---
title: "Scoring Change Initiatives with DICE"
description: "Project leads calculate delivery risk across five structural factors and post initiatives into Win, Worry, or Woe zones. The group then selects high-impact levers to reduce risk on priority initiatives and assigns concrete owners and dates."
last_updated: "2026-09-07"
canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/dice-framework-workshopbank/"
---

# Scoring Change Initiatives with DICE

Project leads calculate delivery risk across five structural factors and post initiatives into Win, Worry, or Woe zones. The group then selects high-impact levers to reduce risk on priority initiatives and assigns concrete owners and dates.

**Time:** 75 minutes. Within the source range of 70 to 90 minutes
**People:** 4 to 12. Individual scoring, peer pairs (or one trio for odd counts), and whole-room calibration

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Score delivery risk across active initiatives using a standard five-factor formula to establish a shared priority list for risk mitigation.
**Use it when:** Use during portfolio reviews, transformation kickoffs, or quarterly planning when leaders need an objective check on project delivery feasibility.
**Skip it when:** Skip when projects are in pure ideation with no defined scope, delivery team, or formal review checkpoints.

## Materials and tools

- Pre-printed DICE scorecards or digital card equivalents (one per initiative plus spares)
- Wall space or whiteboard marked into three columns: Win (7 to 13), Worry (14 to 17), Woe (18 to 28)
- Pens (one per person)
- Masking tape or adhesive putty to mount scorecards
- Action tracker sheet on flip chart paper or digital table
- Digital whiteboard platform with digital cards (for remote and hybrid setups)
- Countdown timer

## Before participants arrive

1. Draw three vertical zones on the board labeled Win (7 to 13), Worry (14 to 17), and Woe (18 to 28).
2. Write the DICE formula clearly on the board: Score = D + 2I + 2C1 + C2 + E.
3. Distribute one blank scorecard and pen to each initiative lead.
4. List the active initiatives in scope on a visible board.

## Say this to open

Today we will score our initiatives using the DICE framework. We want an objective assessment of delivery risk, not a personal critique. Each factor is scored from 1 to 4, where lower means lower risk. At the end, we will pick one lever for each priority risk and leave with clear actions.

## How to run it

### 1. Frame scope and objectives (5 minutes)

Say the opening script. Read the list of active initiatives to be scored. Confirm that every initiative has a designated lead present. Note out-of-scope topics on a visible parking lot flip chart.

### 2. Explain the DICE formula (10 minutes)

Walk through the five factors: Duration (time between reviews), Integrity (team capability), Commitment 1 (sponsor backing), Commitment 2 (local staff buy-in), and Effort (extra workload). Emphasize that Integrity and Sponsor Commitment are multiplied by 2. Give an explicit example: D=2 (quarterly review), I=1 (top team), C1=2 (supportive sponsor), C2=2 (receptive staff), E=2 (moderate extra workload). Total is 2 + 2(1) + 2(2) + 2 + 2 = 12 (Win zone). Check that everyone understands the math.

### 3. Score initiatives silently (10 minutes)

Initiative leads complete their scorecards individually using numbers 1 to 4 for each factor. Remind leads to score conservatively based on verifiable evidence. Leads calculate their total using D + 2I + 2C1 + C2 + E and determine their zone. Stop when all leads have calculated their totals.

### 4. Calibrate in peer pairs (10 minutes)

Form pairs across different initiatives. If there is an odd number of leads, form one trio. Leads swap scorecards and review the ratings. Each partner challenges one factor that seems optimistic, asking for observable evidence. Leads adjust numbers if warranted and recalculate their totals. Stop when all cards are returned to their owners.

### 5. Converge and map to zones (15 minutes)

Run a rapid round of one minute per initiative. Each lead states the initiative name, reads the score for each of the five factors (1 to 4), states the total score, and posts the card into Win, Worry, or Woe on the wall using tape. Mark any contested factor with a question mark. Complete all placements before moving to actions.

### 6. Select levers for top risks (10 minutes)

Bring the three scorecards with the highest total scores to the front. For each, prompt the whole group to choose one lever (D, I, C1, C2, or E) that can realistically reduce risk over the next 30 days. Draft one concrete intervention per initiative.

### 7. Assign actions and review dates (10 minutes)

Transfer the three interventions to the Action Tracker. Write each task with an active verb, assign a single named owner, set a completion date within four weeks, and record the next formal DICE re-scoring date on the team calendar.

