A Roadmap tells the story of the change initiative in a way that allows executives to easily understand what is happening and make the course corrections needed to ensure success. It breaks it down into a series of milestones—typically 15 to 25—along with time frames, financial and operational metrics, and clear accountability. Most important, a Roadmap highlights the key risks and lead indicators for delivering the financial and operational impacts and assigns lead indicators to regularly test for them.

Please click here for an example of a Roadmap that received a high score on the Rigor Test.

A Roadmap is a high-level breakdown of the major milestones for the project to achieve its target impact. It gives executives insight into how a specific initiative is proceeding and how it fits into the larger program. It does not include day-to-day activities and is meant for periodic (typically monthly) reporting.

By contrast, a project plan is a detailed task list of activities and sub-activities that outline everything that needs to happen to complete the project. It is designed to help the project manager and project team members, not the executives overseeing it.

The second part of the Rigor Test addresses the impacts (both operational and financial), their sources, and leading indicators. This part of the discussion considers whether impacts within the Roadmap reconcile with the original business case and whether the plan specifies what will trigger the financial and operational results. It also ensures that the Roadmap highlights when progress is slipping, that leaders get enough advance notice to make course corrections, and that milestones are in place to confirm that the organization achieves and sustains the target impact.

Redefine impacts
Confirm that all impacts—financial or operational—are clearly defined, measurable, and quantifiable along a clear timeline. Ensure that milestones are in place, with associated KPIs to gauge progress, every two to three months (or every four to six months at a minimum). Check that the timing of impacts aligns with the timing of their associated milestones.

Review KPIs
Make sure that meaningful KPIs are in place to gauge financial impacts, and that those impacts support the original assumptions of the business case for the initiative.

Conduct a sanity check for each metric
Consider how you will measure one-time or recurring financial impacts (such as revenue, cost, or headcount) and whether these metrics are already in place in the organization. Confirm with relevant departments —including finance and HR—that they are aligned with these measures and the targets are achievable. Make sure these metrics are included in the roadmap and tied to specific milestones.

Consider the long term
Verify that measures are in place to sustain the improvements beyond the Roadmap. (For example, put milestones in place three, six, nine, and twelve months after implementation ends to ensure benefits are sustained.)