12.6 Forensic project review
When to review
By its very nature, a forensic project review will also be much more comprehensive than a simple or even detailed reflection.
As you are now required to consult all relevant stakeholders, the time required for a forensic review depends very much on the complexity of the project, the scope of the forensic review and the availability of data – it may range from weeks to months.
Careful consideration should also be given to selection of projects for review to ensure that the costs of conducting a forensic review will not outweigh its benefits.
Selection criteria might include:
Importance
It is often worthwhile to review projects that involve high costs or use significant organisational resources.
Projects that will have a high impact on the organisation, its clients and/or the community may also merit forensic analysis.
Purpose
Especially innovative or disruptive projects may benefit from the process of review.
A forensic review can be conducted to determine whether new approaches or service models should be continued, modified or adopted for wider application.
Frequency
A one-off project is less likely to be replicated in future.
For that reason, a review of a project that is wholly outsourced (or otherwise not within the scope of ordinary operations) may have a lower reference value.
Result
Although it is equally important to identify best practices/lessons from successful and unsuccessful projects, the lessons learned from unsuccessful projects may be of greater overall value to the organisation.
You could also pre-determine which projects should be subject to a detailed review, depending on their level of risk to the organisation.
| LOW RISK (1) | MEDIUM RISK (3) | HIGH RISK (5) | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST | Less than 5% of our program budget | Between 5-15% of our program budget | Greater than 15% of our program budget | 1/5 |
| ±10% confidence in the cost estimate | ±25% confidence in the cost estimate | Greater than 25% margin of error assumed in the cost estimate | 3/5 | |
| Expected costs are fully allowed for in the annual budget or financed by the client | Expected costs are partially allowed for in the annual budget or financed by the client | Expected costs are neither allowed for in the annual budget nor externally financed | 3/5 | |
| TIME | The project can be delivered in less than 3 months | The project can be delivered in less than 6 months | The project will take more than 6 months to deliver | 1/5 |
| ±10% confidence in the time estimate | ±25% confidence in the time estimate | Greater than 25% margin of error assumed in the time estimate | 1/5 | |
| The project has no fixed deadline for delivery | The project has a preferred (but not mandated) delivery window | The project must be delivered on or by a fixed date | 5/5 | |
| SCOPE | We have successfully delivered this project five (5) or more times | We have successfully delivered this project at least once before | We have never successfully delivered a project like this | 3/5 |
| IMPACT | Project delivery will noticeably impact one (1) department in our organization | Project delivery will noticeably impact several departments in our organization | Project delivery will noticeably impact most or all, including core service delivery | 1/5 |
| The project has no major precedent or subsequent dependencies | The project has some major precedent or subsequent dependencies | The project has several major precedent or subsequent dependencies | 3/5 | |
| Project delivery presents no employee or public health and/or safety risks | Employees/public may be at risk of minor injury or illness during project delivery | Employees/public at risk of serious injury, illness or loss of life during project delivery | 1/5 | |
| Project outcomes will fulfil one (1) strategic objective of our organization | Project outcomes will fulfil several strategic objectives of our organization | Project outcomes will fulfil most or all of the strategic objectives of our organization | 1/5 | |
| STAKEHOLDERS | The project can be fully delivered by our current staff | Some project work will need to be shared with proven, existing partners | The project will depend on collaboration with new and/or unknown partners | 5/5 |
| The project is only of internal interest to our organization | There is likely to be some community interest in the project and/or its outcomes | The project and/or its outcomes will be highly visible in the community | 3/5 | |
| TOTAL RISK SCORE: 31/65 = 48% | ||||
This was initially prepared as part of the business case for the project
Note, too, it may not be necessary to conduct a full-scale forensic review for all the projects selected.
For instance, a simple minute or paper outlining the assessment results and recommendations may suffice for many small-scale or low-risk projects.
Who should review
The other consideration is whether the review should be conducted by someone within the performing organization or an independent third party.
Using, for example, a different project manager in the organization to conduct the forensic review has the advantage that it can be conducted more efficiently, as they will be at least familiar with the organizational context and expectations.
It is also far more likely that the lessons identified will be absorbed into the organization and acted on.
Yet for some projects, especially failed ones, an independent process is more likely to result in a frank and fearless examination of the issues and an objective critique of shortcomings.
Obviously, this depends on the expertise of the independent reviewers and may come at a greater direct cost. However, in some circumstances, this is a worthwhile investment.
Depending on the timing of the review, it may or may not be possible to assess whether or not the project achieved its intended outcomes.
Important questions in this regard include: did the project solve the problem or realize the opportunity? Were there any unplanned outcomes?
Especially for those projects with a long tail to outcomes realization, the responsibility for this review generally lies with the client or final owner of the output.