Course Overview

Project Assessment and Evaluation course is a higher-level course that covers different techniques, methods, and principles used to assess the effectiveness of projects. It also covers project management techniques and methodologies that support project evaluation and assessment. It puts an emphasis on both qualitative and quantitative data used in assessing and evaluating projects. Participants are trained on how to develop project evaluation frameworks, use them effectively, and select and apply the most effective evaluation methods.

Various steps involved in conducting a project evaluation or assessment, from data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of the analysed data, to designing and designing project assessment are thoroughly discussed by highly experienced tutors.

What is the difference between a project assessment and an evaluation?

A project evaluation is done at the end of the project to determine the performance of the project while a project assessment is done at the beginning to identify and understand issues and risks that could impact the project.

How can project assessments and evaluations be used to improve project management?

Project assessment and evaluation can be used to improve a project by identifying areas that need attention in a project to improve performance, suggesting ways to avoid issues and handle risks, and identifying potential problems with the project.

Some of the topics that the course covers include project management techniques and tools, project evaluation, and project selection criteria. It gives the participants the opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge to solve real-world projects through hands-on exercises and case studies.

Some of the highlights of this course include

1. Benefits and challenges of assessment or evaluation
2. Use of analytical methods in assessment and evaluation
3. Different types of assessment and evaluation
4. Role of assessment and evaluation in the project life cycle
5. Data collection methods in assessment and evaluation
6. Preparing evaluation and assessment reports
7. Using the knowledge gained to make solid decisions

Course Objectives

This course intends to help the participants to be able to:

• Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively evaluate and assess projects
• Understand how to measure project performance
• Learn and use project management principles
• Use different methods and techniques to evaluate and assess projects
• Prepare assessment and evaluation reports
• Learn the benefits and limitations of each evaluation and assessment method
• Present reports to stakeholders and sponsors
• Plan and execute project assessment and evaluation effectively
• Choose the most appropriate method for any given project
• Interpret and use project assessment and evaluation results

Training Methodology

The delivery of this course will include lectures and presentations where Zoe Talent professional tutors will introduce and explore into detail different concepts. It will also use case studies that are relevant to field application, group work to solve tasks related to project assessment and evaluation in groups to help build teamwork skills, Simulation of real-world scenarios, and undertaking projects based on a simulation that recreates the conditions of a real project. Finally, it will use individual work related to assignments and tasks to help the participants focus on their own learning and thoroughly understand the course materials.

Organisational Benefits

Organisations that will have professionals that have undertaken this course will benefit in numerous ways including

• Better and more effective project assessment and evaluation
• Reduced risks and issues associated with projects
• Improved project tracking with milestones and progress
• Improved project management process
• Reduced project costs due to better management
• Better project execution and planning
• Making informed decisions about projects
• Improved project delivery
• Easily identify key success factors for a project
• Monitor and effectively control projects
• Correctly troubleshoot problems that arise during a project

Personal Benefits

Professionals who undertake this course will be able to

• Understand how to assess and evaluate projects
• Gain knowledge on how to identify and manage risks associated with projects
• Prepare project reports, interpret, and present them
• Use different tools and techniques to evaluate projects
• Identify and resolve issues that may arise during a project
• Monitor key success factors and control these factors
• Manage projects effectively in a team environment
• Communicate effectively with project stakeholders
• Critically review project proposals

Who Should Attend?

This course is suitable for the following professionals:

• Project managers
• Project staff
• Coordinators
• Representatives of project sponsors
• Stakeholders
• External evaluators
• Project beneficiaries
• Professionals interested in improving their project evaluation skills
• People interested in learning about different methods of project evaluation and evaluation
• Professionals who are new to project management

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Project Assessment and Evaluation

• Why assessment and evaluation are important
• How to use project evaluation and assessment tools and techniques
• How to determine the right time to perform project assessment and evaluation
• How to identify pitfalls of assessment and evaluation
• Types of assessment and evaluation in project management
• Benefits of undertaking evaluation and assessment
• challenges of assessing and evaluating projects
• Criteria for determining project assessment

Module 2: The Role of Assessment and Evaluation in Project Management

• How to interpret the results of an assessment and evaluation
• The role of evaluation and assessment in monitoring and control
• How do evaluation and assessment affect project execution
• The benefits of using assessment and evaluation in project management
• The role of evaluation in project closeout
• The role in project planning

Module 3: Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

• The importance of planning
• The process
• Benefits of Planning
• Challenges of planning

Module 4: Conducting Assessments and Evaluations

• Summative assessments
• Achievement
• Skills evaluation
• Interests’ exploitation
• The design
• Formative
• How to score assessment
• Choosing the right tools for the job
• Developing assessment tools
• Methods of conducting the assessment

Module 5: Reporting on Assessments and Evaluations

• How to write a report on assessment and evaluation
• Tips for writing a report
• What should be included in the report
• Proper formatting of the report

Module 6: Using Assessment and Evaluation Results

• How to communicate the results to stakeholders
• Pivoting from the results
• Improving the results by analysing the results
• Using the results in decision making process
• Effectively using the results

Module 7: Project Closeout and Lessons Learned

• Project closeout procedures
• What to do during project closeout
• Lessons learned from previous projects
• How to document lessons learned
• Best practices for project closeout
• Closeout checklist
• Case studies
• Closeout report

Module 8: Stakeholder Management

• Managing stakeholders throughout the project life cycle
• Building and maintaining stakeholder relationships as an evaluator
• Identifying and engaging stakeholders
• Resolving stakeholder’s conflict
• Analysing and managing stakeholder expectations
• Communicating with stakeholders effectively
• Defining stakeholders and their role in the project
• Evaluating the project without the influence of stakeholders

Module 9: Ethics

• The importance of ethics in project assessment and evaluation
• The need for transparency and accountability
• Potential implications of not taking ethics into account when assessing and evaluating a project
• The challenges associated with ensuring that ethics are considered in project assessment and evaluation