Tag: Career

Project Intelligence (PQ) – Components of skills development for effective project management

Written by Mark Romanelli on July 8, 2019. Posted in Articles. 10 Comments on Project Intelligence (PQ) – Components of skills development for effective project management

How much is enough? How much is too much?

Project management is, among other things, a quest for efficiency. That quest should extend to the amount of project management knowledge, skill, and ability for the job and task at hand.
Projects come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity. That’s part of why project management certification and training is available in different levels. While knowledge is a great thing, seeking out the highest level isn’t always the ideal direction to pursue. PM skills should be a means to an ends, not the ends themselves. Not every project needs to have a leader with PMP or Master Black Belt credentials. Acquiring skills that a person doesn’t have the opportunity to use and practice them is most likely going to result in those skills to become rusty and forgotten, to the point of being useless. Selecting the right tools for the job starts with knowing and understanding what level of expertise is needed for the type of project work one plans to do.

The term “intelligence” is often thrown around and added to various topics in order to create a deeper understanding of underlying components; emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence are two examples. The same convention fits here when discussing the components of skills development necessary for identifying the right levels for effective project management. Welcome to the concept of Project Intelligence.

Project Intelligence (PQ) in this context is a framework for identifying and acquiring the right abilities for project management as part of an overall, complimentary skill set in your professional tool box. It can be thought of as a four-step process for acquiring the amount of project management skill for a particular position. It starts with examining the situation and concludes with putting a right-sized repertoire of abilities into action.

Developing PQ involves the examination and consideration of the following components:

Drive
Depth
Development
Deployment

Drive

PQ drive involves asking and answering the question of why someone wants or needs to develop project management skills. Presumably, it’s because they plan to work on projects. But what is the motivation, or ‘drive’ to it? Is this person going to occasionally work on projects as a member of a cross-functional team? Will they need to act as project managers regularly as a part of their job? It can also be the case that someone needs to be able to show project management knowledge in order to be eligible for their next promotion. What drives a person to acquire PM skills can be as diverse as the various types of projects we can think of. That drive will also directly influence the types of skills necessary to achieve their project management goals.

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Depth

A little, or a lot? How much project management knowledge is the right amount to satisfy the needs corresponding to the motivation? This is the question of depth. Determining the depth of knowledge required for project management can be compared to selecting the right set of tools for the job.
In this step, an individuals need to determine the type of knowledge that they need and how much of it is necessary. This way, they can focus their efforts on learning what they need to know. For example, the person occasionally working as a team member of cross-functional project teams will need to know the basics of the methodology they will be working in. Key concepts like deliverables, success criteria, sprints, and documentation procedures are what will help this individual the most. The regular project manager will need more extensive knowledge of the methodology, as well as details for team coordination and procedure implementation. The person interested in acquiring PM skills for their next promotion might want to consider CAPM or Yellow-Belt certification to document and demonstrate their knowledge.

Development

PQ development means learning. Once a person knows what project management skills they need, the next step is to go out and get them. With the necessary skill set identified, an individual can find the training to acquire those skills. This is the development step in the process, where an individual goes out and develops the project management competencies they identify for the depth of skill they require.
Once of the great things about the field of project management is the vast availability of resources for education and training. Of course higher qualifications and official certifications have specific and strict requirements, but for most types of education and training, there are options available for various needs, budgets, and schedules. Where there’s a will, there are usually a number of different ways.

Deployment

With the new project management skills learned and developed, it’s time to put them into practice. Theoretical knowledge that can’t be used is nothing more than useless information. In the deployment stage, individuals can take their newly acquired knowledge back to their professional settings and put them to use. This means managing project, working on project teams, overseeing project portfolios, or any other activities where the new project management skills will be useful and beneficial.
Also important in the deployment stage is to look out for repetitive opportunities. These are chances for people to use their project management skills again, and again, and again – pausing in between each time to look for chances to improve. Every new endeavour is an opportunity to learn and progress, but only if we take the time to use it.

Developing the right level of project intelligence is a dynamic process. As work environments are constantly changing with new challenges and situations, it’s important to regularly revisit and reassess the types of skills you need. By focusing on the immediate and near-future requirements, a person has the chance to learn not only the skills they need for the moment, but the skills they will actually have the opportunity to use, practice, and master. So when the time comes to move further up the ladder once again, they will have a strong foundation to start from before taking the next step.

