Execution isn’t everything. Neither is ideas. It’s both. Executing ideas with impact. Here's a 4 step plan for picking project ideas that are bound to have a positive impact on your organisation.

1. Howto pick
digitalprojects
with impact?
SOCIALPROFIT
INNOVATION
Addressthepains,followthegains.

2. In impact organisations,
there’s never a shortage
of ideas for digital
initiatives.
But how do you make
sure to pick the right
ones?
Visual
Co-creative
People-centered
Here’s 4 step plan that is:

3. Make an overview of everyone that influences
the organisation. The stakeholders.
Get the big
picture
STEP 1

4. Basic stakeholder
map for Tada.
Google for
templates.
HOW?
Map the organisation
We’ll use the example of an organisation called
Tada. It’s a weekend school in Brussels, where
volunteers teach vulnerable teens.
I taught three times and am a fan.

5. Creates interest and support
Helps recall information
Stimulates new ideas and thinking
Growth trees often
do the trick
Make the map
accessible with a
metaphor

6. CoreactivitiesatTadaaddedtothemap

7. See where the team and customers are
frustrated, so you can to reduce their pains
List experience
pains
STEP 2

8. Low points in customer experience
What do users complain about?
Frustrations in service delivery
What is holding back the team?
Invite team members to dot-vote, to highlight
the biggest problems.
Identify challenges
Map with core
activities and
pain points at
Tada

9. Hold steady
Refrain from jumping to solutions for the
problems you found. You’re not there yet.
Let’s also get a systems thinking perspective to
understand the impact of potential projects.

10. Find system
gains
STEP3
Identifycoredynamicsinyourorganisational
system.Thiswillhelpyourteamseewherethey
canmakethebiggestimpact.

11. Make an overview of the dynamics between
stakeholders. It’s a simple game of cause and
effect. Mapping the system dynamics helps us
find interventions with impact.
Successful
volunteer
onboarding
A core causal loop
HOW?
Find loops in the
organisation

12. Core tool for discussing new initiatives
Adaptable over time
Map the loops
The map makes it easier to see the potential
impact of changes to parts of the system. It’s
called a systems map.

13. Identify core causal
loops
For Tada, one loop is a prime candidate for
improving: volunteer onboarding.
Strong impact on desired outcomes
Pivotal for other loops

14. Evaluate
opportunties
STEP 4
Identify core dynamics in your organisational
system. This will help your team see where they
can make the biggest impact.

15. HOW?
Weigh the pains and
gains per core loop
Use a classic Weighted decision matrix to
evaluate your options.
Add extra criteria if you feel inclined.
Now you have a compact, repeatable process
for choosing which digital projects to tackle.
There you go!

16. RECAP
These were the steps
Get the big picture
List experience pains
Find system gains
Evaluate opportunities

17. Need a hand with
digital strategy in your
social organisation?
Frederik Vincx
Reach out for
freelance help
FOR HIRE
info@frederikvincx.com
0472 65 68 89