The chart will assist in sizing the complexity of your IT project. Sizing the complexity of your project will assist towards determining your checklist of project deliverables.
| Project Size and Complexity |
Risk How likely is it that the project will meet expectations and objectives without close risk monitoring and mitigations? |
Resources How costly is the project in terms of expenses AND average salary of FTEs required to meet project expectations and objectives? |
Project Management |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Small Sized, Managed Work Project (short timeframe, no more than a few months) |
Very likely: Risks are low impact, low likelihood with no required identification of mitigations. |
Little Cost: <= $40,000 in expenses and average resource FTE |
Light project coordination |
|
Medium Sized, Moderate Complexity Project (medium timeframe, does not exceed one year) |
Somewhat Likely: Risks are low-medium impact with low-medium likelihood. Some mitigation may have to be identified in advance and risks may have to be monitored for changes. |
Somewhat Costly: <= $250,000 in expenses and average resource FTE OR Little Cost: <= $40,000 in expenses and average resource FTE |
Moderate project management |
|
Very likely: Risks are low impact, low likelihood with no required identification of mitigations. |
Costly: > $250,000 in expenses and average resource FTE (many resources, usually spanning many departments) OR Somewhat Costly: <= $250,000 in expenses and average resource FTE |
Moderate project management |
|
|
Large Sized, Substantial Complexity Project (long timeframe, close to a year or longer) |
Unlikely: These projects are typically cross functional with high impact. There will be high impact risks, with high probability. Mitigations will have to be identified in advance and risks will have to be continuously monitored and reassessed throughout project. |
Costly: > $250,000 in expenses and average resource FTE (many resources, usually spanning many departments) OR Somewhat Costly: <= $250,000 in expenses and average resource FTE |
Heavy project management by a experienced Project Manager |
|
Somewhat Likely: Risks are low-medium impact with low-medium likelihood. Some mitigation may have to be identified in advance and risks may have to be monitored for changes. |
Costly: > $250,000 in expenses and average resource FTE (many resources, usually spanning many departments) |
Heavy project management by a experienced Project Manager |
Project sizing and complexity decision tree
