Project Review

> You want do to know where you are standing with that large, multi-year, strategic project?

> You think one of your key projects is in trouble?

> Or you know that one of your key projects is in trouble?

Then a Project Review is what you are looking for!

A Project Review is all about the probability of project success. A project review will give you a good understanding of the current status of your project and how it is on track to deliver against your definition of project success on three levels:

1) Project delivery success: will the process of delivering the project be successful? Essentially this addresses the classic triangle "scope, time, budget".

2) Product or service success: this is about when the product or service to be delivered is deemed successful (e.g. system is used by all users in scope, uptime is 99.99%, customer satisfaction has increased by 25%, operational costs have decreased by 15%, etc.).

3) Business success: this is about how the product or service to be delivered brings value to the overall organization, and how it contributes financially and/or strategically to the business.

A Project Review can take place at any time during or after the project, although it has very limited value at the start of a project. In this case you would be better served by a New Project Audit.

The Project Review is based on my Project Review Model ™ and will address the top reasons why projects fail. It is all about improving the probability of project success. It covers the twelve areas of a project pictured below. 

Project Review Model - 12 Areas

Typical Clients

People that buy a Project Review are:

> C-level Executives or Board Members that want to make sure their critical business project is off to a good start.
> C-level Executives or Business Unit Leaders in the role of Project Sponsor.
> C-level Executives or Business Unit Leaders in the role of Steering Committee Member.

Typical Projects

Projects that will benefit the most from a Project Review are large and complex technology projects in the Implementation or Execution phase. In earlier phases like Conception, Initiation, or Exploration you will need a New Project Audit instead of a Project Review.

Examples of typical large and complex technology projects are:
 
> ERP, i.e. introduction or upgrade of SAP/Oracle/etc
> HC, i.e. introduction of Workday/SAP HCM
> CRM, i.e. introduction of Salesforce/MS Dynamics
> Modern Workplace, i.e. introduction of M365/G Suite
> Replacement of core banking / core insurance system
> Custom software development, i.e. a new product or service

The investment volumes of such projects are typically 5 mUSD or more.

Precondition for doing a Project Review is that your project has a Sponsor, a Steering Committee, and a Project Manager.

Input & Activities

The Project Review consists of a number of surveys, workshops, interviews, and documentation reviews. 

> Project Complexity Assessment (30 min online): the project sponsor, all Steering Committee Members, the Project Manager, and Key Team Members have to fill in my online Project Complexity Assessment.
 
> Project Success Definition Workshop (3 hours): the project sponsor, all Steering Committee Members, and the Project Manager will need to participate.

> Project Complexity Reduction Workshop (3 hours): the project manager, the project sponsor, and the key team members need to participate.

> Stakeholder & Impact Mapping Workshop (3 hours): the project manager, the project sponsor, and key team members need to participate. 

> Delphi Planning Workshop (3 hours): the project manager and key team members need to participate.

> Risk Assessment Workshop (3 hours): the project manager and key team members need to participate.

> Individual Interviews: project sponsor (2 hours), all Steering Committee Members (1 hour each, max 8 interviews), project manager (3 hours), key team members (1 hour each, max 5 interviews) and key stakeholders  (1 hour each, max 5 interviews)

> Documentation Review: Review of available project documentation, StC meeting minutes, etc.

Depending on the availability of your team all these activities can take place within a three week period.

Participation

Sponsor StC Member Project Manager Key Team Member Key Stakeholder
Project Complexity Assessment 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Interviews 4 2 8 2 2
Project Success Definition Workshop 3 3 3 - -
Project Complexity Reduction Workshop 3 - 3 3 -
Stakeholder & Impact Mapping Workshop - - 3 3 -
Delphi Planning Workshop - - 3 3 -
Risk Assessment Workshop - - 3 3 3
Outcome Presentation 4 4 4 - -
Total 10.5 6.5 20.5 13.5 1.5

Client Outcome

I have done many of these Project Reviews as part of my client engagements as well as with startups I have invested in.

Clients have seen the following results:

> Clarity on current probability of project success
Clarity on risks and assumptions
An expert and external view on your project and your team
Guidance on how to close gaps found in the review for all 12 areas
Expert advice on how to proceed (sometimes this means to stop the project)

Duration

From commencement to completion, expect this to span 3-4 weeks.

Scheduling

A New Project Audit can usually be initiated within 2-4 weeks, depending on the time of year.

Pricing

CHF/EUR/USD 50.000,-

Payment terms: half upfront, half on delivery of final report. 

Note: if you are interested in this service but are still unsure if I can deliver a multiple of my price as value to your organization you can start with a Project Success Definition Workshop or a Project Complexity Reduction Workshop. Both are priced at CHF/EUR/USD 5000,-  and will be discounted from your Project Review if you decide to go for it after such a workshop.

Delivery

A mix of online and in house. I have experience delivering this audit and my workshops completely online. But in my humble opinion workshops are always better done in house if possible.

You pay for my business class travel and accommodation.

The Next Step

Thank you for considering booking me a Project Review. You can take the next step by contacting me. I will get back to you right away.