Proposal intake and scoring
Give investment proposals a consistent route from first idea to a defensible priority.
Status IN ('Backlog', 'UnderReview') ORDER BY BacklogRank
Idea intake → Proposal
New ideas land via the public Idea Intake form (anyone in the org can submit) or directly from a Portfolio Manager / Executive ask. The intake-form-creates-proposal workflow (webhookTrigger) creates a Proposals row with Status: Backlog, Source: IntakeForm, attaches initial GoalAlignments hints, and notifies the PMO Lead. Sponsor receives a confirmation email. The Proposal is rank-able in the Backlog view but not yet scored.
Scoring
Portfolio Manager assigns a Scorecards (ScorecardType: ProposalScoring) to the Proposal and names a panel of Reviewers. Reviewers fill ProposalScores line items — one per Dimension per Reviewer. The scoring-on-input-change workflow (the configured record event on ProposalScores.record.changed) first reverses lower-is-better scores using the frozen minimum plus maximum minus raw score, then re-aggregates per-Dimension adjusted reviewer averages, computes WeightedScore = SUM(DimAvg × DimWeight) / SUM(DimWeight), writes back to Proposals.WeightedScore, and re-ranks the Backlog. The Backlog Ranking report is the working artifact.
Backlog grooming and Proposal decision
Portfolio Manager (with Program Manager input) walks the ranked Backlog, evaluates fit against the Portfolio target-mix and remaining Budget headroom, sets Status: Approved | Deferred | Rejected with DecisionNotes. Approved Proposals are promoted into Initiatives: a new Initiatives row is created (Name, Portfolio, Program, Sponsor, Owner, EstimatedCost, EstimatedBenefit, BenefitType, RiskLevel, StartDate, TargetEndDate, CurrentStage = first StageGate), GoalAlignments from the Proposal carry over (with the Initiative Owner refining AlignmentWeight per StrategicGoal), and Proposals.PromotedToInitiative is set. The strategic-alignment-recompute workflow fires on the new GoalAlignments to compute Initiatives.AlignmentScore.
Compare proposals on the same basis
A proposal with a large estimated benefit can still carry substantial uncertainty. Keep its assumptions and dimension notes beside the weighted score so reviewers can distinguish confidence from attractiveness. Preserve the Scorecard version used for each review. If the next planning cycle changes a weight, the earlier result remains explainable rather than silently taking on the new ranking rules.
When reviewers disagree, record each assigned score and note. The calculation uses the agreed aggregation and weighting; a Portfolio Manager cannot overwrite another reviewer’s score to change the result. The manager can record the independent proposal decision and the rationale for its backlog position. A deferred proposal retains its original evidence for a later review.
Promote once and retain the source
After an eligible proposal is approved, the resulting Initiative links back through SourceProposal. If the promotion command is repeated after a connection interruption, the existing initiative is returned. Creating a second investment record would distort the backlog, alignment and funding position. Recheck the sponsor and submitter when assigning the decision maker so the same person cannot approve the proposal they prepared.
Modules
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Strategy and portfolios
Connect strategic goals to portfolios, programs and the initiatives that carry them forward.
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Proposal intake and scoring
Give investment proposals a consistent route from first idea to a defensible priority.
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Stage-gate governance
Keep initiative progression tied to the evidence and decision each stage requires.
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Funding and budgets
Approve initiative funding against a clear view of the portfolio budget and commitments.
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Roadmaps and dependencies
Keep executive timing connected to delivery evidence and the dependencies between initiatives.
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Benefits and reviews
Compare the investment case with observed benefits and make the next portfolio review actionable.
Reports
All reportsBacklog Ranking
Proposals ranked by WeightedScore with BacklogRank, EstimatedCost, EstimatedBenefit, Cost-to-Benefit ratio, and Strategic Fit dimension score. Filterable by ProposedPortfolio and Source. The Portfolio Manager's working list for the next funding cycle.
Roles and permissions
The PMO Lead — owns the function. Curates Portfolios, organizes Programs, owns the Backlog ranking, runs the quarterly PortfolioReviews, facilitates GateReviews, and owns the rebalance decisions.
Owns one Program (and any nested sub-Programs) — the Initiatives within it, the cross-Initiative Dependencies, the rolled-up Program KPIs.
Owns one Initiative end-to-end — authors the Proposal, prepares gate packets, owns the KPIs catalog for the Initiative, requests funding, raises Risks and Dependencies, and reports KPIs (or delegates to the named ProjectManager).
A reviewer-only role layered on the user — when assigned to a GateScorecards row (via the stage-gate-promotion workflow), gains read access to the gate packet and write access to own GateScorecards rows.
Read-only on Portfolio context for own Projects (so a delivering PM can see how their Project fits the Initiative narrative) and write on KPIMeasurements they are named owner of.
Read-only on Portfolio context with write on Budgets and co-approver on FundingAllocations. The reconciliation seat between Portfolio plan and the GL.
Related processes
Proposal to prioritised initiative
Build a reviewable investment case before committing delivery work.
3 stages · 1 approval
Evidence to stage-gate decision
Review required deliverables and independent scorecards before an initiative advances.
3 stages · 1 approval