Framework library · Strategic planning

Gap analysis

Gap analysis sets the current state beside a defined target state for each area that matters, and records what lies between them. It is only as good as the target: one written as a measurable condition, such as an accreditation level or an availability figure, gives a gap you can close and check, while a vague target gives a wish list.

LevelFoundational
TimeAn hour to frame, then a few days to establish the current state honestly
Who to involveThe owner of the target, the people who run each area being assessed, and someone who can check the current state independently.
Also calledcurrent state and target state analysis, as-is and to-be analysis, gap assessment, needs analysis

Use it when

  • You have a defined target, such as an accreditation, a contract's requirements or a service level, and need to know what stands between you and it.
  • You are preparing a bid with formal requirements and need to see which you meet and which need work before the deadline.
  • A strategy has set a future state and you need to turn it into a list of changes with owners.
  • You are comparing your operations with a benchmark or a competitor's known performance.

Avoid it when

  • The target is not defined. Without one, gap analysis becomes a list of complaints. Set the objective first.
  • The gap is a symptom and its cause is unknown. Use a fishbone diagram or five whys to find why the gap exists.
  • Many gaps compete for limited money. Gap analysis lists them. Rank them with MoSCoW or a weighted decision matrix.

How to run it

  1. Define the target in measurable terms

    For each area, the condition you need: "security accreditation at the level the framework requires", "99.95% availability, measured monthly".

  2. Establish the current state with evidence

    What is true today, from data or an audit, not what the team believes.

  3. Describe the gap

    What has to change to move from one to the other: a capability to build, a document to produce, a cost to cut.

  4. Size each gap from 1 to 5

    1 is small and quick to close; 5 is large, slow or expensive. Size drives priority and sequencing.

  5. Assign an action, an owner and a date

    One action per gap, with a named owner and a due date that fits the deadline the target sets.

  6. Find the critical path

    The gaps that are large and depend on others' timetables, such as accreditations or clearances, decide whether the target date holds. Start them first.

Work through it

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Mistakes to avoid

  • Describing the current state optimistically. An assessment by someone outside the team is often the only way to get it right.
  • Writing the action as the gap restated ("close the security gap"). The action is the work: "commission an external assessment and fix its findings".
  • Treating all gaps as equal. A large gap with a long lead time decides the plan.
  • Ignoring dependencies, such as an accreditation that needs a new system in place first.

Where it comes from

No single originator. Gap analysis is a general planning technique used in strategic planning, quality management and process improvement: it compares the current state with a defined target and lists what must change to close the difference. Source.

Use it with

Further reading

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