From the Sponsor’s Desk – Leverage Passion to Power Performance

Written by Drew Davison on July 3, 2019. Posted in Articles. 11 Comments on From the Sponsor’s Desk – Leverage Passion to Power Performance

“The pursuit of excellence with unrestrained passion can lead to the accomplishment of wonders with unsurpassed joy.”

― Aberjhani, American-born multi-genre author

It’s tough to spend time on introspection and self-development with all the other demands on our time. Our job, family, friends and extra-curricular activities all demand attention. And before that, our bodies require a third of every day for rest and fuel. But, without reflection, selection and pursuit of personal development opportunities and goals, we will stagnate. How can we avoid that outcome? Leverage passion to power performance.

Passion is the force multiplier. We know that from experience. When we’re passionate about something, we tend to spend the time we need to pursue it to fruition. When we’re passionate about our priorities, they get attention.

However, our priorities change. The urgent tends to squeeze out the important unless we keep up our guard. How can we keep up our guard? Adopting a program or process that integrates our priority activities into our daily regimen is one approach. For example, if our passion is getting and staying in shape, joining a gym to improve fitness can help. Unfortunately, according to one study, 80 percent who joined a gym in January quit within five months.

Something else is required to keep us focused. And that’s what Keith Abraham, a performance consultant, offers – programs that help individuals, teams and organizations focus and sustain their passion on their top priorities. His programs anchor that commitment by helping build an in depth understanding of the competing challenges and priorities and mobilizing the passion needed for success.

As managers, wouldn’t it be amazing to have staff with in-depth understanding of the challenges and priorities in their lives, who had plans to pursue their passions and managed their plans to successful completion? Wouldn’t it be great if our teams had the same insight? And our organizations? Read on and see how Keith’s approach helped one organization and the involved individuals achieve stellar performance gains while adding lasting value.

Situation

Keith Abraham has engaged with over 1.6 million people in 29 countries over his 23 years in this business. He has a 95% client repeat rate. In fact 57% of his clients have made use of his services at least 6 times, 34% more than 10 times.
According to Keith, he “has researched how top performing people harness their PASSION, achieve their GOALS and FOCUS on what’s most important to bring the best out of themselves and their businesses.”

He has discovered the link between best performance, and people who are passionate about their life: “Establishing true goal alignment enables an individual to live their personal and professional lives energised, and with direction.”

Keith has a client base of over 300 companies and has won numerous awards including the highest honour for professional speaking, the Nevin Award, and Keynote Speaker of the Year by the Australian National Speakers Association.

Keith develops and tailors a wide variety of programs for individuals, teams and companies. How does he do it? He starts out with a comprehensive model that captures his years of experience and research.

The model incorporates Keith’s accumulated knowledge and provides the foundation for building a multitude of offerings to address a wide diversity of client needs. It also provides a framework for incorporating new learnings as they arise. Take a look at the factors included in the model from the Passion center on out. How many have you addressed in your life, your career, your family, your organization? Intimidating isn’t it. That’s one reason why Keith’s offerings have such impact. Most of us are uninformed and unprepared on these fronts.

One company in particular was interested in Keith’s services to improve their operational performance. The people in this large Bank had experienced a huge amount of change in a very tough marketplace. They had managed to retain their market share but the people had lost their energy and enthusiasm for the business and its future goals. They had lost their passion and purpose.

The head of the Business Banking unit knew that unless they re-energised their Sales, Service and Admin teams the next year’s goals would not be met. He was chatting with a colleague about the challenges he was facing and his colleague suggested he engage Keith and his organization to help tackle the problem. And so he did.

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The Goal

To revitalize the staff in the Business Banking unit so they could meet the challenges in the coming year with new enthusiasm and commitment to achieve the year’s targets.

The Project

Keith and his team met with the VP Business Banking and his senior leaders to develop a comprehensive plan. Over a four month period, they would engage with 1100 people including Senior Executives, Regional Managers, Senior Leaders, Administration Team Members, Call Centre Staff, Business Banking Managers and Mobile Lenders to revitalize and repurpose the organization.

In that four month period, Keith and his team conducted a series of 1 day workshops for all 1100 staff. Follow up sessions were held after 90 days to measure change, transformation, progress and success. 24 online video modules and a weekly inspirational blog were offered over the following 12 months. As well, Regional Managers were reskilled to conduct 45 minute reinforcement sessions each quarter over the same period. It was a massive undertaking affecting every corner of the organization. And it worked!

