Balanced Scorecard Professional (BSP) Certification Boot Camp

The original Balanced Scorecard Boot Camp!  This course combines the material in the BSP Certification Pt. 1: Introduction to the Balanced Scorecard and the BSP Certification Pt. 2: Advanced Balanced Scorecard courses into a single, 5-day course and meets the course requirements for Balanced Scorecard Professional Certification offered by the Institute through its association with George Washington University (exam completion required).

Beginning with the foundational Nine-Step process covered in the Part 1 course and then continuing into the real life nuances and complications addressed in the Part 2 course, this course covers the entire range of balanced scorecard topics – organization development, change management and communications planning, strategic planning, objectives and strategy mapping, performance measures and target setting, strategic initiative prioritization, automation, cascading, and strategic management – in one week.

Fully consistent with basic balanced scorecard concepts & terminology developed by Kaplan & Norton, the course covers scorecard development in business, government, and non-profit organizations. Participants get hands-on practice using a simple, step-by-step process for developing a scorecard system on their own. Price includes access to the BSP online certification exam.

BSP Introduction
Course Outline
Teaching Style

Topics covered

  • Basic concepts of the balanced scorecard and how it can be used to improve organization performance
  • How the balanced scorecard applies to different types of organizations
  • How to build and implement a balanced scorecard using the Institute’s award-winning nine-step methodology
  • How to develop meaningful performance measures and target
  • How a scorecard system can drive a performance-informed budget and accountability
  • How to get performance information throughout the organization to better inform decision making through scorecard automation
  • How to cascade the scorecard to all levels of an organization
  • How to design and implement a scorecard where other frameworks have already been introduced
  • How to revise poorly designed scorecard elements
  • Howe to overcome obstacles and real world challenges
  • How to evaluate planning documents and processes

Get Certified!

Take this course and an exam to qualify for Balanced Scorecard Professional (BSP) certification.  Participants can later “upgrade” to Balanced Scorecard Master Professional (BSMP) certification! In addition, this course can be used towards the Association of Strategic Planning’s Body of Knowledge requirements for Strategic Management Professional (SMP) and Strategic Planning Professional (SPP) certification and recertification.

Who Should Attend

This course is recommended for executives, managers, planners and analysts who are part of a balanced scorecard development team, and are seeking the best practical ideas for improving organizational performance.

Intellectual Property Note
Certification and training related to the Nine Steps to SuccessTM methodology is for internal facilitation and personal use only. Any use of the Nine Steps to SuccessTM or other Institute intellectual property beyond internal facilitation use without a formal affiliate or associate agreement with the Institute is prohibited.

Course Benefits

Participants will understand the key concepts of the balanced scorecard, and why it is gaining so much attention in corporate, non-profit, and governmental organizations. Participants will learn a systematic, nine-step methodology for building and implementing the balanced scorecard, based on the performance management theory developed at Harvard University and the Institute’s international balanced scorecard consulting experience. Participants will receive a Performance Scorecard ToolkitTM with worksheets for each step of the methodology, and a CD with course and reference material.

BSP Introduction

Course Outline

Teaching Style

Course Outline

Day 1

Module I. Introduction

(Learning Objectives: Explain the concept and origin of the balanced scorecard; outline course modules; introduce the case studies; introduce participants; and discuss reference material.)

  • Introductions, expectations, and participant knowledge
  • Workshop objectives
  • Balanced scorecard concept and origin
  • Agenda, schedule, and logistics
  • References
  • Introduction to the examples, case study, small-group exercises, performance measurement software, and the performance scorecard toolkit

Module II. Overview of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC)

(Learning Objectives: Explain the evolution of measurement and strategic management systems; define terms; list reasons for adopting a balanced scorecard system; identify the six steps needed to build a scorecard system and the three steps needed to implement these systems; identify challenges that need to be overcome; discuss indicators of successful systems; discuss time periods for a scorecard project; contrast the differences and similarities in scorecard systems for different organizations; discuss a typical BSC cycle.)

  • Introduction to performance management and measurement
  • Definitions
  • Balanced scorecard history
  • Reasons for undertaking a balanced scorecard project
  • Similarities and differences among BSC and other performance systems
  • Advantages of using BSC performance systems
  • Contrast private sector and public agency use of scorecards
  • Key questions the BSC seeks to answer
  • Sample BSC performance measures
  • The Nine-Step Methodology for building and implementing a balanced scorecard project
  • Meeting the challenges of scorecard systems
  • Indicators of successful projects

Module III. Building the Balanced Scorecard

(Learning Objectives: Identify the six building steps — Using an organization assessment to set vision, mission and strategy, Defining strategic themes, Choosing perspectives and developing objectives, Developing a Strategy Map, Defining performance measures, Developing Initiatives.)

