Capability-Based Planning Matrix

The Capability-Based Planning Matrix is a 2x2 matrix used to help businesses plan for the future. It helps to identify the capabilities needed to achieve a desired outcome, and prioritize them accordingly.

At a very high level, the Capability-Based Planning Matrix is used in the context of business, planning.

Capability-Based Planning Matrix quadrant descriptions, including examples
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What is the Capability-Based Planning Matrix?

A visual explanation is shown in the image above. The Capability-Based Planning Matrix can be described as a matrix with the following quadrants:

  1. Must-Have: Capabilities that are essential for the desired outcome, e.g. Website Design, SEO, Social Media Management
  2. Nice-to-Have: Capabilities that are desirable, but not essential, e.g. Content Creation, Paid Advertising
  3. Could-Have: Capabilities that are not essential, but could be beneficial, e.g. Video Production, Email Marketing
  4. Won't-Have: Capabilities that are not necessary for the desired outcome, e.g. Print Advertising, Trade Show Attendance

What is the purpose of the Capability-Based Planning Matrix?

The Capability-Based Planning Matrix is a 2x2 matrix used to help businesses plan for the future. It helps to identify the capabilities needed to achieve a desired outcome, and prioritize them accordingly. The matrix is divided into four quadrants:

  • The top left quadrant is labeled “Must-Have” and contains capabilities that are essential for the desired outcome.
  • The top right quadrant is labeled “Nice-to-Have” and contains capabilities that are desirable, but not essential.
  • The bottom left quadrant is labeled “Could-Have” and contains capabilities that are not essential, but could be beneficial.
  • The bottom right quadrant is labeled “Won’t-Have” and contains capabilities that are not necessary for the desired outcome.

For example, a business that wants to increase its online presence might identify the following capabilities:

  • Must-Have: Website Design, SEO, Social Media Management
  • Nice-to-Have: Content Creation, Paid Advertising
  • Could-Have: Video Production, Email Marketing
  • Won’t-Have: Print Advertising, Trade Show Attendance

The Capability-Based Planning Matrix can be used to prioritize the capabilities and allocate resources accordingly. It can also be used to identify gaps in the organization’s capabilities and plan for future investments.


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What templates are related to Capability-Based Planning Matrix?

The following templates can also be categorized as business, planning and are therefore related to Capability-Based Planning Matrix: Effort Impact Matrix, Gap Analysis Matrix, Growth Share Matrix, Kraljic Matrix, Outsourcing Matrix, Quadrant Analysis, Risk Analysis Matrix, Risk Value Matrix. You can browse them using the menu above.

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