Best project evaluation in 2022

Assessment of achieved results in project management is one of the final elements of any undertaking. Or, at least, it should be in theory, where verification of what has been accomplished in a given project is a requirement for good project management. However, in some cases such as multicultural projects, evaluation is sometimes neglected and mistreated. Why does it happen? Let's take a closer look at the difficult art of project evaluation.

What is project evaluation?

There are many ways to define the heroine of this article. Summing up all of them with which we had the opportunity to meet, it can be stated that project evaluation is nothing else but a comprehensive assessment of all of the project's dimensions and its results. It is a very capacious ascertainment that includes many ideas. So, when evaluating the project's progress and what we were able to achieve on its foundation, we consider several factors, including management and task delegation, production quality, efficiency and efficacy of tools used, communication, and the opinions of clients and project participants. In other words, the evaluation consists of concluding a given undertaking. Regardless of whether we talk about public or business projects, infrastructure or social projects, or local or international projects, good evaluation is worth its weight in gold. This is because it allows us to artfully summarise what we managed to hammer out in the context of assumed goals. This valuable knowledge not only allows you to close and settle the project but also serves as a starting point for planning subsequent endeavors, this time without the risk of repeating previous mistakes.

Is verification that important?

A reliable evaluation is in the interest of any person involved in the project. Whether you read this post as an employer of a marketing agency, a service company, an organization conducting EU projects or an engineer employed in a software house is a secondary matter. The investor, project manager, customer consultant, subcontractor, and the final recipient can equally benefit from the evaluation results, approaching them primarily not as a summary but as a chance for a new, better opening. The evaluation shows the weak and strong sides of the project. The evaluation stands like a guard over the quality of our work. Thanks to the evaluation, we can assess which aspects of the project failed and which did the trick. After the performance of the evaluation, you should be able to diagnose the possible problematic areas: floundering information flow, lack of timeliness of co-workers, unrealistic schedule assumptions, application drives that do not meet the expectations, and purchases that exceed the set budget, etc. A well-conducted evaluation should also show us the costs and alternative effects. The familiarity with defective elements and the enhancement of those operating properly is the best material for the new undertaking. What is more, evaluation is like a litmus test, presenting the opinions of all the interested parties. Getting to know their opinions may prove no less inspiring than verifying the project's technical aspects.

Why should the evaluation be viewed as a challenge?

We presume that the importance of evaluation is no longer a discussion matter for people thinking in terms of projects. Even the greatest malcontents have to give credit to the role which is fulfilled by evaluation in this case. So, why is it that good evaluation performance is so difficult to achieve in practice? There are quite a few answers to this question. Some of them result from our human specificity. First of all, the very concept of evaluation has negative connotations for some of us. It is associated with unpleasant consequences and comparisons with others. We have learned at school. The assessment can provoke mutual accusations, shifting the responsibility as well as driving a wedge even between the best-matched teams. It is also difficult to maintain one hundred percent objectivity when evaluating the project because, as people, we tend to apply subjective filters to everything. The undertone of doubt in the matter of the objectivity of the assessment also has its second face. What we have in mind here is collecting feedback from project stakeholders. This process is often carried out through tedious surveys or telemarketing research. There is a risk that the interviewed people may provide false data. Among other examples of problems with evaluation, the project management companies list the following: The first one is the person carrying out the assessment—it can be either a team member or an external auditor or investor. The choice of the right tools to obtain the information necessary to conclude is also a problem. The moment of performance of project evaluation (ex-ante, ex-post, ex-post, or ongoing) can also influence its final shape.

Is it then worth undertaking a challenge that the project evaluation is? Absolutely yes! Verification of achieved (or not achieved) goals should become a habit of all the people working with the use of project management methods. You should look for your version of optimization of assessment and create patterns that will help in maintaining the objectivity and measurability of project evaluation. For this purpose, you can use proven good project management tools, such as IC Project evaluation, which reduce the time spent on the verification of effects and provide clear information in the form of objective statistics.