Assessing job performance is a process that is critical to ensuring that employees are performing at satisfactory levels. Additionally, this is important in coaching employees to higher levels of job performance; virtually every organization requires this to occur at least once a year. Creating an exercise to assess project management job performance requires a thorough understanding of project management and what is expected of the position.
- Determine what exactly you want to measure in terms of job performance. If there is a particular area where you feel that project managers in your organization are weak, focus the exercise in this area. If the purpose of the exercise is to be a tool in annual evaluations, make the exercise measure overall performance instead of focusing upon problem areas. Another option is to have the exercise emulate the Project Management Professional certification test. According to the Project Management Institute, the breakdown of questions you can expect on the exam are 11 percent initiation, 23 percent planning, 27 percent executing, 21 percent monitoring and controlling, 9 percent closing and 9 percent professional and social responsibility.
- Consider a variety of delivery methods in creating the assessment exercise. The Project Management Institute says that 90 percent of a project manager's job is communication. As a result, look at creating an exercise that tests both written and verbal communication skills. An example could be going through role-playing of a mock stakeholder's status update meeting.
If there are specific tools and/or processes that are integral to the job, such as Microsoft Project or procurement processes, make sure that these are included in the assessment exercise.
The exercise doesn't need to be completed within an hour period; think about having this process over a few days in order to see a more comprehensive picture of performance. - Define what you are exactly looking for through the exercise. In some cases, the answers received through the process are not black and white. If this is the case, make sure that someone who is qualified and knowledgeable in the job area measures the results of the test. The common fallacy that anyone can be a project manager may creep its way into the exercise measurement process.
Regardless of approach, make sure that you are consistent in how assessment performance is measured. If this process for performance measurement is to be used for annual reviews, it is critical that you can demonstrate consistent grading and application of the test in case you are asked to defend the process in front of upper management, or worse, a third-party arbitrator or court of law. - Contact your Human Resources department first, as they should be considered more than just a resource. They will be able to ensure that the process created is compliant not only with company policy but state and federal law, such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older.
Specific to project management, look at the Project Management Institute for answers to project management-specific questions. Consider talking to other organizations and seeing what exercises they use to measure project management performance.
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