Case studies and examples will be selected from among several commercial, public sector and not-for-profit organizations that use the balanced scorecard for strategic management

  • Using an organizational assessment to set vision, mission, and strategy
  • Identify customer groups and develop the Customer Value Proposition

Day 2

Module III. Building the Balanced Scorecard (Continued)

  • Develop Strategic Themes and Strategic Results
  • Develop Strategic Objectives and strategic success drivers
  • Strategy mapping – develop cause-effect relationships among the objectives
  • Derive Strategic Performance Measures, Targets, and Thresholds

Day 4

Introduction

Course overview & logistics
Learning objectives

Module 1: Evaluation to Assessment

  • Best practices and terminology review related to Steps Nine and One of the Nine Steps to Success
  • Common Evaluation & Assessment challenges
  • Small group facilitation primer
  • Case Study Exercise: use various small group facilitation techniques to identify case study scorecard development issues and problems

Module 2: Advanced Strategic Foundations Development

  • Short review of Steps One, Assessment, and Two, Strategy, of the Nine Steps to Success
  • Analyzing, identifying and correcting poor strategic foundation design
  • Migrating from other planning models to the balanced scorecard
  • Various pitfalls associated with poorly designed strategic themes and perspectives
  • Case Study Exercise: Revise poorly designed strategic foundation elements

Module 3: Advanced Objective & Strategy Map Development

  • Strategic Objective & Strategy Map Best Practices
  • How to facilitate the correction of poorly designed objectives and strategy maps
  • Case Study Exercise: Revise poor strategic objective and strategy map design & development facilitation

Module 4: Advanced Performance Management – Measure What Matters

  • Strategic Objective & Strategy Map Best Practices
  • How to facilitate the correction of poorly designed objectives and strategy maps
  • Case Study Exercise: Revise poor strategic objective and strategy map design & development facilitation

Day 3

Module IV. Implementing the Balanced Scorecard

(Learning Objectives: Identify and understand the three implementation steps – Using computers to communicate performance information, Cascading the scorecard throughout the organization, and Using scorecard information to improve performance)

Examples will be selected from among several commercial, public sector and not-for-profit organizations that use the balanced scorecard for strategic management.

Software Demonstration: Performance Management Information Software options

  • Implementation issues
  • Aligning strategy and work throughout the organization
  • Collect, verify and validate performance data
  • Transforming data into information
  • Software options for managing performance information
  • Developing an internal and external communication plan
  • Cascading the scorecard throughout the organization
  • Employee motivation
  • Linking strategy to resource decisions
  • Linking performance to rewards
  • Scorecard roll out, training, and change management
  • Using performance information to improve organization performance

Module V. Next Steps

(Learning Objectives: Understand the challenges of integrating balanced scorecard systems with other enterprise-wide systems; overcoming challenges to implementation)

Exercise: examine strategic change readiness in your organization.

  • Integrating the scorecard with other enterprise management systems
  • Integrating the scorecard with other enterprise information systems
  • Best practices

Module VI. Getting Your Scorecard On Track

(Learning Objectives: applying the BSC to your organization’s needs; discuss company-specific issues)

Exercise: Develop a scorecard action plan for your organization.

  • Overcoming obstacles and challenges within your organization
  • Integrating the scorecard with other enterprise management and information systems
  • The role of consultants
  • Time and schedule estimates
  • Develop an Action Plan based on your organization’s readiness

Advanced Balanced Scorecard Course Outline (2 Days)

Day 5

Module 5: Measurement Definition, Implementation & Visualization

  • Advanced measurement definition: ratios, frequency & accuracy requirements
  • How to develop “roll up” measurements and indexes
  • How to set targets & normalize data
  • How to improve data visualization
  • Case Study Exercise: Identification and correction of poor measurement definition & visualization

Module 6: Strategic Initiative Prioritization & Management

  • Advanced strategic initiative prioritization techniques
  • Project management primer
  • Case study exercise: practice using a common initiative prioritization technique

Module 7: Advanced Scorecard Alignment & Cascading

  • How to build organizational alignment through advanced cascading techniques
  • Advanced Tier 2 scorecard development
  • How to build a pilot program at the Tier 2 level without a Tier One level scorecard
  • How to develop a Tier Three scorecard and align with an appraisal system
  • Case Study Exercises: Refine Tier 2 scorecards and develop Tier 3 scorecards

Module 8: Managing & Sustaining a Balanced Scorecard

  • Day-to-day management with a Balanced Scorecard
  • Performance-based budgeting
  • Sustaining a Scorecard
  • Strategy Management Office (SMO) roles & responsibilities
BSP Introduction
Course Outline

Teaching Style

Teaching Style

Hands-On Training
Through case studies and a series of interactive small-group workshops, participants will apply the balanced scorecard concepts to meet the challenges facing a typical organization. Exercises performed throughout this course include:

Course Materials:

  • Launching Launching a BSC program and establishing work teams
  • Incorporating communications planning and change management into the scorecard development process
  • Use an organizational assessment to set vision, mission, and strategy
  • Understand who your customers and stakeholders are and what they need from your organization
  • Develop an organization’s strategic themes, strategic results and perspectives
  • Develop and refine strategic objectives and strategy maps
  • Develop and refine performance measures and targets, aligned to strategy
  • Develop & prioritize new initiatives to execute strategy
  • Sustain the scorecard with a Strategy Management Office
  • Define enterprise performance information requirements and select software

Instructors

The course will be taught by Senior Associates of the Balanced Scorecard Institute. All program instructors have specialized expertise in balanced scorecard training, facilitation and consulting in public, non-profit, and private-sector organizations.