How to Score & Prioritize Digital Growth Projects: I.C.E. Chart & Project Prioritization Matrix

Do you often find yourself struggling to prioritize projects for yourself or your team? If so, you’re not alone.

Many marketing, business, and IT leaders face this challenge regularly. However, effective tools can help streamline this process and ensure that you focus on projects with the highest impact and results.

In this video and post, we’ll explore two such tools: the I.C.E. Chart and the Project Prioritization Matrix (PPM).

The Ice Chart: A Collaborative Approach

The I.C.E. Chart is a collaborative tool that fosters team engagement and decision-making. Here’s how it works:

1. Create a Table: Begin by creating a table with columns for “Idea,” “Result,” “Impact,” “Confidence,” “Ease,” and “Total.”
2. Generate Ideas: Brainstorm project ideas and list them under the “Idea” column.
3. Define Results: Determine what each project should achieve for your organization or team and note it under the “Result” column.
4. Rate Each Idea: Rate each idea based on three factors: Impact, Confidence, and Ease (I.C.E.). Assign a score from 1 to 3 for each factor.
5. Calculate Total Score: Calculate the total score for each idea by adding the scores for Impact, Confidence, and Ease.
6. Prioritize: Rank the ideas based on their total score, with higher scores indicating higher priority.

Example Using the I.C.E. Chart

Let’s consider two project ideas:

Webinar Creation:

• Idea: Create a webinar to generate 100 marketing qualified leads (MQLs) this quarter.
• Impact: High (10)
• Confidence: Low (4)
• Ease: Low (4)
• Total Score: 18

Blog Posts:

• Idea: Publish blog posts to increase website traffic by 1,000 visitors.
• Impact: Moderate (7)
• Confidence: High (10)
• Ease: High (10)
• Total Score: 27

Based on the I.C.E. Chart analysis, Blog Posts emerge as a higher priority due to their higher total score.

The Project Prioritization Matrix (PPM)

While the I.C.E. Chart offers valuable insights, it may not always capture the full picture. That’s where the Project Prioritization Matrix (PPM) comes in:

1. Create a Square Matrix: Draw a square with four quadrants labeled “High Impact, Easy to Implement,” “High Impact, Hard to Implement,” “Low Impact, Easy to Implement,” and “Low Impact, Hard to Implement.”
2. Rank Projects: Place each project from the Ice Chart into one of the quadrants based on its impact and ease of implementation.
3. Prioritize: Focus on projects in the “High Impact, Easy to Implement” quadrant as they offer the most significant value with minimal effort.

Implementing the PPM

Continuing with our example, Blog Posts would likely fall into the “High Impact, Easy to Implement” quadrant, making them a top priority. Meanwhile, projects with low impact or high implementation difficulty may require further evaluation or long-term planning.

Bottom-line

Both the I.C.E. Chart and the Project Prioritization Matrix are powerful tools for project prioritization.

By utilizing these tools, marketing, business, and IT leaders can ensure that their teams focus on projects with the highest impact and achieve meaningful results.

Whether you’re collaborating with your team or working independently, these tools can provide clarity and direction in your decision-making process. So, next time you’re faced with a list of projects, give these tools a try and watch as your team moves closer to achieving its goals.