The Results

With re-energized and re-committed staff, the Business Banking unit generated a 12% increase in sales results in a very tough market. As well, they increased staff retention by 7% and lifted their staff engagement score by 9.5%. They managed to leverage passion to power performance.

How a Great Leader Succeeds

There is no question Keith’s offerings are successful. The repeat rate alone shows the value individuals and organizations realize from Keith’s programs. How does he do it? Here are a few of the secrets to his success:

Lifelong learning – Keith is always learning. He considers himself an apprentice on many fronts. He uses mentors regularly and has five today. That learning frame of reference supports his ability to create custom offerings for his clients and recognize and incorporate new learnings as they arise.
Best practices – Formulating best practices and structuring them in his model allows infinite flexibility and variability in his programs and his relationships with clients. The reuse enabled by his best practice mindset also enables rapid response at low cost.
Use it or lose it – Keith delivers roughly 100 presentations a year and engages with seven people a day on average. The more he does, the better he gets and the greater the return for his clients.
Build and sustain business on referrals – Keith doesn’t do much direct marketing because most of his business comes from people who have been on his courses or who have heard great things from people who have attended his courses or benefited from his services. That’s a wonderful confirmation of the value he delivers.
Know your strengths – Keith’s primary focus and talent is on assisting leaders. The folks he deals with are invariably successful in their jobs, but they’re stuck. They are facing new challenges and have a fear of failure. Keith teaches them to fall in love with the difficult, to be living examples – at work, for clients and families.
Follow your passion – The work Keith does changes people’s lives. They discover vital insights about themselves, their teams and their organizations. They discover that activity kills uncertainty. It’s about progress, not perfection. That in itself is a sustaining realization.

Keith Abraham practices what he preaches. He encourages his staff to do the same. His achievements and broad reach, the practices he employs to sustain his performance and that of his organization and the value he delivers to his clients should be an inspiration for all of us. Let’s all commit to pursuing our passions, for our betterment, for our families, our teams and the organizations we contribute to and work for.

So, as you proceed through your life and career journey, consider these points as you pursue your own passions. Also remember, use Project Pre-Check’s three best practice based building blocks covering the key stakeholder group, the decision management process and the Decision Framework right up front so you don’t overlook these key success factors for managing change.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has willingly shared their experiences for presentation in this blog. Everyone benefits. First time contributors get a copy of one of my books. Readers get insights they can apply to their own unique circumstances. So, if you have a project experience, a favorite best practice, or an interesting insight that can make a project or change manager’s life a little easier, send me the details and we’ll chat. I’ll write it up and, when you’re happy with the results, Project Times will post it so others can learn from your insights.

How to Excel at Managing Multiple Projects

Written by Jennifer Hahn Masterson on June 26, 2019. Posted in Articles. 10 Comments on How to Excel at Managing Multiple Projects

Managing one project at a time can be stressful enough, but try managing several projects simultaneously–

this is where real difficulties start to emerge. Luckily, there are certain steps you can take to help you get more organized and efficient when managing multiple projects. Let’s learn something about them.

Think ahead

The best thing to do, before you start anything else, is to plan ahead. So, take your time, have your morning coffee, tea, whatever you need to fuel your brain, and start planning. Make sure to know your priorities, and how much time you need for each task. For some people, it works the best to deal with the toughest tasks first and save those less demanding for later.

Schedule your time

Make the most of your time. Plan your time ahead, make an appointment with yourself, pick a project and give it your full attention. This will help you stay focused on the chosen task, at least for a short period of time, and it will make you more productive. It’ll help your thoughts stay in one place, and your brain will work better, without having to worry about other projects. So, you should simply block your time for that project and hold on to it.

Stay Focused

Don’t let anything distract you from what you are doing at the moment and stay focused on your current task. For example, listening to your preferred music helps me stay focused on what I am doing. If you love silence, just find yourself a quiet place, or simply do anything that helps you stop racing thoughts and staying on point.

Assess your workload regularly

Follow up on your project plan or time schedule frequently. Consider some unexpected time loss may occur – some projects might take more time then you have predicted, so you will be behind with other tasks. You can avert that by checking up on your to-do list or some other strategy for tracking project progress.

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Entrust responsibilities

Having trouble accomplishing everything? Delegate! Share your workload with your team, or a trusted colleague. Assign them tasks, even the whole projects, but don’t exonerate yourself completely. As IED Barcelona’s current Master Degree in Service Design explains, this field should encourage an exploratory attitude, self-organization and abilities to collaborate in cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary teams. Just make sure you are still involved in the whole decision-making process, and you will be certain that the work will get done

Support the project plans

The best way to do this is by using the project management software. This will help you keeping better track of your project progress. Use milestones to mark the significant dates in your project plan and make sure everything is done and submitted before the deadline. Having this kind of information helps you prevent possible time loss, in addition to lowering your stress level when a busy time comes.

