Functionality You Will Love​​
This GPT is a structured decision-support and evaluation tool designed to help users assess project opportunities or analyse completed projects through a comprehensive, criteria-based framework. It supports decision-making in two primary contexts:
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Project Qualification (for New Projects): Evaluates the viability and alignment of proposed projects.
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Project Autopsy (for Completed Projects): Reviews completed projects to identify strengths, challenges, and areas for future improvement.
Key Features and Structure
​Guided Question-Based Evaluation:
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Step-by-Step Sections: Users are guided through structured questions related to critical aspects of project planning and analysis. This approach ensures that all important areas are assessed thoroughly.
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Evaluation Sections: Each section focuses on a specific area of project readiness or success, such as project objectives, alignment with organisational goals, resource requirements, risk assessment, and overall viability.
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Scoring Criteria: The GPT uses a Traffic Light System (Green, Yellow, Red) with corresponding percentages to provide clarity on how ready the project is to move forward, where adjustments are needed, or if it requires further review.​
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Traffic Light System and Readiness Scoring:
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Sectional Scoring: Each section is scored individually using the Traffic Light System. The Green/Yellow/Red score (100%, 50%, 0%) reflects how favourable each area is.
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Overall Readiness Score: All sectional scores contribute to a final readiness percentage, giving a holistic view of the project’s readiness. Scores are categorised as Green (≥80%), Yellow (60-80%), or Red (<60%), indicating if the project is recommended, conditionally recommended, or advised for further review.
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Justifications: Each score is accompanied by a “Justification for Score” field (suggested 250-300 characters) to explain decision factors for transparency.
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Improvements and Key Questions:
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Sectional Recommendations: Each section includes an "Improvements or Key Questions" field for suggesting adjustments or clarifications. This captures specific actions to boost readiness or address uncertainties.
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Top 5 Improvements Summary: Key improvement suggestions from sections scored Yellow or Red are consolidated at the end of the evaluation, emphasising the most actionable and impactful changes.
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Enhanced Summary Display:
Comprehensive Summary Output: At the end of the evaluation, a summary displays the readiness percentage, color-coded recommendations, justifications for each section, and the Top 5 Improvement Suggestions for clarity and targeted guidance.
Use Cases for the Project Qualification and Review Framework
Grant Application Alignment
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Scenario: A creative director is applying for a grant with specific criteria (e.g., innovation, community impact).
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How the Tool Helps: Compares the project goals to the grant requirements using a Traffic Light Score, highlights areas needing adjustment, and provides clear recommendations to strengthen alignment.
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Supplier and Partner Evaluation for Events
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Scenario: A virtual production producer is vetting suppliers for an upcoming project.
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How the Tool Helps: Scores suppliers on capabilities and risks, helping the producer select reliable partners while identifying areas needing extra oversight.
Scope Creep Prevention in Project Briefs
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Scenario: A design manager wants to avoid scope creep in a new project brief.
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How the Tool Helps: Assesses project objectives and resource estimates, suggesting boundaries and clarifications to maintain focus and control.
Project Autopsy for Failed Initiatives
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Scenario: A project lead reviews a past project that didn’t meet expectations.
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How the Tool Helps: Analyses each phase of the project, highlighting missteps and offering actionable lessons for future planning.
Opportunity Comparison for New Projects
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Scenario: A creative director is choosing between multiple project opportunities.
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How the Tool Helps: Scores each opportunity on feasibility and alignment, providing a side-by-side readiness comparison and key recommendations for better alignment.
Early-Stage Project Planning
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Scenario: An event producer is clarifying requirements and resources for a new immersive event pitch.
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How the Tool Helps: Guides through essential questions on objectives and resources, producing a clear project scope for stakeholder approval.
This structured approach balances depth with clarity, ensuring that users can make informed, data-driven decisions about project opportunities or draw actionable lessons from completed projects. By guiding users through the entire process, it helps produce a reliable assessment for high-impact decisions and future planning.
Insights
Framework Foundations: Key Sources
"Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play" by Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig – This book’s approach to aligning goals and expectations influenced our framework’s emphasis on realistic project assessment and clear stakeholder alignment. Its principles helped shape our tool’s focus on setting achievable goals and clarifying project readiness.
"Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" by Gino Wickman – The concepts of accountability and structured planning from this book inspired our tool’s scoring system, helping users measure readiness and assess each project phase systematically. This ensured that every aspect of project evaluation—from resources to timelines—follows a disciplined approach.
Practical Experience and Case Studies
Alongside these books, the framework is informed by real-world case studies and firsthand observations:
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Case Studies: We analysed successful and challenging projects in visual design, immersive experiences, and event production, identifying factors like scope management and timeline control that are essential for success. These insights directly influenced the framework’s step-by-step evaluation questions.
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Process Observations: Observing project workflows in action revealed common bottlenecks and risks, informing the tool’s recommendations and readiness scoring. This resulted in a clear, actionable assessment approach for managing creative projects.
With its combination of theoretical grounding and practical insights, the Project Qualification and Review Framework offers a comprehensive tool to support project evaluation, planning, and continuous improvement tailored to the unique needs of the creative and production industries.
Terms and Conditions
The Project Qualification and Review Framework is provided as a tool to support and guide project evaluation and planning. This framework is designed to assist users in assessing project readiness, identifying potential risks, and recommending improvements based on structured principles and best practices. However, please note the following:
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Informational Use Only: The insights, recommendations, and scores generated by this tool are intended solely for informational purposes. While the framework provides structured guidance, it should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, nor does it guarantee project success.
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User Responsibility: The final responsibility for any decisions, actions, or project outcomes based on this tool’s recommendations rests with the user. Users are encouraged to apply their own judgment and, where necessary, seek additional expertise tailored to the specific needs of their project.
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No Liability: We do not assume any liability for decisions made or actions taken based on the information provided by this framework. By using this tool, you agree to release us from any liability related to the outcomes of projects evaluated with the framework.
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Continuous Improvement: This tool is a beta release and may be subject to updates and improvements based on user feedback and ongoing testing. We appreciate any insights from users that help us refine the tool, but we cannot guarantee specific outcomes or performance.
By using the Project Qualification and Review Framework, you acknowledge that it is intended as a reference to support your project evaluation process and not as a definitive assessment tool. We hope it serves as a valuable resource to enhance your project planning, but ultimate decisions should be made with consideration of all available information and professional advice.