Tag Archives: maturity

Review Project Management Maturity Model Fourth Edition

Project Management Maturity Model Fourth Edition, written by J. Kent Crawford, is a comprehensive but complete guide to understand and use the maturity model PMMM. The PMMM is based on the knowledge areas of the 6thedition of the PMBoK guide and the five levels of maturity from CMMI.

Each knowledge area is broken down the into specific key components. E.g., resource management is broken down into the key components resource management planning, resource estimation, resource acquisition, team development and team management. For each component you get best practices to look for or to implement. Furthermore, for every knowledge area special attention is given to adaptive/agile environments.

The book explains what must be in place for each key component within each knowledge area to reach one of the CMMI maturity levels.

The used maturity levels are:

  • Level 1 Initial process
  • Level 2 Structured process and standards
  • Level 3 Organizational standards and institutionalized process
  • Level 4 Managed process
  • Level 5 Optimized process.

The used knowledge areas are:

  • Project integration management (including special component: project office)
  • Project scope management
  • Project schedule management
  • Project cost management
  • Project quality management (including special component: management oversight)
  • Project resource management (including special component: professional development)
  • Project communications management
  • Project risk management
  • Project procurement management
  • Project stakeholder management.

In PMMM special attention is given to three special components project office, management oversight and professional development.

The final chapter Now what? Using your maturity assessment to achieve business goals gives some insights in potential improvements when reaching a higher level of maturity. It briefly explains culture change and employee satisfaction, baselining capability for performance management, PMO implementation, repeated use as progress and effectiveness tool and target six-month improvement goals. It ends with some considerations when setting maturity goals. A level 5 maturity goal may not be appropriate for every organization.

In appendix A a self-assessment survey is provided to assess your own organization’s project management maturity. It gives a list of all knowledge areas including the key components and you must score the maturity level (1 – 5) of each.

worth mentioning is the complementary Project Portfolio Management Maturity Model (PPMMM) in appendix B. This model uses the same five CMMI levels and is organized into the following eight component areas:

  • Portfolio governance
  • Project opportunity assessment and initiation
  • Project prioritization and selection
  • Portfolio & project communications management
  • Portfolio resource management
  • Portfolio risk management
  • Portfolio management organizational structure
  • Portfolio performance management.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a maturity model and your organization is using the PMBoK guide to manage projects this book could be of help. The break down into key components is helpful to get a better understanding of your maturity for each knowledge area. Only a pity that the self-assessment is not made up of reflective statements. 

To order Project management maturity model: managementboek.nlbol.com

P3M3 Maturity Model Assessment

A few years ago I created a P3M3 Quick Reference Card. See P3M3 QRC.

P3M3_Digital-Badge-352x352As a consequence of receiving the P3M3 Assessor badge from AXELOS after I passed for the P3M3 Consultant examination, I had to update my P3M3 QRC to correspond with the latest P3M3 version.

At this moment AXELOS offers P3M3 version 3.  This model is based on the five known maturity levels: Level 1 : Awareness of process, Level 2 : Repeatable process, Level 3 : Defined process, Level 4 : Managed process, Level 5 : Optimized process.

In P3M3 version 3 we see the three models reflecting portfolio (PfM3), Programme (PgM3) and Project (PjM3) Management. We still see the same seven perspectives: Management Control, Benefits Management, Financial Management, Stakeholder Management, Risk Management, Organizational Governance and Resource Management. P3M3 can be used independently of your chosen project, programme or portfolio management method or framework.

P3M3 V3 (QRC, 171205) v1.0

To download: P3M3 V3 (QRC, 171205) v1.0

New are the max. 13 threads: Asset Management, Assurance, Behaviors, Commercial Commissioner, Commercial Deliverer, Information and Knowledge Management, Infrastructure and Tools, Model Integration, Organization, Planning, Process, Standards and Techniques. The most detailed questions are now the diagnostic attribute statements.

You can perform, by yourself, a Standard self assessment (for free) or Enhanced self assessment (subscription). The latter offers you on top of the standard self assessment a maturity tracker, detailed results and a benchmark.

It is also possible, via an accredited consulting organization to perform a full accreditation assessment resulting in your maturity level based on P3M3 or a full further diagnostic assessment including an improvement plan to achieve the next maturity level.

HWP Consulting, as an Accredited P3M3 Consulting Organization can help you in performing a P3M3 full accreditation assessment or full further diagnostic assessment including an improvement plan based on your own objectives. To avoid bias we can facilitate your self assessment as well.

PMO Value Ring methodology

pmo-value-ring-pt-600x600The PMO Value Ring is an innovative methodology developed by the PMO Global Alliance  to support the creation, revision and operation of PMOs.

A group knows more than the single most experienced expert and that’s what we get when more than 100 professionals developed the PMO Value Ring. At this moment, the PMO Value Ring is being used by more than 2000 PMOs across more than 70 countries. Starting point for the PMO Value Ring is a benchmarking database build around 26 potential PMO functions and 30 potential benefits and includes recommendations and action plans.

