1. HOW TO CONDUCT A STRATEGIC INFORMATION
AUDIT ON A PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Prepared by: Ruth Stanat, President
SIS International Research

2. THE NEED FOR A STRATEGIC
INFORMATION AUDIT
The Value of a Strategic Information Audit
• Tells you what you don’t know
• Confirms/Does not confirm what you suspect
• Is a “second opinion”
• Identifies problem areas
• Identifies areas for improvement in the project
management process
• Enables you to “audit the progress” of project
management
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3. WHAT IS A STRATEGIC INFORMATION AUDIT?
Definition
• Is a survey of the project management team
Procurement process
Project leader
Allocation of human and capital resources
Audits the vendor’s performance
Audits the output of the project
Audits compliance
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4. WHO CONDUCTS THE STATEGIC
INFORMATION AUDIT?
• Preferably: An outside consulting or research firm with
expertise in audits
• An internal team that is not a “stakeholder” in the process
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5. STRATEGIC INFORMATION AUDIT
RESEARCH METHODS
• Application of traditional market research qualitative and
quantitative research methodology
• Qualitative: In-depth face-to-face interviews with project
management team
• Quantitative methods: telephone, face-to-face and web
surveys which rate and rank project management
procedures
• Focus groups: group discussions with key project team
members
• Review of vendor selection process [traditional “paper trail”
review methods]
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6. THE OUTPUT/THE DELIVERABLE
FROM THE AUDIT
• Qualitative Assessment of degree of
compliance with original project
management objectives, budget,
contracting, performance
• Quantitative Assessment of the percentage
deviation from the expected project
performance
• Comprehensive recommendation for future
project management procedures
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7. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR STRATEGIC
INFORMATION AUDITS
• To prevent “sabotage” of the audit, secure
“buy in” from senior management [CEO,
COO, CIO]
• Use an outside firm which does not have
“threat” power or a reputation of the
elimination of jobs, as a result of the audit
• Hold initial briefing meetings to explain the
objective, scope and the output of the
audit.
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