How are the procedures for a planning workshop (gap analysis) designed?
First of all, the project entity and stakeholders are identified. The gap that needs to be bridged is then discovered by analysing the existing problems and perceived obstacles that prevent each stakeholder from collaborating in pursuit of the ‘desired mental state’. The desired mental state is the state that needs to be reached to obtain commitment to moving forward with the project. In other words, by the end of the workshop, the position of each participant must be clear in terms of whether or not they intend to contribute resources, such as time, information, funds, materials and staff, to the project. Once the gap has been identified, workshop procedures and steps to be taken are determined and their feasibility assessed. This will involve looking at the number of participants to be invited, the estimated scope of the project entity, the problems likely to arise within the time available, the complexity of the issue, the disparity of ideas and perceptions, etc.