The PMO Value Ring is based on eight steps (see picture):

  1. Define PMO functions
  2. Balance the mix of PMO functions
  3. Establish PMO Processes
  4. Define PMO KPIs
  5. Define PMO headcount and competences
  6. Identify the PMOs maturity and plan its evolution
  7. Calculate PMO ROI
  8. Monitor the PMO’s performance

The demo version of the PMO Value Ring gives a good overview of the tool. You get insights in the potential PMO benefits, potential PMO functions, recommended PMO processes (including activities and descriptions, responsibilities), PMO KPIs (objective and calculation formula, how to measure, related activities and goal), the maturity assessment (explanation of the PMO maturity level by function, current and target level), et cetera.

See for detailed information: www.pmovaluering.com. Here you can set up a demo account too. Trainer and consultant certifications are available.

Conclusion: looks like a great tool to help you to set up or evolve your PMO to the next maturity level. As described it’s much more than a maturity assessment. It will help you with the creation, revision and operation of your PMO.

What I haven’t found is the relation with agile developments. What are the consequences for a PMO if the organisation implements permanent agile teams? What does that mean for PMO processes, PMO KPIs etcetera? Having permanent self-organizing agile teams means you must bring the work to the teams instead of moving people to the work and as a consequence there will be less projects. Decision making will, where possible, be decentralized. These agile developments will have a big impact on the PMO functions and activities. Maybe something for the next version?

 

Shocking results from a first analysis of 200 Project Success Scans! Part II

As stated in the previous blog I will summarize the missing questions in a second info-graphic.

In this blog we look at the same 200 Project Success Scans and focus on the following questions:

  • Project definition,
  • Project team,
  • Project size,
  • Organizational and technical complexity,
  • Willingness to change, and
  • PMO maturity level.

“Based on 200 reactions of the Project Success Scan it becomes clear that, despite many recommendations, we still think we know better how to run projects.”

See attached info-graphic (to download: PPS (Infographic I + II, 150428) v1.0)

Dia2Also here you see that:

  • We accept to execute projects in 50% of the cases without defined goals and scope and a prioritized list of requirements.
  • Only in 24% of the projects the willingness to change exists in terms of positive or productive energy.
  • The size of our projects is in more than 50% too big and on top of that the organizational and technical complexity is too high.
  • We accept in more than 66% to start with the execution with limited availability of the team.
  • In 75% of the cases we think it’s better to reinvent than to have a centralized PMO to collect, define, maintain and share best practices.

“I still don’t get it.”

If you want to see your own project in a spider diagram compared with the average figures of these 200 projects, please fill in your own Project Success Scan:

Dia1Attached a link to our English quick scan: Project Success Quick Scan.  For Dutch: Project Succes Quick Scan

Shocking results from a first analysis of 200 Project Success Scans!

Dia1“Based on 200 reactions of the Project Success Scan it becomes clear that, despite many recommendations, we still think we know better how to run projects.”

If we take a list of success or failure factors you often see the same topics. The last year we asked many project managers or project executives to take the Project Success Scan questionnaire.

In the Project Success Scan we focus on the following areas by asking in total 15 questions:

  • Plateau 1: The project management team: support top management, user involvement, project governance, competences and availability PM and team
  • Plateau 2: Project characteristics: definition, business justification, organizational and technical complexity, and size
  • Plateau 3: Organization of projects: portfolio management design, maturity, change capacity and willingness
  • Plateau 4: Business organization: business organization and supporting departments.

If you look for reference at the top 10 from a Chaos report from the Standish Group you find several comparable factors. Besides the project related ones (our first two plateaus) we take the impact of the environment – portfolio management and complexity of the business or e.g. the IT landscape into account too, factors which are not part of the Standish studies.

Standish Chaos report top 10: 1. User Involvement, 2. Executive Support, 3. Clear business Objectives, 4. Emotional Maturity, 5. Optimization, 6. Agile Process, 7. Project Management expertise, 8. Skilled resources, 9. Execution, 10. Tools and infrastructure.

See attached info-graphic.

Dia1

In the info-graphic (PPS (Infographic I, 150426) v1.0) I summarized results from 6 questions: top management involvement, user involvement, steering committee performance, project manager experience and availability, business justification and portfolio management.

  • Why are the numbers 1 and 2 of every recommendation – user and senior management involvement – not always taken into account? In 65% of the projects there is a lack of senior management involvement. In 40% of the projects we think we don’t need users.
  • In 50% of our projects we don’t have a project board or we have a project board without responsibilities assigned.
  • Only 45% of the projects have a project manager with enough skills and time available.
  • Only 40% of the projects have a business justification.
  • Only 40% of our projects are managed via formal portfolio management.

“I don’t get it. Why are we not taken into account these recommendations? Why do we think we can be successful without these recommendations?”

In a next post I will go into the other questions of the Project Success Scan. questions regarding the project definition, the project team, project size, organizational and technical complexity, change capacity, and PMO maturity level.

If you want to see your own project in a spider diagram compared with the average figures of these 200 projects, please fill in your own Project Success Scan:

Dia1Attached a link to our English quick scan: Project Success Quick Scan.  For Dutch: Project Succes Quick Scan