I manage marketing and admissions projects delivered on time and on budget, though their impact may take months to emerge. At GIFT University, an admissions campaign launched on schedule, but its 143% increase in admissions became clear only in the next intake cycle. Reporting “success” immediately would have shown delivery, not the outcome leadership valued.
How do you track progress when results take months to prove themselves?
"Reporting “success” immediately would have shown delivery, not the outcome leadership valued." this is the problem. With we have to understand, and the PMI did not help on that, is we are hiring to create business solutions, where solution is equal to "the thing" to be created (product) plus "the way" (call it project is you lkie) to create it. Then, metrics must be aligned with that. To put this in the PMI framework business analyst role is in charge to define this type of things at the very begining of the initiative.
Thank you, Sergio; that's a sharp way to frame it. If a solution is the product plus the way it is created, then success metrics must cover both: delivery metrics for the "way" and outcome metrics for the "thing." I agree this belongs at the very start, and the business analyst is well placed to define it with sponsors, so "success" is agreed before delivery, not argued after it. Saving Changes...
Syed, Great job on the 143% increase, this is the exact definition of driving high value results. On the other hand, it's natural to feel exposed or anxious when there is a long lag between deployment and these final numbers, but keep in mind that delayed results in most cases are not a negative thing. From my experience as Project Manager and CEO, success and value should be delivered through continuous value (remember the core Agile principles). The best advice for you in my opinion is to maintain open communication with your next level support team, provide your feedback, and share those qualitative insights. Tracking early indicators like inquiry volume or user engagement proves you are on the right trajectory long before the final intake numbers arrive.
Erick, I really appreciate the kind words. You're right that a long lag doesn't mean the value isn't there, and that continuous value matters more than waiting for one final number. I will keep my support team in the loop with regular updates and qualitative feedback, and track early signals like inquiry volume and engagement so the trend is clear well before intake numbers arrive. Saving Changes...
For your marketing project, you could monitor milestones, budget, campaigns launched, student outreach and media engagement to confirm that the project is on track. Once admissions begin, you would measure applications, enrolments, fees generated and ROI to demonstrate the project’s actual value and success. The success metrics for the marketing and admissions project need to be identified during project planning, having both project delivery and long term outcomes and agreed by the stakeholders.
Thank you, Srikana; that's a clear way to split it. During the project, I will track milestones, budget, campaigns launched, outreach, and media engagement to confirm we are on track. Once admissions begin, applications, enrolments, fees, and ROI will show the real value. I agree both sets should be agreed with stakeholders during planning, so we define success before delivery starts. Saving Changes...
I usually separate what we can measure at project closure from the benefits that need more time to become visible. We can confirm that the project delivered what was expected, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the business outcome has already been achieved.
For those longer-term results, I think it is important to agree on what will be measured, when it will be reviewed, and who will continue tracking it after the project closes.
Lissette, that's a useful point. Separating what we can confirm at closure from benefits that need more time keeps us honest about what has been achieved. I agree the key is to agree in advance what will be measured, when it will be reviewed, and who owns the tracking after closure, so the benefits don't go unmonitored once the project team moves on. Saving Changes...
Execution metrics tell you whether the project was run well: on time, on budget, full scope, at the expected quality. That's what I report while the project is live and at closure.
Benefit metrics tell you whether the project was worth doing: admissions growth, revenue, retention, whatever the business case promised. These often take months to show up, and that's fine as long as the business case says so upfront. If the benefits are due 12 months after go-live, nobody should be surprised when I say "delivered, outcome pending."
The part that often goes wrong is ownership. When the project closes, the PM moves on to the next one and nobody tracks the benefits. I'd push for a named benefits owner and a review date in the plan, so the tracking doesn't die when the project does. Saving Changes...
Others have already given good answers to your main question, so I'll focus just on KPIs.
Regardless of the types of KPIs you use, it's important to keep in mind that they are measurements of selected aspects of performance, not a comprehensive definition of success. KPIs can be gamed. Not meeting the KPIs does not automatically mean failure any more than meeting KPIs automatically means success. Some project/product value may never be captured by a KPI, and if you tried to capture every possible KPI in order to show success, that might be how you spend the majority of your time. Saving Changes...
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