Let’s be honest: reading this BoK might leave you inspired, but also a little overwhelmed. That’s okay.

• Where do I start?
• What if my organisation isn’t ready?
• How do I turn interest into action without a formal mandate?

These questions are normal. SPARA meets you where you are — whether you’re a single team lead, an enterprise executive, or an external coach.

Step 1: Understand Where You Are

Begin with honest reflection:

• Are you clear on how your organisation defines performance?
• Do teams understand what good looks like across delivery, governance, experience?
• Can you point to friction that SPARA could help resolve?

Start by observing, listening, and collecting stories. You don’t need a license to notice misalignment.

Use the SPARA Self-Reflection Guide (Annex B) to identify your likely maturity profile and your first lever to explore.

Step 2: Make Your First Move — Small, Local, Focused

• Pick one team or service area.
• Run a 30-minute lever alignment discussion.
• Ask: Which of these levers feels strong? Which feels noisy?
• Try a harmonisation exercise using a real challenge (e.g. missed deadlines, rework, customer tension).

Even without tools, the language of SPARA creates clarity. When one lever is loud and the others are quiet, that’s insight.

“Improvement doesn’t need permission. It needs rhythm.”

Step 3: Invite Others Into the Conversation

• Share what you’ve tried — even imperfectly
• Use SPARA visuals to reframe conversations with stakeholders
• Ask a peer if they’d like to run a lever diagnostic together
• Use the BoK chapters as artefacts — they’re designed for reuse

You’re not selling SPARA. You’re showing people how to think systemically.

Step 4: Build Feedback Loops That Stick

• Add SPARA maturity checks to team retrospectives
• Start a monthly lever review across your area
• Use SPARA language in business cases, service planning, or board papers
• Introduce the concept of harmonisation before the next transformation kicks off

SPARA grows in loops, not leaps.

Step 5: Shift from Ownership to Stewardship

You don’t have to “own SPARA” to sustain it. You can:

• Facilitate a CoP
• Host a lever-focused brown bag session
• Lead a SPARA reading group
• Mentor someone trying to fix a broken process using the model

The most powerful changes often start informally.

Sustaining Is Not About Perfection

Organisations don’t need to “complete SPARA.” Instead, they:

• Use it as a mirror for self-awareness
• Use it as a lens to prioritise
• Use it as a language to connect

SPARA helps keep improvement human — visible, valuable, and paced.

“Sustaining performance doesn’t come from frameworks. It comes from people with frameworks they believe in.”