This spreadsheet illustrates a technique for prioritizing a number of potential projects,

based on several prioritization drivers that influence your decision. The process is
described in an article titled "Just Too Much To Do", published in the September, 2000,
issue of Software Development magazine. Here are the basic steps:
1. Select your major project prioritization drivers. The "Sample Drivers" worksheet contains
some possibilities.
2. Select weighting factors for your prioritization drivers by assigning points that add
up to 100.
3. Define a rating scale for each prioritization driver. Again, the "Sample Drivers" worksheet
contains some examples.
4. Calibrate your model with some completed projects until you feel comfortable with the results
and can trust its predictions.
5. Rate each of your candidate projects with respect to each of the prioritization drivers.
The projects having the highest scores should have the highest priority, all other factors
being equal (which they never are!).
The "Example" worksheet shows an example of applying the spreadsheet on several sample
projects. The formulas are built into this worksheet so you can replace the sample
projects there with your own, if you like.
You are welcome to use this spreadsheet, modify it, and share it with your colleagues. You may
not sell it to anyone, post it on a public website, or contribute it to any public shared resource collection.
Karl Wiegers
June 2, 2000
www.processimpact.com

Driver
What is the opportunity for generating revenue?
What is the opportunity for cost savings?
What is the immediacy of the need?
How long will the site be active?
Can this project be completed with current
technical capabilities?
Will this project help us develop significant new
capabilities or reusable components?
How much risk is associated with the necessary
technologies?
How will this project impact other websites or
projects?
What is the level of user interface complexity?
How much maintenance and support will the site
require?
Are appropriate assets and content currently
available?
How strongly does the intended audience align
with current user demographics on the site?
Are necessary staff resources available?
Is necessary funding available?
What is the strategic value added to the company?
How important is the business or strategic
relationship with the client?

1
minimal (<$10K/year)
minimal (<$10K/year)
8 months or later
less than 3 months
no

Rating Cues
3
5
some ($10K-50K/year) strong ($50K-100K/year)
some ($10K-50K/year) strong ($50K-100K/year)
5-7 months
2-4 months
3-6 months
6-12 months
to some extent

mostly

few or no new capabilities or some new capabilities or several new capabilities or

components
components
components
severe risk

strong risk

some risk

severe impact
extremely complex

strong impact
quite complex

some impact
somewhat complex

ongoing maintenance

frequent updates

occasional maintenance

<10% of assets

10-40% of assets

40-70% of assets

minimal alignment

some alignment
some resource
serious resource constraints
constraints
funding questionable
partial funding available

strong alignment
minimal resource
constraints
most of funding available

minimal value

some value

significant value

not very important

somewhat important

quite important

7
exceptional (>$100K/year)
exceptional (>$100K/year)
1 month or sooner
more than 12 months
completely
highly leverageable
capabilities or components
minimal risk
minimal impact
not complex
limited maintenance
>70% of assets
complete alignment
resources available
funding available
substantial value
critically important

Driver
What is the opportunity for generating revenue?
How strongly does the intended audience align with current
user demographics on the site?

Weight
20

Project A Project B Project C

7
3
7

15

How much maintenance and support will the site require?

What is the strategic value added to the company?
How long will the site be active?
Will this project help us develop significant new capabilities
or reusable components?
How much risk is associated with the necessary
technologies?
How will this project impact other websites or projects?
What is the level of user interface complexity?
Totals

15
15
10

1
7
5

3
1
7

3
7
7

10

5
5
5
100

3
5
5
460

7
3
1
360

3
1
3
520

Project D
1
3
5
5
3
1
5
3
5
320