The project spans 24 weeks across four phases. The diagram below shows how activities overlap and run in parallel. For example, interviews and focus groups happen alongside the survey during the data collection phase.
| Week | Activity | Lead | OIA Support Needed | Deliverable | Dependencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project kick-off meeting, scope confirmation | Lead Consultant | Sponsor attendance | Kick-off minutes | Contract signed |
| 1 | Collect internal documents (strategy, org charts, past surveys) | Senior Consultant | Provide documents | Document inventory | Access granted |
| 2 | Stakeholder mapping and communication plan | Lead Consultant | Validate stakeholder list | Stakeholder map, comms plan | Org chart received |
| 2 | Survey instrument preparation and translation | Senior Consultant | Review Arabic translation | Final survey instrument | Denison license active |
| 3 | CEO endorsement message drafted and distributed | Lead Consultant | CEO review and sign-off | CEO communication | Comms plan approved |
| 3 | Survey platform testing and employee list upload | Sara | IT support, employee email list | Platform ready | Employee list received |
| 3 | Interview guide finalization | Lead Consultant | Review and approve | Interview guides | Stakeholder map complete |
| 4 | Survey launch | Senior Consultant | Internal promotion of survey | Survey live | Platform tested, CEO message sent |
| 4 | Begin scheduling leadership interviews | Lead Consultant | Calendar coordination | Interview schedule | Stakeholder map |
| 5 | Survey monitoring, first reminder | Senior Consultant | Internal reminders | Participation report | Survey live |
| 5 | Focus group participant identification | Senior Consultant | Provide participant lists | Focus group roster | HR coordination |
| 5-6 | Leadership interviews (batch 1: 4 to 6 interviews) | Lead Consultant | Interviewee availability | Interview notes | Schedule confirmed |
| 6 | Survey mid-point check, second reminder | Senior Consultant | Division head reminders | Updated participation report | Survey live |
| 6-7 | Focus groups (batch 1: 2 to 3 groups) | Senior Consultant | Room booking, participant release | Focus group notes | Participant lists |
| 7-8 | Leadership interviews (batch 2: 4 to 6 interviews) | Lead Consultant | Interviewee availability | Interview notes | Schedule confirmed |
| 8 | Survey final reminder and close preparation | Senior Consultant | Final push communication | Final reminder sent | Participation rate review |
| 8-9 | Focus groups (batch 2: 2 to 3 groups) | Senior Consultant | Room booking, participant release | Focus group notes | Participant lists |
| 9 | Survey closes | Sara | None | Raw survey data | Sufficient participation |
| 10 | Initial data processing and quality checks | Sara | None | Cleaned dataset | Survey closed |
| 10-11 | Document review completion and synthesis | Senior Consultant | Any additional documents | Document review summary | Documents received |
| 11-12 | Data integration (survey, interviews, focus groups, documents) | Sara | None | Integrated dataset | All data collected |
| 12 | Data collection validation checkpoint | Lead Consultant | Sponsor briefing | Validation report | All data integrated |
| 13-14 | Denison analysis: trait, sub-index, and item-level scoring | Sara | None | Denison analysis | Clean data |
| 13-14 | CVF analysis and culture type mapping | Sara | None | CVF analysis | Clean data |
| 13 | Preliminary findings workshop with leadership | Lead Consultant | Leadership availability | Workshop notes | Initial analysis |
| 15-16 | Findings report drafting | Lead Consultant | None | Draft report | Analysis complete |
| 15-17 | Action plan development (11 initiatives) | Lead Consultant | Input on feasibility | Draft action plan | Findings validated |
| 17 | KPI framework and roadmap development | Lead Consultant | Review and input | Draft KPI framework, roadmap | Action plan drafted |
| 18 | MS-3 deliverable package finalization | Lead Consultant | Review within 5 days | Full MS-3 package | All drafts reviewed |
| 19-20 | Executive workshop preparation | Lead Consultant | Confirm participants, logistics | Workshop materials | MS-3 approved |
| 20-21 | Executive alignment workshop delivery | Lead Consultant | Senior leader attendance | Workshop outcomes | Materials prepared |
| 22 | Final report incorporating workshop feedback | Lead Consultant | Final review | Final report | Workshop complete |
| 23 | Leadership commitment documentation | Lead Consultant | Leader sign-off | Signed commitments | Final report accepted |
| 24 | Project close-out meeting and handover | Lead Consultant | Sponsor attendance | Close-out report, handover pack | All deliverables accepted |
Five formal decision points are built into the project timeline. At each gate, the project team assesses whether the criteria are met to proceed. If criteria are not met, corrective actions are taken before moving forward.
Criteria: Methodology approved by OIA sponsor. Survey instrument finalized and translated. Platform tested. CEO endorsement message sent. Interview and focus group guides ready.
Decision: Proceed to data collection or extend mobilization.
Criteria: Survey participation at or above 50% at mid-point.
Decision: If below 50%, extend the survey period by 1 to 2 weeks and intensify reminder communications. If above 50%, continue as planned.
Criteria: All data collection activities complete. Survey participation at 60% or above (final). All scheduled interviews and focus groups completed. Document review summarized.
Decision: Data validated and sufficient for analysis. Proceed to analysis phase.
Criteria: All MS-3 deliverables submitted to OIA for review. Findings validated with leadership. Action plans reviewed for feasibility.
Decision: Action plans approved by leadership. Proceed to executive alignment phase.
Criteria: Executive workshop completed. Final report delivered. Leadership commitments documented. All project deliverables accepted.
Decision: Project formally closed. Handover to OIA for implementation.
The success of this project depends on active collaboration between Talent Arabia and OIA. The following outlines what OIA needs to provide and when.
Provide organizational strategy documents, organizational charts, previous employee survey results, HR policies, and any other relevant internal materials. These inform the assessment design and provide important context for interpreting results.
The CEO reviews and approves an endorsement message that is distributed to all employees before the survey launches. This message explains the purpose of the assessment, emphasizes confidentiality, and encourages participation. CEO visibility is critical for achieving high response rates.
The OIA internal coordinator helps schedule one-on-one interviews with 8 to 12 senior leaders. This includes managing calendar conflicts, booking meeting rooms or virtual links, and confirming attendance.
HR provides lists of recommended focus group participants, ensuring a representative cross-section of departments, levels, and tenure. Each focus group should have 6 to 10 participants.
Senior leaders make themselves available for the preliminary findings workshop (Week 13) and the executive alignment workshops (Weeks 19 to 21). These sessions require 3 to 4 hours of dedicated, uninterrupted time.
OIA commits to providing feedback on all submitted deliverables within 5 business days. Delays in feedback directly impact the project timeline. If feedback cannot be provided within the agreed timeframe, the project sponsor should communicate the expected delay to the Talent Arabia project lead.