### 8. Debrief and close (5 minutes)

Read back the three priority actions and the re-scoring date. Invite 2 brief participant comments addressing the debrief questions. Thank the group and close the session on time.


## Debrief questions

- Which factor contributed most heavily to pushing projects into Worry or Woe today?
- How did peer calibration alter your initial assessment of delivery risk?

**Finished output:** A mapped portfolio board placing initiatives across Win, Worry, and Woe, accompanied by an action tracker listing direct owners, 30-day interventions, and follow-up review dates for the three highest-risk projects.

## Remote

Recreate the Win, Worry, and Woe columns on a shared digital whiteboard. Supply digital scorecard cards pre-populated with the five factors and formula. Run silent scoring on personal cards, use breakout rooms of two (or one trio) for calibration, then bring the group back to plenary to call out factor scores and move cards into the zones. Log actions directly into the shared whiteboard table.

## Hybrid

All participants access the digital whiteboard. In-person leads use individual laptops or tablets to fill scorecards. In-person and remote leads pair up via video breakout rooms with headsets. The facilitator projects the shared digital board in the room so all participants see cards move into zones and watch the action tracker build in real time.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants can complete scores on paper, digital forms, or through private dictation to the facilitator.
- Leads who prefer not to present aloud may ask their calibration partner or the facilitator to read out their scores and place their card on the board.

## If the session gets stuck

**Leads give optimistic scores of 1 across all factors despite obvious project delays or resource bottlenecks.**

Ask for specific verifiable milestones, such as the date of the last formal review meeting or logged overtime hours, to ground the score in factual records.

**Pairs spend too much time debating subjective opinions during calibration.**

Intervene and instruct pairs to focus only on observable facts from the past 30 days. If data is missing, note a question mark and keep the higher risk score.


## Terms used here

- DICE: A delivery risk framework scoring Duration, Integrity, Commitment (sponsor and local), and Effort.
- Win Zone: Scores from 7 to 13, indicating low delivery risk.
- Worry Zone: Scores from 14 to 17, indicating moderate delivery risk requiring mitigation.
- Woe Zone: Scores from 18 to 28, indicating severe delivery risk requiring immediate restructuring.

## Participant material: DICE Scorecard Template

Initiative Name:
Lead:

1. Duration (D): Time between formal milestone reviews
[1 = under 2 months | 2 = 2-4 months | 3 = 4-8 months | 4 = over 8 months]
Score (1-4): ___

2. Integrity (I): Capability and bench strength of delivery team
[1 = very strong | 2 = good | 3 = average | 4 = poor/untested]
Score (1-4): ___

3. Commitment 1 (C1): Visible senior sponsor support
[1 = active and vocal | 2 = fairly clear | 3 = neutral | 4 = reluctant/absent]
Score (1-4): ___

4. Commitment 2 (C2): Local staff buy-in and readiness
[1 = enthusiastic | 2 = willing | 3 = reluctant | 4 = strongly resistant]
Score (1-4): ___

5. Effort (E): Extra workload on delivery staff beyond regular day jobs
[1 = under 10% extra | 2 = 10-20% extra | 3 = 20-40% extra | 4 = over 40% extra]
Score (1-4): ___

Calculation: D + (2 x I) + (2 x C1) + C2 + E
Total Score: ____

Zone:
[ ] Win (7 to 13)
[ ] Worry (14 to 17)
[ ] Woe (18 to 28)

## Participant material: DICE Action Tracker

Initiative Name | Target Factor (D, I, C1, C2, E) | Specific Mitigation Action | Direct Owner | Due Date | Next Review Date
1.
2.
3.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in WorkshopBank as 'Scoring Change Initiatives with DICE'. WorkshopBank attributes the DICE framework to Harold L. Sirkin, Perry Keenan, and Alan Jackson at The Boston Consulting Group, published in Harvard Business Review in 2005.

Retained the DICE framework mechanics, weighted formula, and three scoring zones (Win, Worry, Woe) from WorkshopBank and BCG. UWT adjusted zone boundary definitions to eliminate overlap (Win 7-13, Worry 14-17, Woe 18-28), streamlined step wording to under 90 words, added explicit pens and mounting materials, clarified the neutral worked example, and included remote/hybrid guidance.

[WorkshopBank](https://workshopbank.com/tools/dice-framework)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/dice-framework-workshopbank/