Keep an eye on progress

Many things can go wrong if you have a lot to do, and just not enough hands, eyes or time to keep track of all those things. With this in mind, you should block your time to review all your current projects and make sure everything is going just how you have imagined it would.

Be adaptable

Stay open to embracing change when it comes to your time schedule. Like we said before, some projects are more urgent than others and sometimes, despite your effort to pursue your schedule, you will need to attend some other task and spend unplanned time on it. This is considered inevitable when it comes to managing multiple projects, so just stay flexible and don’t panic if it comes to that.

These tips should help you in managing multiple projects successfully. Even if you encounter certain issues in the process (and, trust me, you will), you should be able to solve them with less stress and worries

Why Agile Teams Fail

Written by Markanthony Akem on June 5, 2019. Posted in Articles. 7 Comments on Why Agile Teams Fail

I have often argued that the center piece of organizational success or failure is people.

People interact and drive the day to day strategy, operations and tactic which provide the life line for every institution. Nonetheless, people especially regular employees are not accorded the respect, nor given proper treatment in most environments they work.

Now, people are found at all levels of an organization and play different roles with varying responsibilities that either places them as leaders or as followers. Apparently not all leaders are leaders, and most may wonder why am being emphatic about this, but the reality remains, most organizations fail at Agility adoption because of leadership ideologies. Here are some main reasons why Agile teams fail in my views;

1. Wrong people in the right position.
2. Entrenchment factor.
3. Understanding of concept.
4. POT
5. Ecosystem readiness.

Let’s start by discussing the five reasons above as I have a lot to say from my personal experiences deploying or working for organizations practicing Agile.

1. Wrong people in the right place: Organizations make the mistake of creating the right positions but place the wrong people to drive the objectives of such position. Sometimes the POT (Politics of Things) mind set and the whole idea of perceived competence, tends to erode the placement of right people in the right place within organizations. Organizational mis-alignments are typically caused by people not understanding the vision and how it syncs with their roles. The issue with the wrong people in right place is;

No knowledge of employee skill set; Lots of managers or middle management have absolutely no clue of what training their direct reports have, looking to have and how it can be leveraged.
Single point of failure; Creative leaders or managers re-create knowledge and diversify source. Having a single go to person with a lot of knowledge and no evident sharing knowledge transfer mechanism creates potential process stalling or delayed access to project requirements.
Ability to listen; Though simple but very hard to do. Most leaders listen but do not hear. The ability of listen and hear someone must be inclusive of taking innovative opinions and implementing them.
Authority drunkenness; Not something people will worry about too much since the leader or manager has the authority to give directions. But the truth remains, I quote; “Why lead if you don’t have loyal followers that believe in your goal”? Obviously, Mark c Crowley said it all in his book “Leading from the heart” – Leaders who worry about controlling others often end up with health issue most of the time. Wrong people in the right place always worry about the authority of the position versus its output requirement.

2. Entrenchment Factor: I hear this a lot – No, we cannot do it that way because it’s not how we do it or It’s going to cost a lot of money. Sounds like a statement you hear very often – yes, it does sound like what I hear. The idea of if it works don’t fix it continuously truncates basic adoption of Agile best practices by most teams. Below are some of the reasons why entrenchment factor fails Agile teams;

Out dated knowledge: Entrenchment encourages people to remain in a purse in so far as acquiring new skill or knowledge. Usually there is no visible challenge on the job that creates a need for an individual to think more creatively.
Culture positioning: Entrenchment factor walls off ideas and creates a myopic view of problem context as well as late adoption of standard practices. As a result, innovative cultures and ideas is conditioned and boxed into a corner making creativity almost invisible.

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3. Understanding the concept: A lot of teams do agile as against be agile. The idea of agility is focused around mindset, proactivity, creativity and above all collaboration. Agile is not scrum and neither is scrum agile if you follow my drift. Scrum which is the most practiced flavor of agile application is often understood as the center piece of agile thinking but that is far from true. Better put, agile is the practice and principle around aligning people, culture and process to deliver value to the end client while scrum is the model of applying agile thinking. Incrementally developing a solution and having ceremonies like daily standard up doesn’t make teams agile. This misunderstanding of the agile concept greatly limits teams and results in eventually failure of the team.

