Is it Time to Dedicate Resources to Project Management? Take this Quiz to Find Out!
Project management can help steer the ship of an expanding organization as you head into uncharted waters. As your organization grows, the number of projects inevitably multiplies, and the complexity of those projects often increases. Dedicated project management resources are the captains of process and progress, ensuring every project has the right direction and project plan. But the question remains: When is the right time to bring in project management resources?
Take the quiz below to unveil whether it’s calm seas ahead or if you could benefit from having project management resources ready at the helm.
Project Complexity
1. How often does your team work on projects that involve a lot of moving parts and multiple stakeholders?
a. Rarely – a few times a year
b. Occasionally – a couple of times a quarter
c. Frequently – multiple times a month
2. Have you experienced projects that went over budget or exceeded their original deadlines in the past year?
a. No, thankfully
b. Yes, once or twice
c. Unfortunately, multiple times
3. When a new project is initiated does your team have a standard approach to get work underway?
a. Yes, always
b. Sometimes, depending on the project
c. No, we create a plan as we go
4. How does your team handle project risks and uncertainties?
a. Proactively identify and mitigate risks by defining our project scope and calling out dependencies
b. We handle blockers or speed bumps as they arise
c. We don’t have a formal process
Resource Allocation
1. Before beginning a new project, are you confident that you have the resources needed to complete the project?
a. Yes, resources are typically confirmed before beginning the project
b. It depends; sometimes resources are confirmed while others might be identified as work is in progress
c. No, typically work gets underway and then more resources are identified to help
2. How frequently are your teams stretched thin, struggling to complete their work and project tasks??
a. Rarely – a few times a year
b. Occasionally – a couple of times a quarter
c. Frequently – multiple times a month
3. How do you document project requirements and report progress?
a. Comprehensive documentation and reporting with clear tracking in a system that serves as a single source of truth for your team
b. Basic documentation and reporting in shared folders or files that are accessible/editable by members of the project team
c. Minimal documentation through email or other communication channels, little to no reporting
4. When beginning a new project, are all team members clear on the project scope?
a. Yes, project scope is clearly defined prior to project kick-off
b. Somewhat, scope is defined but not always clearly communicated or documented
c. No, team members often ask questions related to scope during the project
5. When a problem arises, are there clear steps to find a solution?
a. Yes, an escalation process is clear to help resolve issues or bottlenecks
b. Yes, but team members still struggle to resolve issues or bottlenecks
c. No, team members often come to leadership to help find a solution
Communication and Collaboration
1. How frequently do miscommunications or lack of clarity cause issues during project execution?
a. Rarely – a few times a year
b. Occasionally – a couple of times a quarter
c. Frequently – multiple times a month
2. How does your team communicate and collaborate on projects?
a. Scheduled meetings/discussions for updates and emails, as well as project management tools
b. Use of project management tools (e.g., Slack, Trello)
c. Sporadically through emails
3. Are there mechanisms in place to gather feedback from project team members and stakeholders after project completion?
a. Feedback is collected both in writing as well as during a debrief meeting, and insights are used to improve future projects
b. Feedback (typically written) is occasionally sought after project completion
c. Feedback collection is non-existent
4. How are project-related decisions made within your team?
a. Decisions are made collaboratively among project team members and relevant stakeholders
b. Decisions are made with input from only project team members and not involving the stakeholders
c. Decisions are often made on the fly or independently by an individual team member
5. Are your project stakeholders (e.g., clients, team members, leadership) consistently informed about project progress and updates?
a. Project updates are provided at regular intervals (weekly, biweekly, etc.) through established communication channels
b. Project updates are shared occasionally, but there isn’t an established method/communication channel
c. Project updates are shared sporadically not at all, or not through consistent channels
Scoring
For each question, assign points based on your chosen answer and add up your total score:
A = 1 point
B = 2 points
C = 3 points
10-15 points: Your team may not currently require dedicated project management support. However, there might still be room for improvement in your project management practices. Head over to our learning center and for additional content from project management experts!
16-24 points: Consider exploring the benefits of consulting a project management expert to aid in streamlining processes and setting up formal structure and project templates.
25-30 points: Your team could greatly benefit from dedicated project management support to tackle complex projects, improve resource allocation, and enhance communication and collaboration.
Contact us today to learn more about how DemandLab’s project management consultants can help.