Guide to Using the Organizational Project Management Capacity Assessment Tool
1. Introduction
1.1 Context
In June 2007, Treasury Board ministers approved the Policy on the Management of Projects, supported by the Standard for Organizational Project Management Capacity and the Standard for Project Complexity and Risk. Together, the policy and the two standards establish the responsibilities of deputy heads to ensure that projects are managed in an integrated manner across the organization rather than on a project-by-project basis. The expected results of this policy and associated standards are that:
- Projects achieve value for money;
- Sound stewardship of project funds is demonstrated;
- Accountability for project outcomes is transparent; and
- Outcomes are achieved within time and cost constraints.
The policy establishes the expectation that deputy heads will ensure that there are appropriate processes and controls in place to effectively manage projects, deliver expected results and limit risk to stakeholders. The policy focuses on project governance, oversight and organizational capacity to manage projects. The Organizational Project Management Capacity Assessment (OPMCA) supports deputy heads in their responsibilities to establish and potentially improve relevant management practices through a comprehensive assessment and analysis of opportunities to invest in capacity to better position the organization to deliver on planned projects. The organizational self-assessment of project management capacity will bring to light areas of strengths, potential weaknesses and opportunities for investment. This information should support departments and agencies in their decisions to tailor project management practices and processes to business operations, and will help them be in a better position to keep up with best practices globally as they evolve.
The Policy on the Management of Projects shifts the basis for determining the project approval authority limits of organizations from a set dollar threshold to a more objective, evidence-based assessment of the organization’s capacity to manage project complexity and risks. As such, the policy requires that the organization’s capacity to manage projects is accurately assessed using the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) assessment tool as directed by the Standard for Organizational Project Management Capacity. The policy further requires that deputy heads ensure that the organization conducts an accurate assessment of each of its projects in accordance with the Standard for Project Complexity and Risk. Taken together, the results of these assessments will support the determination of the relevant expenditure authority and the appropriate level of Treasury Board oversight.
The Standard for Organizational Project Management Capacity establishes the direction to ensure compliance with the Treasury Board Policy on the Management of Projects. The Policy requires that deputy heads ensure that their organization is accurately assessed to determine the level of project management capacity for the purposes of project approval and related expenditure authority. The organization as an enterprise is to be assessed using the TBS OPMCA Tool that accompanies this Guide.
1.2 Purpose and Structure of This Guide
The intent of this document is to provide guidance for completing the OPMCA in accordance with the Standard for Organizational Project Management Capacity. This guide provides additional explanation and interpretation to assist practitioners complete and justify an assessment. Intended users of this guide include organizational personnel involved in the management, completion, review, approval and/or coordination of a departmental OPMCA. Secondary users include TBS personnel and other stakeholders involved in establishing and managing project management capacity issues and investment planning activities.
This guide follows the structure of the OPMCA Tool and provides support for each of the assessment categories. It uses the following format:
| Purpose of the Assessment Category |
Summary of the purpose and scope of the assessment category in relation to the OPMCA. |
|---|---|
| Stakeholders |
Identifies and describes the role of those primary stakeholders that are in a position to provide insight, input and evidence for a given knowledge area. |
| Rating Significance |
Identifies some potential causes or consequences for ratings in a specific knowledge area. There are many factors that can influence an organization’s overall capacity. For example, number and size or complexity of projects and the maturity and capacity of individual resources assigned to projects. Therefore, although the score of a given knowledge area may be considered a useful indicator of an organization’s strengths or opportunities for investment in capacity, the knowledge area should be considered within the context of the overall rating for the organization. |
The Appendix contains a glossary of terms to clarify specific terminology used in the policy and the OPMCA Tool.
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