Portfolio Planning Skill
Strategic portfolio planning for multi-project coordination and optimization.
Purpose
This skill provides a systematic approach to:
- Assess current portfolio health
- Evaluate strategic alignment
- Plan portfolio composition
- Optimize resource allocation across projects
- Balance risk across portfolio
Prerequisites
Before starting portfolio planning, ensure:
| Prerequisite | Required For | Source | |--------------|--------------|--------| | Project list | Portfolio scope | Project registry | | Strategic objectives | Alignment scoring | Strategy documents | | Resource availability | Capacity planning | Resource planner | | Budget constraints | Financial planning | Finance team |
Portfolio Planning Gates
Gate 1: Portfolio Inventory
Objective: Create complete picture of current portfolio
Actions:
- List all active projects
- Capture status of each project
- Document resource allocations
- Identify dependencies
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/portfolio-inventory.md
Checklist:
- [ ] All active projects listed
- [ ] Status captured (Green/Yellow/Red)
- [ ] Resources identified per project
- [ ] Dependencies documented
Gate 2: Strategic Alignment Assessment
Objective: Evaluate how each project aligns with strategic objectives
Actions:
- Map projects to strategic objectives
- Score alignment (1-5 scale)
- Identify orphan projects (no strategic link)
- Flag misaligned projects
Alignment Scoring:
| Score | Meaning | |-------|---------| | 5 | Directly enables strategic objective | | 4 | Strongly supports strategic objective | | 3 | Moderately supports strategy | | 2 | Weak strategic connection | | 1 | No clear strategic value |
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/strategic-alignment.md
Gate 3: Capacity Assessment
Objective: Understand portfolio capacity constraints
Actions:
- Aggregate resource demand across projects
- Compare to available capacity
- Identify over/under allocation
- Document skill gaps
Dispatch: resource-planner for detailed analysis
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/capacity-assessment.md
Gate 4: Risk Portfolio View
Objective: Aggregate and correlate risks across portfolio
Actions:
- Collect project-level risks
- Identify correlated risks
- Assess portfolio risk exposure
- Plan portfolio-level mitigations
Dispatch: risk-analyst for detailed analysis
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/portfolio-risks.md
Gate 5: Portfolio Optimization
Objective: Recommend portfolio changes for optimal value delivery
Actions:
- Analyze portfolio balance (run/grow/transform)
- Identify optimization opportunities
- Recommend project prioritization
- Propose resource reallocation
Optimization Criteria:
| Criterion | Weight | Description | |-----------|--------|-------------| | Strategic value | 30% | Alignment with objectives | | Resource efficiency | 25% | Resource utilization optimization | | Risk balance | 20% | Portfolio risk distribution | | Dependencies | 15% | Dependency health | | Timeline | 10% | Schedule alignment |
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/portfolio-recommendations.md
Anti-Rationalization Table
See shared-patterns/anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.
Portfolio-Specific Anti-Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Why It's WRONG | Required Action | |-----------------|----------------|-----------------| | "We know our portfolio well" | Familiarity breeds blind spots. Fresh analysis required. | Complete full inventory | | "All projects are strategic" | If everything is strategic, nothing is. Differentiation required. | Score alignment objectively | | "Capacity is fine, teams said so" | Self-reported capacity often optimistic. Validation required. | Verify with utilization data | | "Risk aggregation is overkill" | Portfolio risk > sum of project risks. Correlation matters. | Aggregate and correlate risks |
Pressure Resistance
See shared-patterns/pressure-resistance.md for universal pressure scenarios.
