Is your strategy aligned? 

1. We have clearly defined what we will NOT pursue.

Most IPAs can list their priorities. Fewer can name what they've decided to stop doing. If your strategy doesn't include explicit "no" decisions, it's not creating focus.

Score 1 - We pursue almost any opportunity that comes our way

Score 5 - We regularly turn down opportunities that don't fit our priorities

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2. Our strategic focus can be explained in one clear paragraph.

If you can't articulate your strategy simply, your teams definitely can't. Complexity is usually a sign that hard choices haven't been made.

Score 1 - Our strategy requires multiple documents to explain

Score 5 - Anyone on our team can explain our focus clearly in 60 seconds

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3. Our sector and investor priorities are specific enough to guide targeting decisions.

"Advanced manufacturing" or "tech" aren't specific enough. Good priorities tell you which companies to pursue and which to deprioritize.

Score 1 - Our priorities are broad categories that fit hundreds of companies

Score 5 - Our priorities are specific enough that targeting decisions are straightforward

 

4. Leadership agrees on what success looks like in 3 years.

If you ask three senior people where the organisation should be in three years, do you get three versions or one shared picture?

Score 1 - Leadership has different views on our direction

Score 5 - Leadership is completely aligned on our strategic direction

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Section 1 Score: _____ / 20

5. Our daily work reflects our stated priorities. 

Strategies fail when Monday morning looks the same whether the strategy exists or not. How much of your team's time actually goes to your stated priorities?

Score 1 - Daily work is largely reactive and disconnected from strategy

Score 5 - Our team spends most of their time on our declared priorities

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6. Decisions get made based on our strategy, not politics or habit.

When opportunities arise or conflicts emerge, do you refer back to strategy or do other factors dominate?

Score 1 - Most decisions are driven by urgency, relationships or pressure

Score 5 - We consistently use our strategy to guide difficult decisions

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7. We review and adjust our strategy based on what we're learning.

Strategies shouldn't be static. The best ones evolve as you learn what works and what doesn't.

Score 1 - Our strategy hasn't changed meaningfully in years

Score 5 - We regularly review and adjust based on results and changing conditions

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8. Teams know how their work connects to organisational goals.

Can people on your team explain why they're doing what they're doing and how it contributes to the bigger picture?

Score 1 - Most people couldn't explain how their work connects to strategy

Score 5 - Everyone understands how their work supports our strategic goals

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Section 2 Score: _____ / 20

9. Different teams interpret our strategy the same way.

Marketing, sector specialists, aftercare and leadership should have the same understanding of what you're trying to achieve. Often they don't.

Score 1 - Different teams have different interpretations of our strategy

Score 5 - All teams have a shared understanding of our direction

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10. The team aligns about the direction but have productive disagreements about implementation.

Some tension is healthy. But it should be about how to execute, not about what you're trying to do.

Score 1 - Teams regularly disagree about basic strategic direction

Score 5 - We're aligned on direction and debate how best to execute

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11. Information flows well between teams.

Do teams know what others are working on? Do they coordinate or operate in silos?

Score 1 - Teams work in silos with limited visibility into each other's work

Score 5 - Information flows smoothly and teams coordinate naturally

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12. Changes in one area get communicated clearly to others.

When something shifts like a new priority, a process change, or a campaign update, does everyone who needs to know actually find out?

Score 1 - Changes often surprise people who should have known earlier

Score 5 - Changes are communicated systematically to everyone affected

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Section 3 Score: _____ / 20

13. What we say externally matches what we do internally.

Investors should experience what you promise. The gap between marketing messages and operational reality is where credibility dies.

Score 1 -There's often a gap between what we say and what investors experience

Score 5 - Our external messaging accurately reflects what we deliver

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14. Our teams use consistent language when speaking to investors.

Do investors hear the same story from your website, your sector specialist and your aftercare team? Or do they hear three different versions?

Score 1 - Investors hear different messages depending on who they talk to

Score 5 - All our teams communicate a consistent story

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15. Our value proposition is specific to our location.

If an investor reads your pitch and it could describe five other locations, it's not working. Differentiation requires specificity.

Score 1 - Our value proposition could apply to many competing locations

Score 5 - Our value proposition is distinctly ours and hard to copy

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16. We've tested our positioning with actual investors.

Assumptions are dangerous. Have you actually asked investors whether your positioning resonates or are you guessing?

Score 1 - We've never systematically tested our positioning with investors

Score 5 - We regularly gather investor feedback on our messaging and positioning

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Section 4 Score: _____ / 20

17. We track outcomes, not just activities.

Events held, meetings conducted and reports published are activities. Investment decisions, jobs created and reinvestment are outcomes. Which do you measure?

Score 1 - We primarily track and report on activities

Score 5 - Our measurement focuses on outcomes and impact

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18. Our KPIs actually help us make decisions.

Good metrics inform choices. Bad metrics just fill reports. Do your KPIs change how you work or just how you report?

Score 1 - Our KPIs are mainly for reporting, not decision-making

Score 5 - We actively use our metrics to guide priorities and resource allocation

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19. We learn from both successes and failures.

Do you have structured ways to understand why you won or lost an investment project? Or does each case stay siloed with whoever handled it?

Score 1 - We rarely analyze what worked or didn't work systematically

Score 5 - We have clear processes to learn from wins and losses

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20. We can clearly explain our impact to political stakeholders.

Boards, ministries and elected officials need to understand what you're achieving. Can you tell that story clearly with evidence?

Score 1 - We struggle to communicate our impact in ways stakeholders value

Score 5 - We can clearly demonstrate and communicate our value

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Section 5 Score: _____ / 20

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Your Total Score: _____ / 100