Taming Chaotic Project Management - Using Project Audits Effectively by Anticlue

Audits can be misconstrued as a nasty word. Before an audit there is a sense of dread for not meeting a benchmark. After an audit there are activities are focused on to obtain the mediocre benchmark, not focusing on the cause and development of colleagues. No wonder, Audits are not faced with happy smiling faces.

A properly constructed audit can help the organization embrace the PMO as a helpful resource. The trick of the trade is to tune in upon the goals of the organization and have a support structure in place to help project managers develop.

How to Construct a Useful Project Audit

1. Ascertain the overall organizational goal - From the project management perspective take a look at the business problem project management is trying to solve. These can be found in the PMO charter, or by discussions with hospital and it administration. Is there an alignment problem? Is there a quality issue? Be collaborative and discover the shared desired outcomes.
2. Be Inquistive on why this outcome is needed - Once you have a shared understanding on outcomes, investigate why the need developed. During these assessment, an understanding of the culture and environmental factors will come to light. Another side benefit will be to obtain the trigger points which lead down the path away from the desired outcomes. You will probably develop a cycle of events, which one can review and watch for problematic issues.
3. Determine how to measure the desired outcome along the cycle - In taking a look at the outcome, check in the cycle clear measurable actions needed. For example, if there is an alignment problem between IS and the business, what can be measured in project qualification to assure the project was blessed and deserved focus? Perhaps, the business case could be reviewed? Was it presented to governance? Did the pm just write the business case or was it a joint effort with the sponsor? Did the business case capture business benefits or just is benefits?
4. Develop a standardize tool to evaluate the measure - Normally this tool is a checklist or quality assessment question list. The tool should have a place to denote the requested documentation. This tool should be objective and capture all measurable points
5. Utilize good audit practices - There is plenty of material on good audit practices, but some key points are no real suprises, listen intently, ask several individuals, ask for proof of the policy and documentation the policy is followed - it is highlighting if you have documentation but no one knows where the policy is around the activity
6. Follow up and offer different development opportunities - After the audit, gaps will be identified. How those gaps are communicated and the action plan is really the place a PMO partnership can shine. Work with the PM to assure there is understanding on the why a gap occurred, walk through the situation, and coach them on how to improve in the future. Offer group sessions or opportunities for improving and developing their project leadership skills

The TakeAway

A project audit is a vital tool in the PMO's tool chest. Audits and mesasure should not be done just for auditing and measuring's sake. They should be completed to assess and improve the overall desired benefits of the organization's project management methodology. They also should be run from a knowledge sharing perspective, with the end goal of improving the organization.

If you enjoyed this post you may what to check out these further readings on Taming Chaotic Project Management:

• The Top Ten Characteristics of a Chaotic Project Management Environment


• Find out how many active projects are in flight.


• Establish your organization's current and desired need of Healthcare IT


• Collaborate on Prioritization Decision Criteria


• Have a defined and approved process to accept work.


• How to stop running the daily meeting marathon


• Using the WBS to define deliverables


• How to know when you have a project and when you do not


• 8 Training Tips on how to develop project schedules


• Introduce a Scope Change Management Process


• Introduce a Benefits Management Process


• Top 5 benefits to a project dashboard


• Growing up from a functional to a matrix model


• Stop doing projects which have no benefits


• Develop a project classification scheme


• Establish a Resource Management Process


• Dealing with Changing Priorities


• Seismic Change and the Cowboy


• Stop Quitting and Start Closing Projects


• Develop a variance reporting process

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