Dakota County

Please answer each question carefully. This information is being collected for an assessment related to project management maturity at Dakota County. The information collected from the assessment will help to determine possible areas of improvement as well as training and resource opportunities. We would appreciate your candid opinions. All information collected on the survey is confidential. If you have any questions please contact Jessie Parker Carlson or Andrea Kodner-Wenzel.

Throughout this survey you will be asked questions about project, program, and portfolio management. For the purpose of this survey a definition of each is provided below.

Project: Temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

Program: A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually.

Portfolio: A collection of project and/or programs and other work that is grouped together to facilitate effective management to meet strategic business objectives.

* Division (Choose one):

Community Services

Operations, Management, & Budget

Physical Development

Public Service & Revenue

* Role (Choose one):

Senior Leader, Departmental Manager or Supervisor

Portfolio Manger, Program Manager, Project Coordinator or Project Lead

Project Team Member

* Role (Choose one):

Senior Leader, Departmental Manager or Supervisor

Portfolio Manger, Program Manager, Project Coordinator or Project Lead

Project Team Member

* A sponsor is an individual or a group that provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio, and is accountable for enabling success. Are you a sponsor for projects, programs, or portfolios?

Yes

* Are you responsible for selecting programs and projects for your Division or Department?

Yes

* Do you use defined criteria to select programs and projects for your Division or Department?

Yes

Don’t know

* How effective is the process for selecting programs and projects?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

How effective is your process for ensuring a balance of high risk/high reward programs and projects in your Division or Department’s project portfolio?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

* A benefits realization plan is a tool to make sure you actually get the intended benefits (outcomes, changed processes) originally planned for programs and projects. Does your Division or Department use a benefits realization plan with defined metrics to assess progress in realizing them?

Yes

Don’t know

* How effective is your benefits realization plan?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

Which of the following best practices for effective project management are currently used by your project and program managers? (Select all that apply.)

Projects are effectively prioritized and maximized to achieve efficiency

Project goals, problem areas and risks are known and clearly defined to increase the likelihood of project success

Project tasks and milestones are consistently tracked to effectively monitor potential outcomes

Project communication occurs among stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of goals, objectives, and issues

Projects are measured using realistic performance measures

Projects achieve the outcomes and provide expected benefits

Except for state or federal regulation mandates, projects consider the resource management plan, resource skills and availability, interdependencies with other projects and level of effort when developing project timelines.

Don’t know

None of the above

* The Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) shows increasing maturity in project, program and portfolio management as organizations move from standardizing to measuring, controlling and continuously improving their processes. Which of the following best describes your division or department’s current level of maturity?

Standardize – This level is characterized by standardization of the entire project life cycle and by artifacts, metrics, and an adequate number of trained resources assigned.

Measure – An organization or business unit at this level is able to measure and analyze actual performance against standards.

Control – An organization or business unit at this level is able to monitor and control performance and the stability of the process.

Continuously improve - An organization or business unit at this level is able to continuously improve project performance based on process improvement recommendations.

None of the above

* Which of the following best describes the level of maturity that you feel is needed for your Division or Department?

Standardize – This level is characterized by standardization of the entire project life cycle and by artifacts, metrics, and an adequate number of trained resources assigned.

Measure – An organization or business unit at this level is able to measure and analyze actual performance against standards.

Control – An organization or business unit at this level is able to monitor and control performance and the stability of the process.

Continuously improve - An organization or business unit at this level is able to continuously improve project performance based on process improvement recommendations.

What additional training in project, program, or portfolio management would be helpful for you or your staff?

Please use this field to add any of your own comments or suggestions.

* Which of the following best describes your level of project management training? (Select all that apply.)

I have had no formal project management training

I have taken one or more classes in project management

I have a certificate in project management from a College or University

I am certified as a project management associate (CAPM) by the Project Management Institute

I am a certified as a project management professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute

Other (please list):

* A project charter is a document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. Do you use a project charter for your projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your project charter?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A project management plan is the document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored and controlled, and closed; a program management plan is a document that integrates the program’s subsidiary plans and establishes the management controls and overall plan for integrating and managing the program’s individual components. Do you use a program or project management plan?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your program or project management plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A work breakdown structure (WBS) is an ordered breakdown of the total scope for work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Do you use a work breakdown structure or program work breakdown structure for your projects or programs?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your project or program work breakdown structure?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