Portfolio-Specific Pressures
| Pressure Type | Request | Agent Response | |---------------|---------|----------------| | "Just add this project, it's approved" | "Approval ≠ capacity. Portfolio impact assessment required before adding." | | "Don't question the strategic projects" | "All projects require alignment verification. No exemptions for labeled 'strategic' projects." | | "We don't have time for full planning" | "Incomplete planning causes downstream delays. Completing full planning cycle." |
Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report
ALWAYS pause and report blocker for:
| Situation | Required Action | |-----------|-----------------| | Portfolio capacity exceeded by >20% | STOP. Report overload. Wait for prioritization decision. | | Strategic objectives unclear | STOP. Cannot score alignment. Request strategy clarification. | | Resource data unavailable | STOP. Cannot assess capacity. Request resource information. | | Multiple high-risk projects correlated | STOP. Report compound risk. Wait for risk mitigation decision. |
Cannot Be Overridden
The following requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE:
| Requirement | Cannot Override Because | |-------------|------------------------| | Complete portfolio inventory | Hidden projects distort capacity and priority | | Strategic alignment scoring | Unscored projects cannot be prioritized | | Capacity validation | Assumed capacity leads to overcommitment | | Risk aggregation | Portfolio risk > sum of project risks | | Stakeholder input | Decisions without stakeholder input fail adoption |
If user insists on violating these:
- Escalate to orchestrator
- Do NOT proceed with incomplete planning
- Document the request and your refusal
Severity Calibration
When assessing portfolio issues:
| Severity | Criteria | Examples | |----------|----------|----------| | CRITICAL | Portfolio viability at risk | >50% projects red, capacity exceeded by >30%, strategic misalignment | | HIGH | Significant portfolio impact | Multiple correlated risks, key project failing, major resource gaps | | MEDIUM | Optimization needed | Imbalanced portfolio, moderate resource pressure, minor misalignment | | LOW | Minor improvements possible | Process refinements, template improvements, minor optimization |
Report ALL severities. Escalate CRITICAL immediately. Address HIGH this week.
Output Format
Portfolio Status Summary
# Portfolio Status Summary - [Date]
## Portfolio Overview
| Metric | Value | Status |
|--------|-------|--------|
| Active Projects | N | - |
| Total Investment | $X | - |
| Capacity Utilization | X% | Green/Yellow/Red |
| Portfolio Risk Score | X/10 | Green/Yellow/Red |
## Strategic Alignment
| Objective | Projects | Coverage |
|-----------|----------|----------|
| [Objective 1] | [List] | X% |
| [Objective 2] | [List] | X% |
## Health Summary
| Status | Count | Projects |
|--------|-------|----------|
| Green | N | [List] |
| Yellow | N | [List] |
| Red | N | [List] |
## Recommendations
1. [Recommendation with rationale]
2. [Recommendation with rationale]
## Decisions Required
1. [Decision needed with options]
2. [Decision needed with options]
Execution Report
Base metrics per shared-patterns/execution-report.md:
| Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | Analysis Date | YYYY-MM-DD | | Scope | [Portfolio name/scope] | | Duration | Xh Ym | | Result | COMPLETE/PARTIAL/BLOCKED |
Portfolio-Specific Details
| Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | projects_reviewed | N | | capacity_utilization | X% | | strategic_alignment_avg | X.X/5 | | recommendations_count | N |
When Portfolio Planning Is Not Needed
<MANDATORY> MUST: Portfolio planning is minimal only when ALL conditions are met: </MANDATORY>| Condition | Verification | |-----------|-------------| | Recent planning exists (<30 days) | Reference existing portfolio plan | | No new projects proposed | Verify no intake requests pending | | No significant changes | Confirm no budget/resource/strategy changes | | All projects on track (Green) | Verify no Yellow/Red status |
MUST: Full portfolio planning REQUIRED for the following conditions:
| Condition | Why Required | |-----------|-------------| | New project intake request | Must assess impact on portfolio | | Quarterly/annual planning cycle | Regular planning cadence required | | Strategic objectives changed | Alignment must be re-assessed | | Resource constraints identified | Prioritization decisions needed | | Multiple projects Yellow/Red | Intervention and rebalancing required |
MUST: When in doubt, refresh the portfolio plan. Stale portfolio plans cause misaligned investments.
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