Evaluating strategic project and portfolio performance

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Michael J Bible
Susan S. Bivins

Abstract

To assess performance at the portfolio level, it is vital to measure the performance of individual projects and consolidate the measurements in a mathematically meaningful way that reflects the strategic importance of the member projects. Beyond the traditional metrics, obvious questions are how to: (1) derive project strategic performance using traditional performance measurements, (2) synthesise individual project measurements into meaningful strategic performance measurements at the portfolio level, and (3) assess current project and portfolio strategic performance with respect to continued expectation of achieving strategic objectives as they progress through implementation. This article proposes solutions for the first two questions and suggests a means of approaching the third.

 

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Author Biographies

Michael J Bible

Susan S. Bivins

Michael J. Bible, MSPM, PMP, has twenty-five years of professional and leadership experience supporting the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), of which last 12 years have been dedicated to project and program management of test and evaluation programs for major defense acquisition programs. He is a project management professional with a successful history applying project management best practices to the technical field of test and evaluation for portfolios of complex defense acquisition programs and projects.

Mike specializes in management of complex technical projects, and as a former co-owner of an engineering services firm, has applied strategic planning to establish organizational direction while utilizing project portfolio management to successfully grow the company in alignment with business initiatives.

A retired Marine Corps officer, Mike obtained his Master of Science in Project Management from the Graduate School of Business at The George Washington University and is a member of PMI. He lives with his wife and son in Virginia. Mike can be reached via e-mail at mb1775@gwmail.gwu.edu.

Susan S. Bivins, MSPM, PMP, has more than twenty-five years of management and leadership experience dedicated to delivering successful information technology, organizational change management, and professional consulting services projects for major global corporations. She specializes in project and portfolio management; international, multi-cultural and multi-company initiatives; and business strategy integration in the private and public sectors.

During her career with IBM, Sue managed multiple organizations and complex projects, including operations and support for the Olympics, and a strategic transformational change program. Since retiring from IBM, she has led multi-company joint initiatives with Hitachi, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, and served as Director of Project Management at Habitat for Humanity International.

Sue earned her Master of Science in Project Management from the Graduate School of Business at The George Washington University, where she received the Dean’s Award for Excellence and was admitted to the Beta Gamma Sigma business honorarium. A member of PMI, she served on the PMI Standard for Portfolio Management team and is a member of the OPM3 3rd edition research team. She and her husband live in Missouri. Sue can be reached via e-mail at sbivins@gwmail.gwu.edu.