Project Excellence

Last weekend I attended the Project Excellence Award Training in Denmark (13, 14 and 15 March 2015). This high quality training, executed by the International Project Management Association (IPMA), has learned me how to execute International IPMA Project Award assessments / audits. IPMA is the world leading Project Management Organisation with nearly 60 membership countries.

In my current role as Senior Global Project Manager IPMA Level B, I manage projects and programs based on the 46 IPMA competences. Next to my global role I am lead assessor for IPMA assessments and also member of the exam committee for the Dutch IPMA certification body.
This training has strengthened my global project and program management knowledge. I look forward to thoroughly assess the projects who applied for the Project Excellence Award. The assessment will be executed based on a written application concerning the criteria listed below, combined with a three days on site visit with a team of five Project Excellence assessors. The outcome is a detailed report and scoring and this will be send to the international Project Excellence jury to select the award level (Gold, Silver or Bronze). The insights in the methodology and processes, ensured me that the IPMA Project Excellence model meets high quality standards.
The detailed investigations will be tested against the following criteria:

Project Management (PM)

– What is the project like?
– How is it managed?
– PM criteria 1: Project Objectives
How the project formulates, develops, checks and realize its objectives based on extensive information about the demands of the stakeholders involved. 
– PM criteria 2: Leadership
How the behavior of all managers of and within the project inspires, supports and promotes “Project Excellence”.
– PM criteria 3: People
How the team members are involved, how their potential is seen and used.
– PM criteria 4: Resources
How existing resources are used effectively and efficiently.
– PM criteria 5: Processes
How important processes within the project are identified, checked and changed, if necessary.

Project Results (PR)

– What does the project achieve?
– What comes out of it?
– PR criteria 6: Customer Results
What the project achieves concerning customers expectations and satisfaction.
– PR criteria 7: People Results
What the project achieve concerning expectations and satisfaction of the employees involved. 
– PR criteria 8: Satisfaction of other parties involved
What the project achieve concerning expectations and satisfaction of other interested parties. 
– PR criteria 9: Key Performance and Project Results
What the project achieve concerning the intended project results.
All criteria have several sub criterias to be investigated, explained and proved.
During the three days course we discussed a real live case about the 1.500.000.000 euro Adelaide Desalination Project with over 10.000 people involved. This mega size project included all the IPMA rewards criteria for good in depth discussions and lessons learned.
Next to discussing the nine criterias in detail, we specifically touched upon project team dimensions: The quality and positive energy of all project members are crucial for project excellence.
Please feel free to contact me via this link if you would like to know more about this interesting and important IPMA Project Management subject.

Together we will make projects happen!!