Develop a sustainment plan that identifies the processes, measures, metrics, and tools necessary for management of benefits beyond the completion of the program in order to ensure the continued realization of intended benefits.

A sustainment plan is a detailed roadmap that is employed to ensure that the benefits generated from a program continue to add value, even after the completion of the program. A comprehensive and meticulously crafted sustainment plan identifies and outlines processes, measures, tools, and metrics that come into play for the continued realization of the intended benefits.

I. An Overview of Sustainment Plan

1. Processes

In a sustainment plan, processes hold immense significance. The processes might refer to how benefits will be managed, reviewed, and evaluated post-program. These may involve procedures for managing adjustments if benefits deviate from their intended results.

For instance, suppose a program has been initiated to improve an organization’s customer service efficiency. The sustainment plan’s recurring process might include regular customer satisfaction surveys, feedback assessments, and corrective actions if the intended improvement is not reached.

2. Measures

Measures refer to the specific aims that were expected to be achieved at the close of the program. The measures directly link to the benefits that were desired from the program.

Returning to the example of a program launched to boost customer service efficiency, the measures could be a decrease in waiting time for customers, an increase in first contact resolution or even a surge in positive customer feedback.

3. Metrics

Metrics in a sustainment plan are the measurable quantities or atomic units that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the benefit realization over time.

Continuing the same example, the metrics could be the number of customer complaints received, the number of minutes it takes to resolve a customer complaint, or the percentage of the favorable customer feedback.

4. Tools

Finally, tools signify specialized and sophisticated devices or software that are crucial in monitoring and managing these benefits.

For instance, customer support software could act as a tool in the earlier example, or even a feedback evaluation algorithm may be deployed to decipher customer satisfaction metrics in real-time.

II. Importance of a Sustainment Plan

A sustainment plan serves as a guide to ensure the program’s benefits are continually realized and not lost over time. With a well-crafted, thorough sustainment plan, management can:

• Ensure regular review of benefits
• Identify deviations early and take corrective action
• Use real-time data monitoring to make informed decisions
• Promote transparency by providing stakeholders with real-time benefit realizations

III. Preparing an Effective Sustainment Plan

A sustainment plan is not something that is designed post-program. Instead, it needs to be embedded into the program management plan from the beginning. Some of the essential steps in creating an effective sustainment plan are:

• Identify the benefits that the program is expected to deliver.
• Define the measures that signify that these benefits have been realized.
• Set up the processes that will be followed to monitor and manage these benefits.
• Identify the tools and technology that will be used for this purpose.

Developing a sustainment plan might seem like a taxing and complicated process, but it is essential for the longevity and continued success of a program. A PgMP-certified professional with a comprehensive understanding of sustainment plans can ensure continued benefit realization, making the entire program a success in the long run.