A scope baseline is an approved version of a scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), and its associated WBS dictionary, that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison. Do you use a scope baseline for your projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your scope baseline?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* Do you complete an initial cost estimate for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your initial cost estimate when compared to actual costs?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A human resource management plan is a component of the project or program management plan that describes the roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staff management. Do you utilize a human resource management plan for your projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your human resource management plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A communications management plan is a component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how, when, and by whom information will be administered and disseminated. Do you use a communications management plan for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your communications management plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A risk management plan is a component of the project or program management plan that describes how risk management activities will be structured and performed. Do you use a risk management plan for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your risk management plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A procurement management plan is a component of the project or program management plan that describes how a team will acquire goods and services from outside of the performing organization. Do you use a procurement management plan for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

How useful is your procurement management plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

A team charter is a document that is developed in a group setting that clarifies team direction while establishing boundaries. Do you use a team charter?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

How useful is your team charter?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* Integrated change control is a process concerned with ensuring that changes in the project are managed in a controlled, integrated way and follow the defined reviews and approval procedures including updates to the documentation and plans. Do you use an integrated change control process for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your integrated change control process?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

Do you use a process for tracking the progress of your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your process for tracking the progress of your programs or projects?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A business case is a justification for a proposed project, program or undertaking on the basis of its expected benefit. Do you use a business case for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How effective is your business case in stating the benefits of your proposed programs or projects?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

* How effective is your business case in ensuring that your programs or projects are aligned to Dakota County’s strategic goals and objectives?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

* A stakeholder is an individual, group, or organization who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project or program. Do you identify stakeholders for your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How important is it to you to identify stakeholders?

Very unimportant

Somewhat unimportant

Somewhat important

Very important

* Stakeholder engagement is the process by which an organization involves people who may be affected by the decisions it makes or can influence the implementation of its decisions. Stakeholder engagement may include a process for turning negative or neutral stakeholders into positive proponents. Do you use a stakeholder engagement plan in managing your programs and projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How useful is your stakeholder engagement plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* How useful is your process to turn negative or neutral stakeholders into positive proponents?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A sponsor is a person or group who provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio and is accountable for enabling success. Do you have sponsors for your projects or programs?

Yes

Sometimes

How important is your sponsor to your work?

Very unimportant

Somewhat unimportant

Somewhat important

Very important

* The critical path is the sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration. Do you utilize critical path in your projects or programs?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How important is it to you to know the critical path of the activities on your projects?

Very unimportant

Somewhat unimportant

Somewhat important

Very important

* A roadmap is a graphical, high level overview of the project or program’s goals and deliverables presented on a timeline. It is a useful tool for managing stakeholder expectations, as well as for communicating plans and coordinating resources with other teams. Do you use a roadmap to manage your projects or programs?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How important is your roadmap in assisting you in managing your projects or programs and informing stakeholders of your progress?

Very unimportant

Somewhat unimportant

Somewhat important

Very important

* How involved are you in actual execution of the work on your programs or projects?

Very uninvolved

Somewhat uninvolved

Somewhat involved

Very involved

* How engaged are your team members in your projects?

Very unengaged

Somewhat unengaged

Somewhat engaged

Very engaged

* Knowledge transfer/sharing is the process of transferring knowledge from one part of the organization to another. Do you use a knowledge transfer process in your programs or projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How effective is your knowledge sharing/knowledge transfer process?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

* Project closure is the process of closing a project or program which includes collecting lessons learned, preparing a final report, and officially handling administrative tasks. Do you use a project closure process for your projects and programs?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How effective is the process to get your sponsor to officially recommend closure of the program or project?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

* How effective is your process for closing a project or program?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

Does the County use defined criteria to select programs and projects?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

How effective is the process for selecting programs and projects to pursue?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

* A benefits realization plan is a tool to make sure you actually get the intended benefits (outcomes, changed processes) originally planned for programs and projects. Do you use a benefits realization plan with defined metrics to assess progress in realizing them?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* How effective is your benefits realization plan?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

How effective is the process to learn about any internal or external changes that may impact your programs or projects?

Very ineffective

Somewhat ineffective

Somewhat effective

Very effective

In managing communications, how interested are your stakeholders in the reports you prepare?

