Service Description:

Research organizations such as The Standish Group and The Gartner Group have identified the key project management elements, which if not present and correctly practiced, could lead to the failure of the project. These elements are also covered in the Project Management Institute's (PMI) Body of Knowledge. This Project Health Assessment covers over 65 project management processes and practices, and provides recommendations for addressing any shortfalls identified by the assessment.

Service Objective:

The objective of the Project Health Assessment is to help IT Projects ensure that all the project management elements needed to ensure project success are in place and are practiced correctly.

Business Benefits:

The benefit of the Project Health Assessment are:

• Improving the ability of the project team to meet the project's objectives
• Increasing the ability to deliver the promised scope on time and within budget
• Reducing the risks associated with missing project management elements

Target Audience:

The Project Health Assessment is for IT Projects that are implemented entirely by internal company resources, or with the help of external resources (such as consulting firms). The assessment is particularly recommended for medium to large projects with at least ten team members and at least nine months in duration.

Format and Duration:

The assessment is conducted through:

• Interviews with key project team members and stakeholders; and
• Review of project documents (such as project plans and deliverables).
• A report with recommendations is issued at the end of the assessment.
• Debriefing of the Project Leadership Circle is also included.

Content:

The key areas by the assessment include, but are not limited to:

• Project Charter and Plans
• Project Organization and Resources
• Top Management Commitment and Involvement
• Business Change Management
• User Requirements Definition
• Design, Development, and Testing
• Project Management Methodology
• Software, Hardware, and Infrastructure
• Issues and Risk Management

A report with recommendations to address key shortcomings is issued at the end of the assessment. A debriefing of the Project Leadership Circle is also included.