| | Project Leader Skills Evaluation
 |
Author:
Bruce A. Winrow |
|
Date
introduced: 1988 |
|
Administration
time: 3 hours |
Purpose
To evaluate the suitability of candidates,
with at least 2 years of experience for the position of Project Leader, by measuring
all essential skills including procedural, analytical and knowledge of project
organization, control, scheduling and planning concepts.
General
Description
Basic Version -
consists of seven problems from which a five-page report is generated.
| the candidate must sequence key activities for
planning |
| the candidate must identify errors in assigned
specifications |
| the candidate must solve problems in a
structured and controlled manner |
| measures the candidate's ability to comprehend
common business procedures |
| the candidate must apply acceptable
supervisory practices |
| measures the candidate's understanding of
basic project management theory |
| the candidate must create a project plan |
Comprehensive Version
-
consists of the Basic Version plus an in-depth selection of measures of behavioral traits
and interpersonal skills. This version results in a seven-page report on each candidate
tested in which the candidate's strengths and weaknesses are discussed at length.
Positions
for which the test is appropriate
The Project Leader Skills
Evaluation
should be used to aid in the selection of project leader applicants with at least 2
years of experience.
Job
criteria measured
| Identifying key activities and sequencing them
properly to ensure attainment of project goals |
| Ability to read precise system specifications
and identify errors in the application of those specifications |
| Skill in solving problems in a structured and
controlled manner |
| Ability to understand common business
practices, and ability to digest and "weed through" voluminous information to
draw conclusions |
| Ability to supervise team members |
| Understanding of basic project management
theory |
| Ability to use networking for planning,
evaluating, and controlling the progress of activities in a project environment |
Test
administration
The test requires only clerical supervision
to administer. The Basic Version requires 3 hours to complete and is self-instructive for
the candidate. The Comprehensive Version will take approximately 6 hours to complete.
Sample
question (segment)
The prime
function of a project manager
is to:
a. Manage his/her staff.
b. Ensure all user needs are addressed in the system
specification.
c. Plan, organize and control to create a high quality
product.
d. Record and report project status to the project
steering committee.
e. Take corrective action based on cost or activity
variance information.
Sample Candidate Evaluation Report
Click here to view a sample detailed evaluation report.
Evaluation
The overall rating
is based on scores according to the following table:
| Score |
Rating |
Recommendation |
| 75-100% |
Above Average |
We strongly recommend this
individual as having the potential for a successful career as an project leader. |
| 60-74% |
Average |
We recommend this individual for
the position of project leader provided further supervised training is supplied. |
| 48-59% |
Satisfactory |
We recommend this individual for
the position of project leader only if highly motivated and if an intensive, well
supervised training course is available. |
| 0-47% |
Below Average |
We DO NOT recommend this
individual for the position of project leader. |
Validation Information
May, 1991:For each of the five ''LEVELS'' of skill category for the Project
Management, Planning and Analytical job responsibilities, the job analysis
indicated that a significant portion (from 54.5% to 61.6%) of the intended
domain (essential traits) was assessed by the Project Leader Skills
Evaluation (PLSE) test. In particular, if the relative importance of the
essential traits tested, to the ''weighted'' importance of the task is
considered, the results for each ''LEVEL'' were:
|
LEVEL 1: 11 tasks, 72 essential
traits, 54.5% assessed by PLSE |
|
LEVEL 2: 13 tasks, 78 essential
traits, 58.1% assessed by PLSE |
|
LEVEL 3: 14 tasks, 78 essential
traits, 61.6% assessed by PLSE |
|
LEVEL 4: 16 tasks, 85 essential
traits, 59.5% assessed by PLSE |
|
LEVEL 5: 15 tasks, 86 essential
traits, 58.5% assessed by PLSE
|
Languages
published
| English |
| French |
|
