Innovation Management Watch Summary: "How to Improve R&D Portfolio Decision Quality” by Gartner for Research & Development Leaders

R&D leaders are under pressure—and portfolio decision quality is paying the price. Gartner’s 2025 research finds that accelerating timelines, stakeholder scrutiny, and short-term profitability targets have created a “perfect storm” for poor-quality decisions. Most R&D portfolios underperform on key health indicators such as balance, project value, and risk alignment. 

🔍 The Five Markers of High-Quality Portfolio Decisions 

Gartner identifies five factors that distinguish top-performing R&D teams from laggards: 

1. Strategic Clarity – Clear alignment of portfolio goals with organizational strategy (+34% impact on decision quality). 
2. Assessment Rigor – Regularly stress-testing assumptions, data, and scenarios (+17% impact). 
3. Information Quality – Timely, accurate, and relevant data to guide key decisions (+14% impact). 
4. Process Quality – Well-defined decision-making frameworks with clear authority and metrics (+14% impact). 
5. Stakeholder Coaching – Helping decision-makers understand trade-offs and risks (+7% impact). 

Teams that excel in three or more markers outperform their peers significantly on portfolio health and innovation outcomes. 

⚠️ The Perfect Storm of Pressure 

78% of R&D leaders say stakeholder pressure to deliver faster and more profitable decisions has intensified. 

Under this strain, many revert to instinct-based decisions, skip formal processes, and overinvest in short-term projects—undermining portfolio balance and long-term value creation. 

💡 The Path Forward 

To strengthen decision quality, Gartner recommends: 

• Assessing performance across all five markers. 

• Prioritizing strategic clarity and assessment rigor as foundational. 

• Embedding coaching and process quality to sustain decision-making under pressure. 

• Focusing on portfolio balance—not just speed or profitability—to preserve innovation potential. 

Ultimately, high-quality R&D portfolio decisions require discipline, data, and alignment, not intuition. Leaders who cultivate these markers can make faster decisions without compromising long-term innovation health. 

This summary is based on the Gartner report “How to Improve R&D Portfolio Decision Quality” (2025). All rights to the original content remain with the respective copyright holders.