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Project sizing

Are you managing a small or large project? What difference does the size of the project make? One of the major differences between any two projects is the extent to which the key elements of a project management methodology are applied.

This Project Sizing Calculator provides a guide to some of the issues to consider when deciding on the extent to which you are going to use a methodology. There are many other factors that should be taken into account, such as the level or degree of risk, technology requirements, number of stakeholders, and the skill level of the project team.

The following criteria have been developed to assist in determining the size of projects undertaken within the Tasmanian Government.

Once you have completed all 9 questions, and clicked on the button 'Calculate Project Size', the calculator will determine if you have a Small, Medium or Large Project.

For further information on how much project management discipline should be applied, refer to the Project Sizing Fact Sheet. The approach in the Fact Sheet is not prescriptive.

After taking all factors into account, a rational decision has to be made on how to manage the project in the most suitable way. However, if your project is cross-Agency, whole-of-Government or involves more than one tier of Government, the application of project management methodology to its fullest extent should seriously be considered.

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1. What is the size of the Project Team (FTEs)?
1- 2 people	2 - 5 people	5+ people
2. What is the project's elapsed time?
less than 6 months	6 - 12 months	greater than 12 months
3. How much variation in the timeframe can be tolerated?
Schedule is flexible	Schedule can undergo minor variations, but deadlines are firm	Deadline is fixed and cannot be changed; schedule has no room for flexibility
4. How complex is the problem and/or solution? Is the solution difficult to achieve?
Easily understood, and solution is readily achievable	Either: difficult to understand problem, solution is unclear; or solution is difficult to achieve	Both problem and solution are difficult to define or understand
5. What is the level of strategic importance?
Affects core Agency service delivery and/or directly relates to key initiatives in the Agency Strategic Plan	Some direct business impact and/or relates to a low priority initiative in the Agency's Strategic Plan	Internal interest only
6. What is the political importance?
Major political implications	Some political implications	No political implications to either proceeding or not proceeding
7. What is the total project cost?
less than $25K	$25K - $250K	greater than $250K
8. What level of change will be implemented?
Impacts on whole-of-Agency, more than one Agency, whole-of-Government, or more than one tier of Government	Impacts a number of business units	Impacts a single business unit only
9. Are there any dependencies and/or inter-related projects?
No major dependencies and/or inter-related projects	Some major dependencies and/or inter-related projects, but considered low risk	Major high risk dependencies and/or inter-related projects

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		Please ensure that you have filled out all 9 questions before calculating the project size.
		Calculated Result:
		The project size is ...

Please Note: This tool is only a guide, and specific project requirements need to be taken into account that may cause you to over-ride the initial assessment arrived at using the Project Sizing Calculator.

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The contribution of Mr Charles O'Farrell in the development of this tool is gratefully acknowledged. This calculator is based on the 'Project Risk Assessment' form, produced by Thomsett International.

Disclaimer: This website link will open in a new window as it is outside our domain, and the accuracy of the content is not endorsed and cannot be verified by the Tasmanian State Government.

© 2005 Crown Copyright