Complexity Rating Table for Project, Program and Portfolio Managers

What Level of Certification Am I Qualified For?
Management Complexity Evaluation Tool

Use this page to evaluate the complexity of your projects, programs, and portfolios. After rating all ten indicators, review the overall score to see which level this project, program, or portfolio qualifies for.

Instructions:
1. For each of the ten Complexity Indicators below, select the option button that best describes your project, program, or portfolio.

2. After evaluating all Complexity Indicators, review your result at the bottom of the page. It identifies the certification level where this project, program, or portfolio can be used as valid experience. Note that the result does not show until you have rated all ten indicators.

Complexity Indicators
1. Objectives and assessment of results (output-related complexity): this indicator covers the complexity originating from vague, exacting, and mutually conflicting goals, objectives, requirements, and expectations.
2. Processes, methods, tools, and techniques (process-related complexity): this indicator covers the complexity related to the number of tasks, assumptions and constraints, and their interdependence; the processes and process quality requirements; the team and communication structure; and the availability of supporting methods, tools, and techniques.
3. Resources including finance (input-related complexity): this indicator covers complexities relating to acquiring and funding the necessary budgets (possibly from several sources); the diversity or lack of availability of resources (both human and other); and the processes and activities needed to manage the financial and resource aspects, including procurement.
4. Risk and opportunities (risk-related complexity): this indicator covers complexity related to the risk profile(s) and uncertainty levels of the project, program, or portfolio and dependent initiatives.
5. Stakeholders and integration (strategy-related complexity): this indicator covers the influence of formal strategy from the sponsoring organization(s) and the standards, regulations, informal strategies, and politics which may influence the project, program, or portfolio. Other factors may include the importance of outcomes for the organization; the measure of agreement among stakeholders; the informal power, interests, and resistance surrounding the project, program, or portfolio; and any legal or regulatory requirements.
6. Relations with permanent organizations (organization-related complexity): this indicator covers the amount and interrelatedness of the interfaces of the project, program, or portfolio with the organization's systems, structures, reporting, and decision-making processes.
7. Cultural and social context (socio-cultural complexity): this indicator covers complexity resulting from socio-cultural dynamics. These may include interfaces with participants, stakeholders, or organizations from different socio-cultural backgrounds or having to deal with distributed teams.
8. Leadership, teamwork, and decisions (team-related complexity): this indicator covers the management and leadership requirements from within the project, program, or portfolio. This indicator focuses on the complexity originating from the relationship with the team(s) and their maturity and hence the vision, guidance, and steering the team requires to deliver.
9. Degree of innovation and general conditions (innovation-related complexity): this indicator covers the complexity originating from the degree of technical innovation of the project, program, or portfolio. This indicator may focus on the learning and associated resourcefulness required to innovate and/or work with unfamiliar outcomes, approaches, processes, tools, or methods.
10. Demand for coordination (autonomy-related complexity): this indicator covers the amount of autonomy and responsibility that the project, program, or portfolio manager/leader has been given or has taken/shown. This indicator focuses on coordinating, communicating, promoting, and defending the project, program, or portfolio interests with others.

Press the Print this Page button to print this worksheet. These results are not saved.

This tool is for your use in evaluating the management complexity of the projects, programs, and portfolios you are planning to use to support your experience claims. Note that most other PM certifications available in the USA do not consider the management complexity of the work you manage.

Note for Managers:
You can use this tool on a prospective basis to match your Project, Program, or Portfolio Managers to future assignments. You can also use it to identify areas of exposure to risk.