4. POT (Politics of things): The POT factor continues to plague organizations and decision makers alike.in many ways. First, human beings are political animals guided by the idea of interest, perceived shaped by perception and grounded in rational or irrational actions or responses. Decision makers often are clouded in bias when decisions are made around appointments or specific assignments. Take for example, I finished my MBA with a grade point average of 3.67/4.0 and was an excited 20+ year old who wanted to change the world. At the time, I had an opening in my schools which I applied for which I was told the job was not for everybody. Not providing too much detail, the organization lost out on an individual that was dedicated, willing to learn and had the vision or goal to teach in that same school. Over the years, I have tried to understand why I was not evaluated like everyone else and haven been in the corporate world for so long, it never changes. Bias is real and brings out the worst in human beings even when it’s at the cost of the organization. I have seen qualified and innovative minds get relegated and not so innovative minds get placed to make decisions all because of POT. You may not agree with me, but these sentiments are shared even at the team level. Certain individuals viewing others as intellectually inferior and never allow their views to come to light. And even when such ideas are allowed they are treated like not so smart but applaud when presented in a different way by the so-called innovative minds. The POT effect continues to slow down adoption of agile as well as innovation in and around any organization. You will be amazed how deeply rooted the POT effect is in most organization.

5. Ecosystem Readiness: Ecosystem readiness is like holiday preparation in my mind. If you have family and friends coming over there is usually a preparation or arrangement that must happen. Now, a lot of leaders and organizations want to introduce agile but do not have the infrastructure to support the practice. The agile approach or mind set is a known disruptor of the existing. In most cases it changes the entire mindset and approach and requires a receptive ecosystem that is ready. As a n Agile coach, I have come to learn that the practice of agile by a team or in an organization is premised on three key factor that I refer to as the triple As;

• Adopt a mindset
• Adapt to a mindset.
• Accept a mindset.

This in my experience is the roadmap to business agility and is the definition of being agile.
In summary, agile teams fail because of people and the decisions the make. Deciding to be agile is always a clear difference from deciding to do agile.

From the Sponsor’s Desk – The Project Selection Scorecard

Written by Drew Davison on April 24, 2019. Posted in Articles. 10 Comments on From the Sponsor’s Desk – The Project Selection Scorecard

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”– George Bernard Shaw

A colleague of mine is a contract project and change manager. Before he finishes an assignment, he launches a search for his next gig. His primary concern, of course, is continuing to earn an income. However, he’s also looking for potentially great projects that are fun, offer learning opportunities, provide a scintillating professional environment and deliver something meaningful. But the number one criteria in his search is the potential for the project to be successful. He has developed a project selection scorecard for that.

Thanks to Adekoya Taiwo for the idea for this article

The Project Selection Scorecard considers ten factors. Here’s an example.

Using the Project Selection Scorecard is pretty straightforward. There are five stages:

1. Gathering information about the project – If you’re being interviewed for a project or change management role, consider who’s providing you with information on the project – a Human Resources interviewer, the project owner, the head of the PMO, or others. The accuracy and completeness of the information you receive can vary considerably based on the source. You will need to be focused to obtain the best possible project profile. If you aren’t satisfied with the answers you receive, don’t hesitate to ask to talk to someone who has more insight. That act, in itself, could set you apart from the competition, hopefully in a positive way.

2. Determining the stage of the project – As you’re gathering the information you need, consider where the project is in its life cycle. If it’s at the very start, you’ll obviously receive fewer details than if the project is already underway or has already delivered some components. Use that knowledge to shape your questions and form your opinions.

3. Assessing the significance of the information – For each of the ten categories in the Scorecard, you need to reach a judgement on each about its level of robustness. The Scorecard uses a scale of 1 – 5, where 1 is minimal coverage or support and 5 is mature or comprehensive coverage. If an answer isn’t immediately obvious, ask more questions about the category and seek greater substance. Be conservative in your assessments. Err on the side of a lower rating if in doubt.

