ISO 21504: Project and Programme Portfolio Management Training — Lesson 2: Planning Identification, Categorization, Evaluation, Selection, and Prioritization

Learning Objectives

• Interpret the purpose, responsibilities, inputs, and decision points shaping planning identification, categorization, evaluation, selection, and prioritization.
• Apply the workflow and produce portfolio selection and priority register that another practitioner can review.
• Analyze “high-priority work has unsupported benefit estimates” and recommend a proportionate, evidence-based response.

Detailed Topics

• initiative identification
• categorization
• evaluation criteria
• selection process
• prioritization
• risk appetite
• benefit estimates
• dependency analysis
• Governance, competence, communication, documentation, validation, risk, and follow-up considerations

Instructor Demonstration

The instructor demonstrates the planning identification, categorization, evaluation, selection, and prioritization workflow, identifies applicable responsibilities, records checkpoints in portfolio selection and priority register, and contrasts the accepted state with a condition where high-priority work has unsupported benefit estimates.

Hands-On Exercise

Complete a controlled implementation, management, audit, assessment, foundation, introduction, awareness, or transition exercise for Planning Identification, Categorization, Evaluation, Selection, and Prioritization. Establish scope and criteria, collect or create evidence, examine “high-priority work has unsupported benefit estimates,” reach a supported conclusion, and preserve the result in portfolio selection and priority register.

1. Confirm objectives, scope, roles, criteria, stakeholders, and expected outputs.
2. Perform the planned activities while recording assumptions, evidence, and decisions.
3. Test a normal case, an exception, and a follow-up or improvement condition.
4. Document conclusions, owners, due dates, escalation, and verification requirements.

Scenario Analysis

• Identify the requirement or principle with the strongest influence on planning identification, categorization, evaluation, selection, and prioritization.
• Compare two defensible responses and explain their governance, risk, and evidence trade-offs.
• Determine how the portfolio selection and priority register should be approved, retained, reviewed, and updated.

Troubleshooting Guidance

Separate missing evidence from ineffective practice, and distinguish a documentation issue from a control, process, governance, or competence failure. Use portfolio selection and priority register to trace the earliest divergence. Treat “high-priority work has unsupported benefit estimates” as a hypothesis until the response is validated against the applicable requirement and intended outcome.

Validation Checklist

• The scope, criteria, stakeholders, and intended outcome for planning identification, categorization, evaluation, selection, and prioritization are explicit.
• The portfolio selection and priority register links statements and decisions to objective, reviewable support.
• Responsibilities, competence, communication, risk, legal duties, and change impact were considered where relevant.
• Findings, corrective actions, monitoring, review triggers, and improvement ownership are clear.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can apply Planning Identification, Categorization, Evaluation, Selection, and Prioritization, explain the reasoning used, and defend the result through portfolio selection and priority register.