Impact Mapping is a collaborative strategic planning tool that focuses on aligning team activities with the overall business objectives. It is used to clearly identify and communicate assumptions, helping teams prioritize features, activities, and projects based on their potential impact on business goals. This framework is beneficial as it promotes iterative development, ensures all stakeholders are aligned, and helps in decision-making by visualizing the connections between deliverables and business outcomes.
Define the goal: Start by clearly defining the business goal or objective. | Identify actors: Determine who can influence or is affected by the goal. | Map impacts: Outline how actors can help achieve or hinder the goal. | Determine deliverables: Identify specific features or changes needed to influence the actors and achieve the impacts.
Regularly review and update the impact map with stakeholders | Start with a clear and measurable goal | Use visual tools to enhance understanding and communication
Ensures alignment with business goals | Improves stakeholder communication and engagement | Helps prioritize features based on impact rather than output
Requires clear and well-defined goals | Dependent on the accuracy of assumptions about impacts | May not be suitable for very small or short-term projects
When starting a new project or product development | When needing to align multiple teams towards a common business objective
For projects with undefined or constantly changing goals | When quick, tactical decisions are needed without comprehensive strategic planning