4. Drawing conclusions about a project’s suitability – Once you’ve assessed each of the ten categories and rated them from 1 to 5, total the numbers and reach a conclusion about the project’s chances for success. Suggested judgements are:

total of 30 or less and any category less than 3 – significant risk of project failure
total greater than 30 but one or more categories less than 3 – some risk requiring remediation
total of 40 or more and no category less than 3 – excellent prospects for project success

5. Making a decision – With the project profile in hand, you can now decide whether you’re interested in taking on the project. You have a couple of options:

If you’re interested – you like the opportunity, the company, the people – but the score leaves something to be desired, seek further input from a knowledgeable source within the organization.
If your heart says yes and your head says no, accept the contract if offered but make absolutely sure that the contract is contingent on the gaps (those categories rated 3 or less) being closed.
If you’re all in and like the opportunity, say yes if offered but review the scorecard with the key stakeholders once you’re on the job. That will serve two purposes; it will help you confirm the accuracy of your assessments and, it will give your key stakeholders some additional insights into the project and into who you are and what you’re looking for.

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The ten categories included in the Scorecard are perennial best practices for well run and successfully delivered projects. Here’s a bit more detail:

1. Engaged initiating sponsors – An engaged initiating sponsor is the individual who takes ownership for the project and commits to shepherd it through to the bitter end. They make the necessary decisions when they are required. They provide or arrange appropriate time, priority, funding, resources and organizational commitment. They are the key success factor.

2. Engaged reinforcing sponsors – Reinforcing sponsors are the directors/managers/supervisors of departments affected by the change. They are essential champions and guides to help the affected staff acquire the necessary new skills, beliefs and behaviours for a change to be successful. Having those players already identified and engaged will make your life and the project’s prospects so much better.

3. Roles & responsibilities – Everyone on and affected by a planned change needs to know the decision-makers and their accountabilities and responsibilities as well as those that should be consulted and informed. Look for a RACI chart or similar. That would serve this need perfectly.

4. Business Case – The business case is the heart of the project. It describes the rationale for the change, the key players, the impact on the organization as well as on customers and external entities, the expected value that will be delivered, what the organization is willing to invest, the targeted payback period, alternative business and technology options, relevant implementation strategies and perceived risks. Projects without a grounding business case tend to be aimless, costly and unsuccessful. I don’t think that’s what you want to take on.

5. Funding – Talk is cheap, change is expensive. Projects that succeed have funding and resourcing available in accordance with the intended magnitude and duration of the effort. Do you want to spend all your time scrambling for funds or spending the previously allocated resources to achieve your project’s goals? Your choice.

6. Strategic compliance – Corporate strategies delineate a path to a desired end state. Successful projects tend to be fully integrated with that strategic direction and supportive of that end goal. Look for an acknowledgement of the corporate strategy and an understanding of how the proposed projects relates. If you don’t get that feedback, be extra vigilant.

7. Prioritization – Clearly prioritized and appropriately timed initiatives ensure projects get the time, attention and support they need, when they need it. Effective prioritization maximizes the effective use of executive time and corporate resources. A properly prioritized project means you’ll have a much more productive project experience if you decide to take it on.

8. Organizational practices – The importance of well-defined and engrained project and change management practices, quality processes, security, infrastructure change management and others will obviously be dictated by the nature of the project. Ask about organizational practices needed and/or impacted by the planned change and then assess the robustness of the organization’s capability as you progress through the interview process.

9. Organizational skills & capabilities – The specific needs for and impacts on skills and organizational capabilities, like organizational practices above, is very dependent on the planned change and the options chosen. However, ask the questions and see what response you get. The more insightful and complete, the better. If the interviewer’s eyes glaze over, beware.

10. Risk assessment – Look for some clearly articulated risks and mitigation options. As well, insight and understanding of the risks a project might face shifts and evolves as a project progresses. So, you’ll also want to see evidence of an ongoing risk management process, not just a static, one-time assessment.

The scorecard takes very little time to complete. Of course, gathering all the information you need to be able to make an informed assessment can be a bit more time-consuming. As a result, you will probably find yourself completing and revising the scorecard iteratively as you go through the interview process.

Also, don’t hesitate to use the scorecard as a mini project health check at any time during a project. Get other key stakeholders to complete it and compare the results with them to reveal potential gaps or conflicts and opportunities for remedial action. It’s also a great tool to use if you have an organizational change that results in the departure or addition of a key decision-maker.

Finally, feel free to revise and adapt the Project Selection Scorecard as you see fit to meet your particular needs. And please let us know how it’s working for you and what changes you’ve made to improve its performance. Thanks.
Also remember, use Project Pre-Check’s three building blocks covering the key stakeholder group, the decision management process and the Decision Framework right up front so you don’t overlook these key success factors. After all, Project Pre-Check is the ultimate project governance framework.