—“Do this ….” This may seem aggressive but it creates a flag in the sand to generate a much more productive discussion and a quicker decision-time—which ultimately is more important than appearing to be humble.

Ingredient 4. Next Steps

The decider asks questions to come to a decision on it. Questions are then responded to, in writing, by the recommender.

Once the decision maker decides, they write up the decision along with all Next Actions (each with a DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) and due date) and publishes the decision.