Project Manager Competency Assessment Tool User Manual

This user guide for the Project Manager Competency Assessment Tool (PM CAT) explains its purpose and gives step-by-step instructions for its use. The PM CAT is a user-friendly tool that quantitatively assesses and scores project manager (PM) competencies. The tool should be completed by the direct supervisor of the PM being evaluated, or used by PMs for self-assessment. Users should allow for 25–40 minutes to complete the tool.

The questions in the PM CAT focus on the competencies that a PM should possess to successfully lead, manage, and execute a project. The tool output compares the PM’s score to industry standards established by Research Team (RT) 306. The team asked industry supervisors to use the PM CAT to assess their average and excellent PMs, and then incorporated the results into the tool’s algorithms. The tool compares evaluated PMs with PMs ranked as either excellent or average in the team’s research and identifies the PM’s areas of strength and any opportunities for improvement (i.e., competency gaps). This information will help improve PM effectiveness by targeting specific development needs, and by enabling personalized, more efficient enhancement of competencies.