Model Description

Key Attributes of Knowledge Areas

The Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK" Guide) is an excellent point of reference for starting an examination of project management capability. It is already an accepted standard, and a great deal of “best practices” information focuses on the knowledge areas outlined in the Guide. Unfortunately, the Guide presents a huge mass of knowledge to deal with. Measuring an organization’s effectiveness in any one area requires that the area be broken down further into major components that relate the area to the successful implementation of project management.

The model that PM Solutions developed utilizes the PMBOK* Guide's ten knowledge areas and is patterned after the CMMI Stage Representative Model from the CMMI Institute. The model has five distinct levels of maturity and examines an organization’s implementation across the ten project management knowledge areas (Figure 1.1). The five levels, similar to those in the CMMI models, are described below. Each level represents a discrete organizational capability based on summary-level characteristics.

Levels of Project Management Maturity

Level 1: Initial Process

Ad hoc processes

Management awareness

Level 2: Structured Process and Standards

Basic processes; not standard on all projects; used on large, highly visible projects Management supports and encourages use

Mix of intermediate and summary-level information

Estimates and schedules based on expert knowledge and generic tools Project-centric focus

Level 3: Organizational Standards and Institutionalized Process

All processes standard for all projects and repeatable

Management has institutionalized processes

Summary and detailed information

Baseline and informal collection of actual data

Project Management Maturity Model

LEVEL 1 Initial Process

LEVEL 2 Structured Process and Standards

LEVEL 3 Organizational Standards and Institutionalized Process

LEVEL 4

Managed Process

LEVEL 5 Optimizing Process

Project Integration Management

Project Scope Management

Project Schedule Management

Project Cost Management

Project

Quality Management

Project Resource Management

Project Communications Management

Project Risk Management

Project Procurement Management

Project Stakeholder Management

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Maturity Levels

Knowledge Areas

PM Solutions Project Management Maturity Model combines SEI-type maturity measurement and PMI's PMBOK Guide industry standard in identifying key areas of project management to be addressed.

This unique approach to measuring project management maturity gives an organization a firm understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement as well as a sound and structured way to develop an action plan for improvement.

Figure 1.1 PM solutions' project management maturity model utilizes the PMBOK⁹ Guide's ten knowledge areas and the CMMI Institute's stage representation of five levels of maturity as the basic framework. The new Agile/Adaptive maturity model assessment questions are included under each knowledge area, as well as in the PPM maturity model in Appendix B.

Estimates and schedules may be based on industry standards and organizational specifics

Organizational focus

Informal analysis of project performance

Level 4: Managed Process

Processes integrated with corporate processes

Management mandates compliance

Management takes an organizational entity view

Solid analysis of project performance

Estimates and schedules normally based on organization specifics

Management uses data to make decisions

Level 5: Optimizing Process

Processes to measure project effectiveness and efficiency

Processes in place to improve project performance

Management focuses on continuous improvement

General Component Description

Because the knowledge requirement is very large within each of the PMBOK" Guides knowledge areas, it was necessary to break down each of the ten areas into key components (see Figure 1.2). This is where the real measurement of maturity takes place. For example, under the Project Scope Management knowledge area, there are six components that must be measured to effectively understand maturity. The six areas that we have identified within scope management include:

■ Scope Management Planning

■ Requirements Collection

■ Scope Definition

■ Work Breakdown Structure

■ Scope Validation

■ Scope Change Control

■ Adaptive/Agile Environment

These seven components are examined independently to determine the adequacy of defining and controlling the project scope.

Scope Management Planning is the “how to” of defining the project scope. This process describes how the project team develops a detailed project scope management plan that documents how the project team defines, validates, and controls project scope.

Requirements Collection is the assessment and development of processes, procedures, and standards relating to the collection of the business and technical requirements of the project.

Scope Definition describes how a detailed description of the project or product is developed.

Work Breakdown Structure examines the formality with which an organization identifies the complete scope of work to be performed. Tit is includes looking at the related dictionary.

Scope Validation covers the verification of elements of the scope statement as acceptable deliverables.

Project Management Maturity Model

LEVEL 1 Initial Process

LEVEL 2 Structured Process and Standards

LEVEL 3 Organizational Standards and Institutionalized Process

LEVEL 4

Managed Process

LEVEL 5 Optimizing Process

Project Integration Management

Project Scope Management

Project Schedule Management

Project Cost Management

Project

Quality Management

Project Resource Management

Project Communications Management

Project Risk Management

Project Procurement Management

Project Stakeholder Management

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Specific components are used to measure maturity and develop action plans

Scope Management Planning Requirements Collection Scope Definition

Work Breakdown Structure

Scope Validation

Scope Change Control

Adaptive/Agile Environments

Each knowledge area is broken down into specific components.

For example, under the scope management knowledge area, there are seven components that must be measured to effectively understand maturity.

The seven components that we have identified under the scope management area include:

Figure 1.2 Each of the ten knowledge areas in the model has been broken down into key components. This example is drawn from Chapter 4, Scope Management.

Scope Change Control looks at the process of incorporating additions, changes, and deletions to a project.

From a quick look at these six components, it’s easy to see that understanding the intricacies of project processes is a key element in determining project management maturity. All knowledge areas must be broken down similarly.

New in this edition, where it is relevant to include practice statements that relate to Agile/Adaptive Environments, these appear under the component description most closely related. In our scope management example, you will find Epics and Features defined and elaborated across the five levels of Scope Management capability for Agile/Adaptive Environments.

Three Special Interest Components

PM Solutions has determined three areas that exert significant influence on the adoption of project management practices: the project management office (PMO), management oversight, and professional development. Each area is given special attention in the maturity model (see Figure 1.3).

Project Management Maturity Model

Project Integration Management

Project Scope Management

Project Schedule Management

Project Cost Management

Project

Quality Management

Project Resource Management

Project Communications Management

Project Risk Management

I i « t

Project Procurement Management

Project Stakeholder Management

LEVEL 1 Initial Process

LEVEL 5 Optimizing Process

Project Office

Management Oversight

Management Maturity Model, three specialty areas are highlighted:

PM Solutions highlights three areas within the knowledge areas that experience has shown are key to rapidly developing a sustainable project management culture. In the PM Solutions Project

Professional Development

Project Office Management Oversight Professional Development

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Figure 1.3 Three additional areas of significance influence the adoption of project management practices. These components are given special attention in the maturity model. The figure shows where these special components— the PMO, Management Oversight, and Professional Development—are covered.