ANALYSIS:
1 – Has a risk analysis been performed?
2 – Is this project worth doing?
3 – Was a market survey conducted? A proven market exists?
4 – Does management understand the customer’s problem?
5 – Have critical success factors (CSFs’) been identified?
6 – Was a feasibility study performed?
7 – Was an analysis of the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) performed?
8 – Is the desired duration for this project known?
9 – Was a worst-case analysis performed?
10 – Was the business case properly defined?
11 – Can a prototype be developed within the constraints?
12 –Does the project’s vision statement extend past 12 months? (Yes = blue)
13 – Will the plan be tested in some way before implementation?
14 – Is was the end game (when & how to quit) planned before plan implementation?
15 – Is the strategy appropriate for this project? And vice versa?
16 – Has the firm had many failures of similar projects?
17 – Does management understand the customer’s needs?
18 – Should we re-visit any previous assumptions? Were there holes in our thinking?
19 – Is this a reliable client?
20 – Will this project or its output have to interface with other projects?
21 – Has the public been given the opportunity to ask questions or ask questions about the project BEFORE it’s initiated?
22 – Has SM evaluated the long term potential benefit versus the short term disruptions associated with this project? (No = bad)
23- Does SM/ PM have an evolving vision of/ systems-wide approach to the project, over a period of time/ has a clear idea of the types of steps required to achieve the goal? (Yes = good)
24 – Has this project’s decisions been prioritized in some manner? (Eg, Jeff Bezos – Amazon:
* “Type 1” decisions which are consequential and irreversible, that must be made methodically, carefully, slowly, with great deliberation and consultation or
Asking hard questions?
Requested and wanted prevailing views to be challenged?
Considered a variety of options?
Weighed possible outcomes against the firm’s larger goals?
Understands what the action is going to be?
Anticipates and lists possible responses to the proposed action?
Determined how firm will deal with each possible response?
*“Type 2” decisions that can be reversed if they fail and should be made much faster)
25 – Has SM/ PM determined which future products/ services/ technologies show the best promise to achieve future objectives? (No = blue)
26 – Does this situation pose an existential threat to the firm? (Yes = red: SM and executives need to prioritize this)
27 – Can research test results be duplicated in the project in independent field testing/ operations?
28 – Can firm take a ‘forward look’ around the corner and see future opportunities/ implications / potential opportunity to revolutionize/ which might arise from this project? (Yes = green)
29 – Can the project benefit from any groundwork already done anywhere? (Yes = blue)
30 – Has SM/ PM determined the possible deployment of the project’s outcome? (Yes = blue)
31 – Will SM/ PM have to wind down any old/ existing technology/ infrastructure in order to ramp up the new project’s technology? (Yes = blue). Has this potential impact been considered?
32- Are there any new/ unplanned/ unbudgeted/ surprise costs/ expenses required to enable the use of this new project? (Yes = blue) Has this potential impact been considered?
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Environmental Factors:
1 – Does the firm have prior project management experience?
2 – Does the firm understand the social impact of its project?
3 – Must our firm rush this project to the customer? (Yes = red = bad)
4 – Is the firm aware of the political situation?
5 – Is there a business need for this project?
6 – Does our firm, vendors/ contractors or the client have cash flow problems?
7 – Does management have a history of past successes?
8 – Have key stakeholders been identified?
9 – Has management asked many questions about this project? (No = red = bad)
10 – Are there any bad external events that could hurt this project?
11 – Were (are) any potential new technologies considered for development into a project?
12 – Is this project designed for the customer’s use?
13 – Has management consulted with other CEOs about this project?
14 – Does management ask customers for feedback? (No = red)
15 – Does management understand the current economic situation?
16 – Knows the people who oppose the project? (No = bad)
17 – Does this project depend on the outcome of another project? (Yes = blue)
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Priorities:
1 – Were alternative approaches to the project’s current direction considered?
2 – Does this project fit within the company’s (firm’s) goals?
3 – Does the project champion have a high prior success rate?
4 – Were other project opportunities considered before this project was decided on?
5 – Is this project properly prioritized (OK)?
6 – Does this project provide for possible spin-off opportunities?
7 – Is (was) management attempting to develop a “silver bullet” project believing that the end product will “cure all ills”? (If yes, then project scope is too large).
8 – Is the team willing to disregard all controls and achieve “victory at all cost”? (Yes = bad)
9 – Is the project fully funded?
10 – Has outsourcing been considered for any part of this project?
11 – Does this project have a completion goal or deadline?
12 – Can the leader see the goal?
13 – Have fallback actions been identified?
14 – Are there any historical constraints that could prevent this project from proceeding?
15 – Will this project adversely (bad = red) or positively (good = green) affect other projects?
16 – Does SM/ PM know the problem that the project is trying to address?
17 – Can the organization sustain the commitment to this project over the long run? (Note: This could be a serious issue for a long running project)
18 – Is the firm’s leadership willing to make the required financial commitment to the project? (Yes = good)
19 – Will this project bring real value to the business and society now? (No = blue)
20 – Does project manager/ senior management know who must approve the project before it can proceed? (Yes = good)
21- Does SM/ PM know what to do with/ how to employ the project’s new product/ service? (No = bad)
22 – Does SM have a clear vision of what they want the project (business/ technology) to accomplish? (Yes = good)
23 – Does SM have buy-in from key stakeholders?