Assurance measures white paper

Following the APM Knowledgeshare conference held on June 29th and 30th 2011 a white paper on the subject of 'measures for assurance' has been produced by a working group of APM Assurance SIG members.

The working group have responded to the questions 'Is it possible to 'measure a project's health'? and 'What techniques can be used to provide consistent and reliable assessments of projects' likelihood to achieve their objectives?' The white paper proposes one approach to achieving this; it also provides a framework for the coordination of a wide variety of assurance activity.

The paper provides an objective way of assessing the health of a project and it identifies areas of weakness in project delivery and forms the basis of a time phased plan to improve project performance. i.e. if you know where you are and what good looks like then you can develop a plan to improve.

The working group has developed a framework for integrated assurance based on 10 categories which can be assessed against criteria which express 'what good looks like'. The framework is supported by guidance for its use and detailed evidence against which the assessment can be made.

The aim of the paper is to stimulate further discussion on the subject and any feedback is gratefully received and can be left by adding a comment at the foot of this page.

The toolkit and guidance can be downloaded below.