Assessing Where You Stand
Whatever is in this book is what survived. The rest did not make the cut.
The Assessment Philosophy
Our assessment approach is built on three principles:
Light and fast, not a second full-time job. A full assessment should take 2–3 weeks, not months. Use workshops and focused interviews, not exhaustive documentation reviews. The goal is a directionally accurate picture, not a forensic audit.
Actionable, not academic. The output isn’t a report — it’s a heat map linked to specific tools and improvements. Every score connects to a chapter in the playbooks and templates in Volume 5. You should finish the assessment knowing exactly what to do next.
Honest, not diplomatic. The biggest risk in any maturity assessment is politeness. Stakeholders score themselves generously, assessors avoid confrontation, and the resulting heat map shows a comforting sea of amber that tells you nothing. The assessment works only if people are willing to say “we’re bad at this” out loud.
The Assessment Process
Step 1: Choose Scope
Decide whether to assess Portfolio, Programme, Project, or a combination. Most organisations start with one layer — typically whichever is causing the most pain — and expand later.
Step 2: Conduct Assessment
For each dimension in scope, work through the assessment questions using workshops and interviews. Include people who do the work, not just people who manage it. A programme director’s view of risk management and a country PM’s view are often very different — you need both.
Step 3: Score Each Dimension
Rate each dimension from 1 (Awareness) to 5 (Optimised) using the scoring guide. Each dimension has ten questions; the dimension score is the average.
Step 4: Generate Heat Map
Plot scores on the maturity matrix (dimensions × layers). The heat map should make strengths and gaps immediately visible — green where you’re strong, red where you’re not, amber where you’re adequate but have room to improve.
Step 5: Identify Quick Wins
Each dimension includes score-specific recommendations — immediate, low-effort improvements that deliver visible results. Start here to build momentum and credibility before tackling the harder structural changes.
Step 6: Define Target State
Compare your current scores to where you need to be. “Where you need to be” isn’t always Level 5 — it’s the level that supports your strategic ambitions without over-engineering. A small organisation running focused projects might target Level 3 across most dimensions and be perfectly well served.
Step 7: Create Roadmap
Plan improvements in three horizons:
- 90-day plan: Quick wins and immediate actions.
- Mid-term (6–12 months): Structural improvements, capability building, governance changes.
- Long-term (12–24 months): Maturity growth, culture change, continuous improvement embedding.
Scoring Guide
For each question, score using this guide:
| Score | Level | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awareness | It happens sometimes, by accident, when someone cares enough. There’s no process, no consistency, no visibility. |
| 2 | Repeatable | Some people do it well, some don’t. There might be a template somewhere, but finding it is an adventure. It works in one region or team but doesn’t transfer. |
| 3 | Defined | There’s a documented standard. People know about it and mostly follow it. Templates exist and are used. This is the baseline for “we have a methodology.” |
| 4 | Managed | It’s measured. You have data on how well it’s working. Governance uses evidence. Problems get spotted before they become crises. |
| 5 | Optimised | It gets better over time. Lessons learned actually lead to improvements. The practice adapts to changing needs. People take pride in how well it works. |
The honesty test: When scoring, ask “would a new joiner, arriving tomorrow, be able to see this in action within their first week?” If the answer is no, you’re probably a level higher than reality.
The Assessment Questionnaire
The full 13-dimension assessment follows. Each dimension includes ten questions, a scoring guide, evidence examples, and score-specific quick wins.
[Note: The full 130-question assessment questionnaire from the existing Assessment Appendix goes here — Dimensions 1 through 13, each with their 10 questions, scoring guide, evidence examples, and quick wins by score level. This is the single, definitive version — not repeated elsewhere in the suite.]
[Content to be migrated from existing Assessment Appendix — all 13 dimensions with their complete question sets, scoring guides, evidence examples, and quick wins. The existing content is well-structured and comprehensive; it needs only minor editing for tone consistency and removal of any duplicate material.]
Reading the Heat Map
Once you have scores across dimensions and layers, patterns emerge:
Vertical patterns (same dimension, all layers): If Governance scores 2 across Portfolio, Programme, and Project, that’s a systemic issue — the organisation doesn’t have a governance culture. Fixing it at one layer won’t hold unless you fix it everywhere.
Horizontal patterns (one layer, all dimensions): If Programme Management scores well across most dimensions but poorly on Change Management and Leadership, you have a technically competent PMO that’s likely to deliver solutions nobody adopts.
Diagonal gaps: If Portfolio Governance is strong (Level 4) but Programme Governance is weak (Level 2) and Project Governance is non-existent (Level 1), you have a cascade failure — strategic decisions are being made well but never reaching the teams doing the work.
The “two-level rule”: If any two connected dimensions differ by more than two levels, you have a structural problem. Level 4 Risk Management with Level 1 Leadership means risks are being identified beautifully and then ignored because nobody with authority is paying attention.
From Assessment to Action
The heat map isn’t the output — the action plan is. Here’s how to translate scores into improvements:
| Your Score | Action | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Awareness) | Introduce the basics. Use HoLiDySt templates to create foundational practices. | Volume 5 templates for the relevant dimension. Start with the simplest ones. |
| 2 (Repeatable) | Standardise. Take what works in pockets and make it consistent. | Relevant playbook chapter (Vol 2, 3, or 4) for the methodology. Volume 5 for templates. |
| 3 (Defined) | Measure. Start tracking how well the practice is working. Introduce data and dashboards. | Playbook chapters on reporting and tools. Technology Enablement guidance. |
| 4 (Managed) | Optimise. Use data to refine. Introduce predictive techniques. Share best practices. | Learning & Knowledge Management dimension. Continuous improvement guidance. |
| 5 (Optimised) | Sustain and share. You’re a reference point. Help other parts of the organisation learn from you. | Cross-organisational knowledge sharing. Communities of practice. |