Now I need to combine these vertical and horizontal dimensions. If we do that we get the following look.

Note the arrows. This means we have flows from left to right (or right to left) and top to bottom (or bottom to top of course). But ultimately, what does this really mean. Well, I think it means something like this:

• We have a strategic level understanding of how we are going to transform our organisation over time and what we are going to do and how we are going to do it to try to increase our ROI (see The Value of a Program of Projects). This is the strategic level horizontal dimension. We can do the same at the other levels - all along the horizontal dimension. This gives us the understanding of what commitments we are making and how it contributes to the plan overall from the perspective of the each of the three levels.
• On the vertical dimension, we have a whole series of requirements or business plans linked through the levels. We also have the various levels of fidelity for the solutions. At the strategic level these could be called capabilities (or perhaps competencies even). At the next level down - organisational level systems and the level after ....systems and sub-systems. Then with the Vehicle or Process Sectors - why not initiatives, projects and a work breakdown structure for the three levels.

This is what I like to call the Organisational Program Framework or Organisational Portfolio Framework.

Now perhaps this needs some specific context to understand in a more complete fashion. That is next.