What is the best tool use in expert judgment?

“One who limits himself to his chosen mode of ignorance”, Attributed to Elbert Hubbart.


In the field of project management, the project team itself is not capable of managing the project. There are trickle things that might occur while running the project that needs a vast proficiency by someone who is expert in such field. Reality can’t shroud that not everyone belong to the team is capable of all the things surrounds with reference to the current project. There could be probably problems and circumstances that might occur while taking the maintenance of a certain projects. Precisely, project team needs an expert at anytime - special skills or knowledge of experts especially in times of activity duration estimating. So in the project management domain there is a needing technique to response some glitches of project which is termed as EXPERT JUDGMENT.


Expert Judgment is a most commonly used estimation approach in practice in the turf of project management wherein the technique used in consulting with groups or individuals with specialized knowledge or training. The term is described from the internet domain of www.soft-net.at as a method involves consulting one or more experts from based upon a specific set of criteria and/or expertise from a knowledge or product area, a particular industry. These experts might come from the team member itself, project manager and/or from external group/person. But oftentimes, a project requires more expertise outside of project team whom will be consulted for specific advices in relation to the project. These experts provide estimates using their own methods and experience. To simplify what expert judgment really is, let’s take a simple example looking through the daily routine of the humankind. Expert judgment in project management is just the same as consulting a doctor, doctors are practically sorts in many types; there could be obgyne, pediatrics, surgeon, urologist, etc. so, if your tooth is aching that much – it is a commonsense to have consolations with dentist. That how expert judgment works – involves a rational thinking of the project team on where to ask soundings.


As soon as the moment you’ve recognized whom to consult with or which expert or group of experts can help your team. Some source over the internet imparted three best tools that are useful in some situations. Nevertheless, these tools sometimes won’t practically gives the information that project team really need. The fundamental tools is acquaint with below.


Interviews. This tool is best used when knowledgeable, experienced people are available at an affordable cost and specific information is needed. Interview can be on a one-to-one or a many-to-one basis wherein conducted by asking a series of questions that will increase your knowledge of the project or a particular project activity. For us, interview is never new to us. As what I have experienced, I had overdone certain interviews that will help the questions I wanted to know for me to continue on what must be done or do to my works or researches. Here, the project team will be able to recognize and define specific knowledge from the expert whom they were consulted with. Interview do have forms too, it could be formal or informal. Its best for consulting experts to used formal form of interview to respect the responses of the chosen experts.


Brainstorming. It’s the kind of expert judgment tool is usually best use when input from multiple experts is needed or when experienced people aren't available. Brainstorming works by getting a group to focus on a problem and then coming up with as many solutions as possible. Once the session has resulted in a number of solutions, the results can be analyzed. This tool is essentially needs a proper brainstorming of the experts and /or the project team after a number session of consultations has been made. It’s time foe deep analysis of the solutions that had listed by the experts to solve the problems. Through this, it would be definitely stress-free for the project team and the experts to give responses over the resulting ideas of solutions, and;


Historical data. Is best used when records are accurate and both projects are similar. Since a variety of documentations in project management matters most, so, it is very nice to have historical record data in every expert judgment to ensure that you are in line with what really it should be. Historical data uses the knowledge gained on a similar past project activity to obtain duration estimates for each activity associated with a current project. It’s never impossible to see projects the same as what project you’re currently working with, especially in the internet forms. Though, we see it as awkward to see most likely the same as what we are working to; but then again, it doesn’t matter because it could be sometimes gives recent ideas that can be applied to your contemporary project.


Like so many things, expert judgment does have advantages too. The advantages are that it (1.) allows for different perspective, (2.) makes valuable use of prior knowledge and experience, (3.) helps the team to find creative solutions and (4.) helps the project team avoid re-inventing the wheel or avoiding constructing again another ways of solutions. On the other hands, it also comprises of disadvantages effects. The team must be careful when using this kind of technique because it can subsist time-consuming, also can tie up experienced staff for many hours. Since it needs to be done usually outside the field, so, it will be a costly thing of. And the worst is experts may tend to down pay the fact that an activity took something different than the expected.


Indeed, expert judgment will be useful and knowledgeable technique that can be applied in a certain project. What’s good with the technique is that is manifest the proper usage of project management that can helps to handle projects in a very precise, proficient and effective way. It’s a powerful and invaluable technique or tool for estimating needing properties concerning the project. Also it gives a number of solutions that make a project team not to work stressfully and not be obliged to re-invert and create a new maneuver and turns to make a project magnificently and productively made.