EVALUATION OF A PROJECT PLAN
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Evaluation of a Project Plan
Introduction
Project evaluation is defined as the act of reviewing a particular project in order to determine its consequent feasibility. The process involves looking at each aspect of the project and determining whether its presence in the project is of benefit to achieve the goal intended for the particular project. A project requires evaluation. This is because the success of any work is determined by its ability to fulfill the desired goal. A project has many aspects that work together to achieve the main purpose. The combination of these many factors warrants an evaluation of whether their presence in the project will result in an overall success or some aspects may need to be eliminated or modified. The idea here is to optimize the success of the project in every manner possible. This can only be done through assessment that constitutes project evaluation with the critical goal of acquiring maximum benefit from the project in question. In essence, the questions of ‘Is this project presented in the best way?’ ‘Is the cost valid?’ ‘Is the time put in place enough?’ or ‘Is this project going to achieve the purpose it was meant for?’ are answered adequately with the use of project evaluation. eOn the other hand, project evaluation also incorporates the question of success after the project has been completed. It is the desire for any individual or team with vested interests in any project to know whether their efforts were worth it. This is where project evaluation comes in to shed light on what went wrong and what went right and consequently set the pace for future projects.
Time for project evaluation and means of doing it.
The timing for project evaluation is of great essence. It is usually done after the draft plan is complete. The process of coming up with specific ideas is often a lengthy and murky process with the possibility of making errors and bad decisions at a high rate. The evaluation of these aspects follows almost immediately as a counter check to see whether the final decisions of the project are reasonable and practical. It can be thought of as a test drive for the machine representative of the draft policy for the project in our particular case. However, it is essential to give the process of drafting a reasonable amount of time before evaluation. This is because a carefully made project plan will ensure a few errors that may be spotted during the assessment.
Nevertheless, project evaluation should also be given an ample amount of time to ensure perfection and consequent overall success of the project. As the project is ongoing, an assessment can also be done to monitor its progress. Some plans may require mid-assessments, especially when it is noted that they may be a disaster waiting to happen and may require immediate fix-up. The project evaluation is done depending on the type of project and the existing plans that are set up for the said project. The way of going about it is to carefully consider each plan and taking it through the criteria for determination of its overall positives vis a vis total negatives in relation to project success. This process is purely tethered to the question of the relevance of the project plan in contributing to the fulfillment of the project’s main aim and ultimate success. This process incorporates actions such as the abolishment of ideas that are more of a setback than a driver for the project’s success, improvement of programs that are useful but inadequate in fulfilling desired goals, and introduction of new plans to fill gaps that may have been identified during project evaluation. The vital end-goal here is that everything should work together to see to it that the project is a great achievement. Moreover, assessments done while the project is ongoing are mainly for determining whether the project is beneficial if continued to completion or requires necessary modifications or, in extreme circumstances, requires complete halt and abolishment. On the flip side, project evaluation is also done at the end of a project to determine the feasibility of the undertaken venture and is done through assessment of the benefits that are already being felt and seen.
Critical success factors in project evaluation: The three main success factors in evaluating any project are; time, cost, and quality. Firstly, time plays a significant role in all aspects of the project, from the time of planning a project to the time completion. A good project should take a reasonable amount of time in coming up with appropriate plans for the project and carrying out the project in good time. When projects take too long, they may lose the intended attention span and commitment from target recipients, and equally, spare time is given to projects, they may turn out as half-baked and distasteful to targeted groups. The right balance of time is the key to an impeccable project. Secondly, any project will succeed if it’s able to use its resources optimally in order to get the most out of the project without spending too much. This principle varies with the magnitude of the project and the resulting benefits. Thorough calculations and evaluations are done to achieve this. Lastly, the quality of any project is a critical determining factor in ensuring its success and achievement of the primary goal. Every individual appreciated outstanding work and is willing to contribute or invest in it to be part of the assured success.
Other success factors in evaluation: Though the critical elements of time, cost, and quality are essential in project evaluation, other parameters may take precedence. The best way to put this into perspective is to consider the example of the Euro Tunnel project. The project did not consider the cost analysis factor since economists have already determined that the expense incurred in the project has not been matched with the profits—however, the project succeeded in the element of convenience for customers and cargo distributors. The tunnel has created a fast way of travel between London and Paris and Brussels and Amsterdam. Moreover, the ferry operators’ cartels that were a source of pain for many passengers were dealt a heavy blow. This indeed shows a case of convenience over cost as the considered success factor.
Evaluation plan for a personal project: Following the above principles and examples, I would plan my project in such a way that the draft plan, the project process, and the completion estimate are in sync. To stick to the reason for project creation, I would ensure that the appropriate and available tools and resources are optimally used to ensure success.
Conclusion: Indeed, the evaluation of a project plan is an excellent determinant of its success. The way of doing it and the ensuing considerations of key success factors are critical to achieving the desired goal. A good project is always worth the trouble.
References
Bostock Marketing Group Ltd (2015). Factors in project success Prepared for: The Association for Project Management (A.P.M.). [online] Available at: https://www.apm.org.uk/media/1264/factors-in-project-success.pdf.
FRONT-END MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS 1. (2003). [online] Available at: https://www.ntnu.edu/documents/1261865083/1263544276/paper_samset_front_end_management.pdf/df570c00-4358-408a-b28e-6b71312496ef [Accessed 30 Apr. 2020].
Jelili, S., and Olusanya, S. (n.d.). NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA PROJECT EVALUATION EC0 329 SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COURSE GUIDE Course Developer. [online] Available at: https://nou.edu.ng/sites/default/files/2017-03/ECO%20329.pdf [Accessed 30 Apr. 2020].
Transport, A.L.G., and Infrastructure, (2018). The Channel Tunnel. Successor failure? [online] Shaping Future. Available at: https://algnewsletter.com/land-transportation/the-channel-tunnel-success-or-failure/.
UKEssays.com. (2009). PROJECT MANAGEMENT: The Channel tunnel. [online] Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/project-management-the-chunnel-tunnel-project-management-essay.php [Accessed 24 Nov. 2019].