1. Organizational Project Management Maturity Assessments A CMM®-Based Appraisal of Project Management Practices Presented by: Alice Zavala, PMP Management Concepts

2. Presentation Outline Organizational Project Management Maturity
Current Project Environment
Project Management Maturity Assessments
Project Management Maturity Model
Assessment Process
Post Assessment and Next Steps
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3. Organizational Project Management Maturity
“The degree to which an organization applies the knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to organizational and project activities to achieve the aims of the organization through projects”
OPM3, Project Management Institute, 2003
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4. Maturity
Implies capabilities must be grown over time in order to produce repeatable success.
Connotes understanding or visibility into why success occurs and ways to correct or prevent common problems.
Model implies change, a progression, or steps in a process.
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5. The Current Project Environment

6. Standish Group’s Survey of IT Projects, 2004
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7. Failed and Challenged Projects
Not from lack of technical expertise
Due to the inability to manage the work
The project
The business requirements
Inadequate requirement information
Leads to poor estimates
Makes time and cost management virtually impossible
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8. Software Development is in Crisis
Nearly 70% of projects fail (Standish)
50% are rolled back out of production (Gartner)
40% of problems are found by end users (Gartner)
25%-40% of all spending on projects is wasted as a result of rework (Carnegie Mellon)
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9. Organizational Strategic Project Management
Executives
Define strategy
Set priorities
Establish measures
Strategic
Goals
Portfolio
Management Team
Selects programs & projects
Allocate resources
Manages portfolio
Enterprise PMO
Programs
Strategic Cross-Functional Project Teams
Launch projects
Manage projects
Deliver value
Projects
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Activities – Teams – Results
Environment for Project Success

10. Project-Based Organizations
Immature
Project managers are fire fighters
No standard processes is in place
When the schedule is short, functionality is shaved off the product and quality is compromised
Quality efforts are curtailed or eliminated
Problems are fixed in the field
Mature
PM practices tied to strategic goals
Altered structure, operations and culture to incorporate PM practices
Managed by projects rather than by specialized functions
Enable project managers to achieve success on their projects
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11. Project Management Maturity Assessments

12. What is an Organizational Project Management Maturity Assessment?
Independent review of organizational project management practices
Usually takes place when an organization
Is experiencing too many project failures
Has the need to stabilize runaway projects
Has a rapid increase in demand for project work
Realizes the strategic value of projects
Is benchmarking as part of an improvement plan
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13. Why Do Assessments? Provides a clear picture of current state
Defines the future state
Identifies the gaps and provides a roadmap for organizational change
Motivates the organization to reach a better state
Motivates individuals to grow and develop current skills
Educate the organization on industry best practices
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14. Adapted from SEI CMM: CMU/SEI 950MM-003
Assessment Benefits
Return on Investment of 7:1
37% average gain per year in productivity
18% increase per year in proportion of defects found in pre-test
19% reduction in time to market
45% reduction in filed error reports per year
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Adapted from SEI CMM: CMU/SEI 950MM-003

15. Project Management Maturity Model
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16. Capability Maturity Model (CMM)
A structure that enables organizations to increase their management capability
Focused on key process areas and associated key practices
Must satisfy preceding level capabilities
Uses a survey mapped to the model
Provides basis for comparison with competitors & industry benchmarks
Decision framework
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17. Project Management Maturity Model
Continuous
Improvement
Optimizing
(5)
Strategic PM
Managed
(4)
Maturity
• Assessments
Project
PM Skill
Improvement
• Projects
Complex PM
Defined
(3)
Strategic PMO
Strategic Goals
Portfolio
• Management
Executive Oversight
Metrics
Basic PM Control
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Repeatable
(2)
Risk HR
Quality
EVM
Communications
Stakeholder Mgt./Politics
Ad Hoc
Initial
(1)
Integration
Scope
Time & Cost
Procurement

18. Level 1 Ad hoc and informal
Practices performed inconsistently across projects
No standard procedures defined or followed
Success, if it occurs, is based on heroic efforts of individuals
Problems are fixed in the field
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19. Level 2: Repeatable Goals Characteristics
Basic management controls institutionalized across the organization
Mastery of integration, scope, time, cost and procurement management
Some training in project management
Goals
Project plans are prepared approved and baselined
Project charter, WBS, requirements defined
Schedule if prepared and baselined
Resource planning, estimating and cost baseline
Communications requirements and status reporting
Risk identification and response planning
Procurement planning, management and control
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20. Level 3: Defined Goals Characteristics
Standard PM methodology applied to all projects, PMIS, integrated change control
Integrated cost and schedule performance
Quality management and improvement, customer focus
Team development, high-performing teams
Communications planning, stakeholder analysis and lessons learned
Characteristics
Advanced Project Management practices are institutionalized across the organizations
Mastery of risk and quality management, advanced communication and team building
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21. Level 4: Managed Characteristics Goals
Project management has been elevated to a strategic management practice
Cultural and organizational behaviors, structures and processes are in place to assure projects are strategically aligned
Goals
Quantitative objectives are defined
Organizational performance reporting
Portfolio management
Best practices fostered
Organizational PMO supports project managers
Mentoring and coaching
PM as a core competency
Open communication about risk management
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22. Level 5 - Optimizing Goals Characteristics
Project Management is characterized as in continuous improvement mode
The organization emphasizes continuous improvement to its project management practices
Goals
PM improvements fostered at individual, team and organizational level
Organizational strategy translated into projects
Metrics are tracked across the organization
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23. Skipping Maturity Levels
Each level forms a foundation on which to build the next level of practices
Skipping levels is often counterproductive
Keeps teams focused on current needs of the organization
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24. Maturity Levels Mapped to OPM3
Portfolio
Continuously Improve X
Control
Measure
Standardize
Program
Project
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
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25. Project Management Maturity Assessment Process

