Making Critical Decisions: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations
October 2007, Jossey-Bass
PART ONE: ABOUT DECISION MAKING.
1. The Art and Science of Decision Making: Putting Theory into Practice.
What Doesn't Work.
Reacting Versus Responding.
Responding Versus Reacting.
2. Borrowing from Business: Due Diligence in Decision Making.
What Investors Do.
Defining Due Diligence.
Staging Implementation to Reduce Risk.
A Consistent Approach to Critical Decisions.
3. Managing Critical Decisions: The Who, What, and How.
How Do You Put It All Together.
4. Enter the Matrix: Introducing an Effective Tool.
The Matrix: Framing the Decision.
The Rows: Weighting the Due Diligence Criteria.
The Columns: Scoring the Due Diligence Criteria.
Using the Matrix for Binary Decisions.
Using the Matrix for Choices Among Similar Options.
Using the Matrix for Choices Among Dissimilar Options.
PART TWO: MAKING CRITICAL DECISIONS.
5. Stage One: Feasibility.
The Seductive Nature of New Ideas.
Common Feasibility Decisions.
The Feasibility Matrix.
6. Stage Two: Pilot.
Piloting the Feasible Decision.
Designing the Pilot Project.
The Pilot Matrix.
7. Stage Three: Implementation.
From Pilot to Implementation.
A Good Implementation Plan.
The Implementation Matrix.
8. Stage Four: Cutback.
Dimensions of Cutting Back.
The Cutback Matrix.
9. Putting the Matrix to Work.
Boards of Directors.
10. The Decision-Making Guide.
Assessing the Decision.
Working Through the Matrix.
Appendix: Staff Renewal Decisions.
Paul H. Phillips is a consultant with nonprofit organizations and manufacturing companies and a former partner at KPMG. He works with organizations on enhancing the efficiency of their infrastructure and on developing methodologies to optimize their operating assets.
Provides an overall method for making hard choices that minimizes risks while maintaining progress toward the group's goals
Outlines a model for understanding the opportunities, costs and risks associated with introducing or expanding projects and programs
Contains qualitative and quantitative tools for implementing the authors' recommended methodology