Phase 5 – Drive Action and Adjust

Purpose

• Activate change based on insight, and ensure performance management remains adaptive

Objectives

• Ensure insight triggers timely decisions, escalations, or improvements

• Embed performance reporting into governance and decision-making forums

• Adjust metrics, targets, or measurement methods as needs evolve

• Establish feedback loops to validate the impact of actions taken

Inputs

• Performance reports, dashboards, and insight packs

• Governance meeting outcomes or decisions

• Stakeholder feedback and real-world impact data

Outputs

• Action logs and decisions linked to insight

• Adjusted metrics, thresholds, or cadences

• Updated governance agendas or escalation protocols

• Performance retrospectives or improvement plans

Tools and Techniques

• Trigger-to-Action Map: Links insight to action types (escalate, investigate, adjust, escalate)

• Governance Alignment Matrix: Defines what decisions are made where, and by whom

• Action Tracking Log: Maintains accountability and follow-through

• Feedback Loop Tracker: Ensures insight leads to measurable change

• Retrospective Templates: Formalise review of what worked and what didn’t

Step 1: Identify Triggers and Actions

• Define what constitutes a trigger (e.g. breach, trend, anomaly)

• Map trigger types to action categories: notify, escalate, reprioritise, redesign

Step 2: Engage Governance Forums

• Ensure the right forums are in place to review and act on insight (e.g. weekly ops, monthly exec, quarterly strategy)

• Embed performance review into governance agendas and action trackers

Step 3: Record and Assign Actions

• Use the Action Tracking Log to capture decisions made, owners assigned, and due dates

• Confirm alignment with service, programme, or change portfolios

Step 4: Monitor Impact and Adjust

• Use the Feedback Loop Tracker to monitor whether actions taken lead to performance change

• If metrics no longer serve the question, revisit Phase 2 and adjust

• Identify repeat or systemic issues for deeper analysis

Step 5: Close the Loop

• Formally close performance cycles with retrospectives

• Identify lessons learned and improvement opportunities

• Feed insights into continuous improvement and service design

• Avoid “report and forget” syndrome — always ask: what changed as a result of this insight?

• Establish default triggers and actions, but leave room for flexibility

• Use dashboards with embedded action trackers to visualise ownership

• Retire metrics that no longer drive decisions or learning

• Encourage reflection through structured retrospectives

• Escalating underperforming vendors for contract review

• Triggering a service redesign following repeated flow breakdowns

• Adjusting experience targets based on new customer segments

• Retiring low-value KPIs in favour of outcome-based metrics

• Reassigning ownership of measures following a restructure

• COBIT (EDM02/MEA03): Supports action-based decision-making and issue escalation

• ITIL (Continual Improvement & Change Enablement): Aligns performance reporting with service improvements

• PRINCE2/MSP: Enables linkage between insight and project/programme decisions

• SAFe/Agile: Connects metrics to backlogs, OKRs, and cadence-based reviews

• • Governance & Alignment: Ensures action is triggered, tracked, and reviewed by the right governance layers

  • Delivery & Assurance: Validates that improvements are owned and implemented effectively

  • People & Empowerment: Equips teams to own their insight and respond with confidence

  Insight without action is overhead. This phase turns awareness into alignment—and alignment into progress.