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IT Project Prioritization Scorecard Template

Re-prioritize project portfolios to sustain transformation momentum and address COVID-19 and recession impacts

This scorecard allows partners to assess and re-prioritize their IT project portfolio to align with shifting strategic goals and digital transformation efforts under the lens of COVID-19. Check out our resource center for additional tools to build digital transformation capabilities on your campus.

The COVID-19 crisis and ensuing recession has had a profound impact on institutional priorities and resources. Unless project portfolios created before the crisis emerged are re-prioritized, colleges and universities will misdirect resources and may weaken their COVID-19 response. Nevertheless, re-prioritization can ensure that colleges and universities remain able to execute long-term strategy.

To help colleges and universities address these changing priorities and sustain transformation momentum, the IT Forum created a project re-prioritization scorecard. The scorecard includes two components:

  • Part I. Strategic Prioritization Indicators: Calculates a foundational and strategic score for project prioritization that can be used at any time (i.e., normal or crisis operations). The IT Forum analyzed several institutional partners’ existing scorecards and frameworks to compile this set of commonly utilized indicators and leading framework.
  • Part II. COVID-19 Escalator Indicators: Determines project contributions to COVID-19 related objectives. COVID-19 project scores or multipliers can then be applied to a Strategic Prioritization Score to re-prioritize projects. These indicators assess projects’ contributions to key operating goals required to safely bring students, staff, and faculty back to campus amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: This scorecard is built in a ready-to-use format and can be completed as-is, but can also be customized and easily manipulated based on your institution’s priorities and needs. For example, if your institution already utilizes a strategic prioritization framework, but simply requires considerations for COVID-19, feel free to use your existing prioritization method and add the Part II. COVID Escalator Indicators, Score, and Multipliers.

Download the scorecard and explore the instructions for how to use the tool below.

Instructions

1. Verify and customize scorecard indicators

The following inputs must be reviewed before completing the scorecard:

Strategic Values (Columns F-I)

Refer to your institutional strategic plan to populate strategic values to which projects should contribute. Insert titles where indicated in red text. (For examples, see below).

Assessment Indicators (Columns N and U)

If needed, add new criteria to the Strategic Prioritization and COVID-19 Escalator Indicators.

Category Weights (Row 7)

Every strategic and COVID-19 related indicator has been assigned a default weight of 20% (with the exception of the Override option). Should your decision-making framework require more/less consideration for individual indicators, adjust the weight percentages. Ensure that combined strategic and COVID-19 related indicators add up to 100% each. Consult QC checks in Columns V and W to confirm your adjusted weights equal 100%; non-compliant entries will appear in yellow.

Budget Assumptions (Columns K-L)

Based on your institution’s size and operating budget, insert dollar amount ranges where indicated in red text to measure anticipated cost savings and revenue increases over three years (indicated in red text in Cells K8 and L8) due to project completion. For example, for Cost Savings, the range of considerations may be:

  1. No or Minor Savings (up to $2k)
  2. Moderate Savings (~$10-50k)
  3. Major Savings (over $50k)

COVID Multiplier (Column D - Row 7)

Enter a multiplier value between 0.0 and 2.0 in cell D7 to dictate how much weight COVID considerations should have relative to strategic considerations. A value of less than 1 will imply COVID considerations should be weighed less than strategic parameters, whereas a value of more than 1 will imply COVID considerations should have more weight. A default value of 1.0 has been set.

2. Compile list of projects

Within the ‘Prioritization Scorecard’ Tab, list project names in Column A.

3. Complete Part I. Strategic Prioritization Indicators

For each project, review the indicators listed in Columns F – O and select the appropriate value that best characterizes the project’s impact. Indicators include:

Strategic Values

Each column should reference one strategic goal for the institution such as strengthen teaching and learning environment, enhance research capabilities, improve student services, increase enrollment and retention rates, etc. Estimate the project’s contribution to each strategic goal ranging from 0 = No Contribution, 3 = Supports Goal but Nonessential, and 5 = Essential.

Breadth of Impact

Estimate the range of institutional departments or users the project will impact, where 0 = Impacts a Single Department/Unit, 10 = Impacts Multiple Departments/Units, and 20 = Institution-wide Impact.

Cost Savings

Estimate the total operational cost savings anticipated over three years due to project completion, where 0 = No or Minor Savings, 10 = Moderate Savings, and 20 = Major Savings.

Revenue Increase

Estimate the revenue increase anticipated over three years due to project completion, where 0 = No or Minor Increase, 10 = Moderate Increase, and 20 = Major Increase.

Risk Mitigation

Consider institutional risks such as regulatory compliance failure, security breaches, diminished brand, and campus safety, and estimate the risk the institution will assume or fail to mitigate if the project is not carried out, where 0 = No Risk Mitigation, 10 = Moderate Risk Mitigation, and 20 = Complete Risk Mitigation.

Override/Regulation

This indicator should only be completed by a Project Sponsor or an individual with authority to mandate that the project is critical to complete for reasons not included in the scorecard. Examples might include a regulatory requirement or leadership mandate. Indicating Yes will add 1000 points to the calculated score, escalating the project to the top of the priority list.

4. Complete Part II. COVID-19 Escalator Indicators

For each project, review the related indicators listed in Columns P – U and select the appropriate value that best characterizes the project’s contribution to COVID-related goals, where 0 = No Contribution, 10 = Moderate Contribution, and 20 = Major Contribution. Indicators include:

Infection Containment

Determine if the project supports the identification and isolation of COVID-19 cases before the emergence of substantial campus outbreaks, such as contact tracing technology or campus safety data analytics.

Campus De-Densification

Determine if the project supports operations to lower transmission opportunities through physical distancing and reduced population size, such as room scheduling software to adjust space utilization and capacity.

Health Protocol Compliance

Determine if the project helps create a culture of prevention where students, faculty, and staff buy into and follow public health guidance, such as a CRM or marketing system to disburse health reminders and updates.

Virtual Learning Optimization

Determine if the project improves digital education and instructional resilience needed for hybrid or remote learning due to COVID, such as web meeting platforms, webcams and headsets, or virtual desktop infrastructure access.

 

Remote Work Enhancement

Determine if the project supports sustained remote work for faculty and staff who may choose or be required to work remotely to minimize spread of COVID, such as increased VPN access, collaboration tools, or e-signature platforms and workflows to replace paper-based processes.

5. Review re-prioritization recommendations

Based on assessed indicators inputs, the following scores will populate in columns B – E. Use the filter functions to re-sort the project list based on a selected score to compare and review your project prioritization.

Strategic Prioritization Score

This is the weighted score from Part I. Strategic Prioritization Indicators and indicates an underlying and foundational score that can be referenced during both normal and crisis operations. This score should only change if the institution’s strategic priorities or financial assessments shift. The maximum calculated value is 100 (unless a project has been selected for Override, in which case 1000 points are added to the score).

COVID-19 Prioritization Score

This is the weighted score from Part II. COVID-19 Escalator Indicators and indicates solely the project’s relative impact on COVID-19 operations, but does not include any consideration of projects’ contributions to strategic goals or broader institutional impacts. The maximum calculated value is 100.

Adjusted COVID-19 Prioritization Score

This score adjusts the COVID-19 Prioritization Score using the user-entered COVID-19 multiplier.

Combined Strategic and COVID-19 Prioritization Score

The product of the Strategic Prioritization Score and the COVID-19 Prioritization Multiplier. This score indicates a project’s combined strategic and COVID-19 related value. The maximum calculated value is 200.

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