Case Study No. 7: The Need for Project Management Metrics (KPI Selection and Monitoring)
Special attention has to be taken while selecting metrics for the team to monitor during the various phases of project delivery – or what we might term
“metrics that matter”. All KPIs are target orientated and provide measurement of project performance thus facilitating decision making. The metrics should….
• inform the team.
• be expressed quantitatively.
• perceived as value to the project delivery leadership team.
• leads to the development of actionable tasks to support desired changes and behaviors.
• and directly relates to the performance outcomes (success or failure) of the project.
The Case Study
Projects succeed or fail because of people and understanding the dimensions of the project team’s effectiveness and its behavioral characteristics can be
critical in delivering a successful project. The ability to assess how a team is progressing with respect to meeting its goals and objectives is critical to project
success.
The SUNY Albany – ETEC KPI Summary Dashboard provides a quantitative representation of 5 quarterly (90-day intervals) project performance assessments
for the construction of a university academic facility. Review the document and answer the following questions.
(1) What are the data results indicating with respect to performance outcomes?
(2) Which metrics should we be the most concerned about with each of the 6 SAPE – KPI areas?
• Ethical Behavior
• Clearly Defined Objectives and Goals
• Sustained Visible Leadership
• Demonstrated Competencies and Capabilities
• Relationships and Integrated Teams
• Equitable Risk Allocation
(3) What metrics should we select to monitor the effectiveness of the project delivery team?
(4) Are there risks in performing too many metrics?
(5) How should management react to the information?
Note: 1-5 Likert Scale (1 = Minimum to 5 = Maximum) Team goal is to achieve best performance outcome of 5 for each variable/key performance indicator
(KPI)
