Concepts
In the field of project management, project evaluation is a crucial aspect that greatly contributes to the success of the organization. The Project Management Professional (PMP) examination pays critical attention to the importance of project evaluation and action determination.
Understanding Project Evaluation
When implementing a project, organizations allocate significant resources, both human and financial. Hence, project evaluation is done to assess whether these allocations have brought about the desired outcomes. The evaluation usually is based on the achievement of the project objectives, efficiency and effectiveness of the project management process, and the benefits delivered to the stakeholders of the organization.
Measuring Project Impact
There are several methods and metrics to measure the impact of a project on an organization including ROI, project productivity metrics, and post-implementation reviews.
- Return on Investment (ROI) is a traditional measure that compares the monetary gain from the project with the total cost of the project. A positive ROI means the gains exceed costs, a testament to the success of the project.
- Project productivity metrics such as team performance, process efficiency, and quality indicators provide insight into how well the project team was able to implement the project within the defined scope, time, and quality constraints.
- Post-implementation reviews or lessons learned analysis are usually conducted after the completion of the project. This is a qualitative measure of how well the project was implemented, issues faced during the project implementation, and what could be improved for future projects.
Determining Required Actions
Post-evaluation, certain actions might be necessary for making amendments in the project process or in the organizational strategies. Some standard actions include project redesign, project termination, project expansion, or continuity without changes.
- Project Redesign: If the project evaluation reveals that the desired goals are not being achieved, the project needs to be redesigned to align it better with the organization’s objectives.
- Project Termination: In cases where the project is found to be completely ineffective or the cost of running the project exceeds its benefits, project termination could be the required action.
- Project Expansion: If the project is deemed successful and productive, it might be expanded to other departments or units within the organization.
- Continuity without changes: A successfully running project meeting all its objectives, cost, time and quality needs no action and continues without any changes.
To illustrate…
Here’s a brief example of project evaluation and needed action determination. A software development company released a new software product. They used the ROI method to evaluate the project. The ROI was calculated to be -3%. This means that the company did not make any profits from the project, quite the contrary, they incurred losses.
After the evaluation, the company determined a project recess was needed. Over a period of six months, they reviewed the project processes, identified problem areas, and implemented changes. Post this period, they introduced a redesigned project in the market, which resulted in a positive ROI.
To conclude
For a PMP fellow, understanding the value of project evaluation is of paramount importance. Evaluating a project’s impact and determining the required actions is not just a part of a project manager’s role; it helps in decision making at strategic levels in the organization and aids in future project planning.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: The project’s impact on the organization’s strategic objectives is not vital while evaluating the project’s impact.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While evaluating the project’s impact, it is essential to consider how it aligns with the organization’s strategic objectives.
Which of the following is NOT a key factor while evaluating a project’s impact on the organization?
- a) Financial results
- b) Adoption rate
- c) Staff morale
- d) Number of employees in the organization
Answer: d) Number of employees in the organization
Explanation: The number of employees in an organization is not a direct measure of a project’s impact. The project’s financial results, adoption rate and influence on staff morale, however, are vital metrics.
True or False: Stakeholders’ feedback is not necessary for understanding the project’s impact.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Stakeholders’ feedback is significant in gaining comprehensive insights into the project’s impact. It not only gives you an outside perspective, but it can also bring to light issues that you might have overlooked.
What requires action, if among the project outcomes, there’s a decrease in the organization’s operational efficiency?
- a) Deploying a new project
- b) Conducting another project risk analysis
- c) Making necessary adjustments to the project plan
- d) Ignoring this outcome as it’s unrelated to the project.
Answer: c) Making necessary adjustments to the project plan
Explanation: If the project outcomes lead to a decrease in operational efficiency, it indicates that some aspects of the project plan need reevaluation and adjustment.
Which of the following is NOT a way to evaluate the project’s impact?
- a) Calculating ROI
- b) Conducting customer satisfaction surveys
- c) Counting the number of project team meetings
- d) Assessing team performance
Answer: c) Counting the number of meetings
Explanation: The number of project team meetings doesn’t directly reflect the impact of a project on an organization. However, ROI, customer satisfaction, and team performance are direct measures of project impact.
True or False: The project’s impact on the organization is measured only during the project closure phase.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The project’s impact on the organization is measured throughout the project’s life cycle, including planning, execution and closure phase.
What might be the required action if a project has a negative financial impact on an organization?
- a) Stopping the project immediately
- b) Continuation of the project without changes
- c) Adjusting the project budget or plan
- d) Hiring new project managers
Answer: c) Adjusting the project budget or plan
Explanation: If a project has a negative financial impact, the project budget or plan might need adjustments to mitigate any further losses.
When should the actions required be determined after evaluating a project’s impact?
- a) Before starting the project
- b) As soon as possible
- c) After the initiation of another project
- d) During project closure
Answer: b) As soon as possible
Explanation: The necessary actions should be determined and implemented as soon as possible after identifying the project’s impact to mitigate any possible risks and streamline project execution.
True or False: Required actions determined post-project impact assessment should always involve radical changes.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Not all actions determined post-project impact assessment need to be radical. Some might involve slight adjustments or tweaks to the current process or project plan.
The evaluation of the project’s impact on the organization covers all the below factors EXCEPT:
- a) Cost management
- b) Scope management
- c) Risk management
- d) Hotel expenses during business trips
Answer: d) Hotel expenses during business trips
Explanation: While hotel expenses could be a part of the project’s overall cost, they are not directly related to the project’s impact on the organization. In contrast, cost, scope and risk management are critical aspects of project evaluation.
What are some of the key metrics to evaluate the impact of a project on an organization?
Great article! This helped clarify my understanding of post-project evaluations.
Can anyone share real-world examples of project impacts and actions taken in response?
How do you measure stakeholder satisfaction effectively?
This post is exactly what I needed. Thanks!
What are some automated tools for project impact evaluation?
How important is it to have a baseline for measurements?
Thanks for sharing this detailed post!