BIZOMAT Tools · Projects
Project Size and Governance
How large and complex is this project?
Classifies a project as small, medium or major from budget, duration, stakeholders and complexity, and suggests a matching governance level.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $ | Approved or estimated total budget |
| Duration | months | Planned duration |
| Key stakeholder groups | groups | Count of distinct stakeholder groups (customers, regulators, suppliers, internal teams) |
| Technical complexity | 1–5 score | Technical complexity rating (1 routine, 5 novel) |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Budget
- What it is
- The total approved or estimated cost of the project from start to finish, used to judge how much governance it needs.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $: an amount of money; use one currency for every money input. The form accepts $0 or more.
- Example
- The form opens with $100000 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Adds up to 30 points; budgets above the A$500,000 screening point add nothing more.
- Get it right
- Use the whole-of-project budget, not just the current phase or this year’s spend.
What this means: Duration
- What it is
- How long the project is planned to run from start to handover, in calendar months.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in months: months. The form accepts 0.1 months or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 6 months as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Adds up to 20 points; durations beyond 18 months add nothing more.
- Get it right
- Convert weeks to months (about 4.3 weeks per month) rather than typing weeks.
What this means: Key stakeholder groups
- What it is
- The number of distinct groups with a real stake in the project, such as customers, regulators, suppliers, unions and internal departments.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in groups: groups. The form accepts 1 groups or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 5 groups as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Adds up to 20 points; more than 10 groups add nothing more.
- Get it right
- Count groups, not individual people: five people from one department are one group.
What this means: Technical complexity
- What it is
- How technically difficult the work is, rated 1 (routine work done many times before) to 5 (novel, untried or highly integrated).
- Units and format
- Move the slider to a score from 1 (low) to 5 (high).
- Example
- The form opens with 3 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Each point adds 6 points to the scale score.
- Get it right
- Rate the technical challenge, not the size; a large but routine job can still be a 1 or 2.
Method and formulas
- Score = 30 × min(budget ÷ 500,000, 1) + 20 × min(months ÷ 18, 1) + 20 × min(groups ÷ 10, 1) + 30 × complexity ÷ 5
- SMALL below 35, MEDIUM 35–64, MAJOR 65 or more
Limitations
- Saturation points (A$500k, 18 months, 10 groups) are screening defaults
- Does not consider regulatory or safety criticality
Typical uses
- Setting up governance at project start
- Choosing reporting frequency and assurance
Who it is for
- PMOs
- Sponsors
- Project managers
What you get
- SMALL, MEDIUM or MAJOR
- Scale score
- Indicative governance table
Interpreting the result
- Replace the thresholds with your organisation’s project classification if it has one
BIZOMAT tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.