Delivery group standards

4. Define success measures and share progress

Define and share clear measures of success so everyone can see whether outcomes are being achieved.

Why this matters

Success measures help delivery groups understand whether their work is achieving the intended outcomes. Clear, shared measures enable better decisions, accountability, and learning across teams. Transparent progress measures also allow teams to learn what's working and adapt plans quickly.

Without success measures, delivery groups risk focusing on activity rather than impact. This can lead to wasted effort, missed opportunities to learn, and uncertainty about whether outcomes are being achieved.

How we measure success

We use a red, amber, green (RAG) rating.

Green Clear measures with transparent reporting

The delivery group has defined and shared measurable indicators of success linked to outcomes. Data is collected, analysed, and published openly with stakeholders at regular intervals. Progress is used to inform decisions, support learning, and adjust plans.

You must be able to show:

measurable indicators of success are defined and shared for each outcome
measures are clearly linked to delivery group outcomes, not just activity
performance data is analysed and discussed regularly
progress updates and insights are published and accessible to stakeholders
data is used to inform decisions and roadmap prioritisation

Amber Partial measures or inconsistent reporting

Some measures exist, but they are incomplete or not clearly linked to outcomes. Progress reporting is inconsistent or lacks sufficient insight to guide decisions.

Common problems can include:

measures focus on outputs (for example, number of releases) rather than outcomes (for example, improved user satisfaction)
data is collected irregularly or not analysed effectively
progress reporting happens infrequently or only within teams
limited use of data to inform decisions and roadmap prioritisation
stakeholders have differing understandings of success

To move to green, you should:

define focused measures that clearly link to delivery group outcomes
establish regular data collection and analysis processes
create consistent progress reporting schedules and formats
use performance data to inform roadmap decisions and prioritisation
ensure all stakeholders understand and agree on success measures

Red No defined measures or progress tracking

No success measures are defined or shared. Progress is judged subjectively or through anecdotal evidence. There is little understanding of whether outcomes are being achieved.