Strategic Project Management for Evaluators

Light-touch Project Management Tools for Evaluators

The sheer volume of guidance in the PMBOK® Guide and other project management resources can make it challenging for evaluators to know which project management tools to prioritize, and when and how to apply them. To paraphrase Tommy Lasorda, the effective management of an evaluation project is like ‘holding a dove – you need to hold it tightly enough that it doesn’t fly away, but not so tightly that you crush it.’ This online workshop provides theory and hands-on experience applying light-touch project management tools that have been tailored for evaluation projects.

By the end of the three-hour online workshop, participants will be able to:

· Describe how the project management mindset of “define then deliver” can be applied to evaluation projects.

· Construct a work breakdown structure (WBS) to articulate the scope of a project in terms of concrete deliverables.

· Describe how the deliverables in a WBS can be used as the foundation for schedule and budget development.

· Implement deliverable-based project monitoring and control using a simple tracking sheet.

This project management workshop aligns directly with CES competency 4.0: Management Practice. The workshop aims to support program evaluators with foundational skills and tools that help manage projects/evaluations such as work plans, coordinating accountabilities and resources (including budget) at outlined in the CES Competencies for Canadian Evaluation Practice. The workshop also supports CES competency 2.0: Technical Practice.

Participants should have a computer with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel (or equivalent) loaded.

About the Facilitator

Alison Paprica is Principal of the boutique consultancy, Research Project Management (RPM) founded in 2013. She is also assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Executive Advisor and Affiliate Scientist at ICES and a member of the Executive Committee for Health Data Research Network Canada. Her previous roles include inaugural Vice President, Health Strategy and Partnerships at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence; Director, Strategic Partnerships at ICES; Director of the Planning, Research & Analysis Branch at the Ontario health ministry and management positions in international pharmaceutical R&D. Alison holds an Honours Combined BSc in biochemistry and chemistry (McMaster), a PhD in organic chemistry (Western University). She is among the first 3% of people to obtain Project Management Professional (PMP) certification internationally, and has led the development and delivery project management for research courses and workshops for the University of Toronto, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC)-funded CREATE programs, and others.