Very uninterested

Somewhat uninterested

Somewhat interested

Very interested

* Sometimes projects or programs within the County are interrelated or there are interdependencies between them. Are there are interdependencies between your project and other internal projects? For example, does a task on another project have to be completed before a task can be completed on your project?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

What additional training in project, program, or portfolio management would be helpful for you?

Please use this field to add any of your own comments or suggestions.

* Which of the following best describes your level of involvement as a team member on a project?

I have never been on a project

I have been on one or more projects in the past, but am not on a project currently

I am currently on one project

I am currently on more than one project

* A team charter is a document that is developed in a group setting that clarifies team direction while establishing boundaries. It is developed early during the formation of the project team.
Have any of the projects you participated in utilized a team charter?

Yes

* Did you participate in building the team charter(s)?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* Did you understand the team charter(s)?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

* Was the team charter(s) useful?

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

Overall, how involved are you or will you be engaged in the actual execution of the work on your project(s)?

Very uninvolved

Somewhat uninvolved

Somewhat involved

Very involved

* If you are a team member on more than one project, are you engaged more heavily in some projects than others?

Yes

About the same

Not applicable

* What contributes the most to your engagement on a project(s)? (Select all that apply.)

I am only needed occasionally

My time is limited so I cannot spend as much time as needed on all projects assigned to me

I need more direction from the Department Manager or Supervisor to better understand if the project is a priority

I need more direction from the program/project manager on what it is I am supposed to do on the project

There are clearer standards and processes being used on some projects than on others so it is easier to be engaged in certain projects versus other projects

I work better with some project teams than others

Other (please explain):

How useful is the project charter?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* Do you have a good understanding why the program or project you are assigned to was approved? For example, you know what outcome is expected and understand how it will benefit the County or its customers?

* A program or project management plan is a document issued by the program/project manager that formally describes the purpose of the project, what it includes and does not include, generally how the project team will go about completing the project, and what will be produced by the project. Is a program or project management plan used on your projects?

How useful is your program or project management plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A stakeholder is a person, group or organization that has interest in the program or project. Have all the key stakeholders been identified for your projects?

* Is your list of stakeholders clearly documented?

Do you know why they are considered stakeholders?

* A work breakdown structure (WBS) is an ordered breakdown of the total scope for work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Is a work breakdown structure used on your projects?

* How useful is the work breakdown structure?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A change control process is a process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines (approved versions of the project plan, WBS) associated with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected. Is a change control process being used on your projects?

* Overall, how useful is the change control process?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* The critical path is a sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project. If the tasks on the critical path are not completed when they are planned, the project completion date may need to be extended. Has your program/project manager communicated the critical path for your projects?

* A process may be used to track the progress of the tasks assigned to you on the project. Is a process being used to track the progress of your tasks for your projects?

* Is the process to track progress of tasks being used consistently with all team members?

Yes

Don’t know

* How useful is the process used to track the progress of tasks?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* A communication plan describes the types of communication that will be used during the project, the recipients of those communications, and the form in which communication should occur. Is a communication plan being used for your projects?

* How useful is the communication plan?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* Risk assessment/risk management identifies and manages areas of uncertainty that can impact a program or project. Is a risk assessment being completed for your projects?

* Did you participate in the risk assessment?

Yes

Don’t know

I was asked to participate but was unable to attend

* How useful is the risk assessment?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

* Problem tracking provides an organized approach to tracking, management, and resolution of defects, issues, problems, and risks throughout project. Is a problem tracking process being used for your projects?

* How useful is the problem tracking process?

Not useful

Somewhat useful

Useful

Very useful

Sometimes projects within the County are interrelated or there are interdependencies between them. Do you know if there are interdependencies between any of your projects and other internal projects? For example, does a task on another project have to be completed before a task can be completed on your project?

* Are interdependencies/interrelationships clearly documented so you know the impact of these projects on each other?

* Sometimes external factors outside the County will have a positive/negative influence on a project. Do you know if external influencing factors have been assessed?

Yes

Don’t know

* At the end of a program or project, often the program or project manager will conduct a lessons learned meeting before closing a project. The outcome of the lessons learned meeting is a document describing successes, opportunities for improvement, failures, and recommendations for improving the performance of future projects. Have you been involved with collecting lessons learned?

* Did you think collecting lessons learned was beneficial?

* Is it clear how the lessons learned would be used after the project was completed?

What additional training in project, program, or portfolio management would be helpful for you?

Please use this field to add any of your own comments or suggestions.