Projects Evaluation & Project Managers

Project evaluation is the activity performed by the business analyst before the project exists to create a business case. The activity name is "needs assessment" inside the PMI´s PGBA and "strategy analysis" inside IIBA´s BABOK. At this time some person who knows about project management is included BUT it does not means that she/he will be the project manager assigned to the project if the business case is approved. This is needed because inside the business case you need to include solution components related to the project. So, the best practice is to do that. As other things it will depend on organizational culture and process.

Thanks for your input Sergio.

Let us assume the person who took part in the evaluation ended up being the PM, do you believe this will add value to the PM's understanding of the project and will reflect accordingly on the planning, etc ?

Hello Rami,

if i got you right here this is kind of the same question you replied to my last comment and so i want to comment here again.

And i would say, YES, absolutly. This could be amazing benfitial for the project, cause the PM does not only get an order from higher management to perform a project, he will more understand why the project was chosen and what the reasons behind this decision. And he will understand better how and why this project is aligned to companys business strategie and even more important HOW the project results are benefitial to this strategy.

btw: could not agree more to that wat Michael Adams has written ...

Regards,

Markus

In some place of the business case (or any other document or thing you will use to get the agreement about proceed with the investment) you need to write about what/who/when/how/how much it cost component of the solution. That is the project. So, you need somebody that will help you, as business analyst, to do that. The problem I found about to engage the person who will finally assigned as project management is who will pay for that. If you use a project life cycle where the pre-project phase is part of your project life cycle (like in PRINCE2 or inside your own life cycle) then no problem. If not, what I find, is the situation about who (as entity) will pay for that. On the other side, the dynamic of today business and the time you have between the process to create and agreed the business case and to start the project impact on resource assignemet. So if you ask me, what works for me from years, is not to consider that the person who woks in the pre-project phase is the same that will be assigned as project manager and to have a well prepared environment that allows anybody to take the project manager position without any question to her/his predecessor.

As project selection is really an important decision directly linked to organization's strategic objectives, involvement of PM at this stage should be sponsor's and management's decision. Perhaps involving PM as early as possible is always healthy for project. PM does not need to have responsible role in this but he can be kept at least informed which will surely bring healty environment for project.

Thank you Rami for your response and initiating these discussion.