26. Assessment Structure Assessment Sponsor Management PMO Assessment Team
Sets direction &
Expectations
Opens kickoff meeting
Management
Supports assessment activities
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PMO
Drives assessments
Provides assistance
Maintains benchmarks
and metrics
Assessment
Team
Independent
Senior Consultants
Project Managers
Project Teams
Focus Groups

27. Assessment – Selection of Projects
Select 3 – 5 representative projects
Identify common types of projects supported by the organization
Identify projects that will roll out all phases of the project and product life cycles
Obtain agreement from assessment team on selection of projects
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28. Assessment – Selection of Team
Independent external team
Experienced
Minimum of two team members
No member from the organization being assessed
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29. Assessment – Establish Guidelines
Develop survey and / or interview questions
Develop procedures, instructions and tools to support the assessment
Develop structure for Data
Categories
Methods to ensure accuracy
Must be defensible
Keep current
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30. Assessment - Develop Timeline
Wk-1
Wk-2
Wk-3
Planning
KICK-OFF
Surveys Due
Management Interviews
Project Team
Interviews
Assessment Begins
Focus Groups
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Validation & Prioritization
Final Deliverables
Findings Presentation

31. Assessment - Deliverables
Assessment plan, schedule
Assessment kickoff presentation
The assessment
Surveys, Interviews, Artifact Reviews
Survey results report
Findings & recommendations report & presentation
Strengths and opportunities for improvement
Prioritized recommendations 
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32. Planning the Assessment
Form assessment team & set up a “war room”
Establish guidelines for assessment
Conduct management interviews
Select representative projects
Conduct stakeholder analysis
Schedule assessment activities
Launch assessment – conduct kickoff meeting
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33. Prepare for Interviews
Identify assessment expectations
Document and review interview guidelines and procedures
Prepare questions
Determine interview team, roles and responsibilities
Set the climate
Prepare supporting templates and documentation guidelines
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34. Review Project Artifacts
To validate survey responses review:
Project management deliverables
Charter, Schedule, Budget, Communications Plans
Project management processes
Change/Scope, Quality, Risk, Communication, Time, Cost, HR, Procurement, Integration Management
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35. Conduct Interview Individual interviews Small-groups
Focus group sessions with project practitioners and team members
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36. Confidentiality Interview discussions must remain confidential
No comment is attributed to any one person
The focus is on process not people
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37. Assessment Findings
Results analyzed, scores compared, information distilled
into high-impact information
measurable recommendations
Participants validate & prioritize findings
Did we hear you, Did we get it right?
Prioritize the top 3 – 5 topics
Stay positive and encouraging
Do not debate – take feedback and incorporate it
Prepare and complete assessment deliverables
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38. Present Findings Report to management
Sensitive information relayed verbally; not attributed to a source
Obtain management commitment to follow up activities to implement high-priority actions
Formal findings presentation to team
Strengths and Recommendations
Immediate Next Steps
Reports published and distributed
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39. Post Assessment

40. Post-Assessment Activities
Planning meetings to implement high-priority recommendations
Provide support to implement recommendations
Facilitated planning sessions
Coaching and mentoring
Training
Tools
Best practice procedures and processes
Focus on critical projects first
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41. Acting on Assessment Results
Driven by senior management
Develop an implementation plan
Commit resources
Develop metrics and measures of success
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42. Conduct Periodic Assessments
Allow enough time to implement and apply improvements
Conduct reassessment
Compare results
Identify improved maturity and CMM level
Update implementation plan
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43. Summary
Assessing organizational project management maturity provides a framework to evaluate progress in pursuit of project success
Assessments build an organization’s readiness to change
Assessments identify a capability baseline and prescriptive action plan for improvement
Select high-priority improvement actions that provide the foundation for the next level
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44. Wrap Up Comments Questions Drawing for PM Essentials Library
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45. For Further Information
Alice Zavala, PMP
Management Concepts
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