A Assess.
Assess is the second SAGE phase (formerly Planning). It's the busiest phase in the SAGE lifecycle: seven BEARINGS letters, eight worksheets, and two gates — with the problem from Situation on one side and a governed delivery plan on the other.
How Assess is structured
Assess splits into two clusters of work around Gate A (the Initiation Gate, which approves the BRD Part A).
Pre-Gate A: the business case (BEARINGS E · A · R · I)
Engage the right stakeholders, confirm the aims, evaluate the routes, and pick the preferred option with a scored instrument. These four BEARINGS letters flow into the BRD.
Post-Gate A / pre-Gate B: the delivery plan (BEARINGS N · G · S)
With the business case locked, plan the delivery: the navigation strategy, the governance system, and the signals you'll measure. These three BEARINGS letters flow into the FD (Functional Document, Part B), which Gate B approves.
Primary activities
- Develop Quantifiable Benefit Estimates (QBE) and a Value Capture Plan. Benefit claims become accountability commitments.
- Define key deliverables, non-functional requirements, and the blueprint (technical design at the right depth).
- Build the schedule, work breakdown, and initial backlog grooming.
- Draft the BRD (Part A) and the FD (Part B).
- Run Gate A (Initiation Gate) and Gate B (Planning Gate) to confirm readiness for execution.
BEARINGS in Assess
Seven of the eight BEARINGS letters live inside Assess. Each letter groups one or two worksheets with a specific decision output.
- EEngagement — WS03 Stakeholder Analysis
- AAims — WS04 Business Objective
- RRoutes — WS05 Trade-off Table
- IInstrument — WS06 Decision Matrix
- NNavigation — WS07 Strategy Table
- GGovernance — WS08 Accountability · WS09 Decision Hierarchy
- SSignals — WS10 Evaluation Plan
Exit criteria
Assess ends when the program passes Gate B, confirming the FD is approved, implementation planning is complete, and the team is ready to begin building. The next phase is G Generate.
Duration
Typical duration: 2–4 weeks. Longer for programs that need deep option analysis or cross-functional alignment; shorter for well-understood problems with an obvious solution.