Failure of projects can be related to the project management maturity within an organisation. A number of organisations have had the same methodology or, no methodology at all, for most of their existence.
The problem is created when no formal review committee measures the validity and applicability of the methodology on a regular basis. A second contributing factor is that there is hardly ever a formal hand-over and initiation process to new project managers with regards to the execution and finer details of the methodology.
This leads to the methodology becoming an adaptation and fusion of individual understanding rather than the streamlined execution process that it should be. Project managers very quickly learn how to "cheat" the system, do only enough to survive, and provide the correct lingo to get through "just another project".
To solve the problem, companies need to treat the cause and not the symptoms.
Adeline Cruywagen, Project Manager, Fulcrum.
Focus should be directed towards ensuring the methodology is followed like a religion within the company and that all project managers have the correct exposure, background, certification and support system to ensure project success within the environment.
Two rules of engagement are clear when making the decision to embark on the path of increasing project management maturity.
The first is an understanding that to reach and sustain maturity is not a once-off process. It is a conscious decision by the company to evolve continually and grow towards the desired level of maturity.
The second rule is to know that maturity differs from organisation to organisation. Maturity is decided on specific company goals, resources available, size of organisation, strategy, and size of projects implemented.
So how do companies embark on this road of reaching the desired project management maturity level?
The first step to creating a healthy and successful project management environment is knowing and understanding which level of project management maturity the company would like to grow towards.
Understand which level of maturity makes sense for the organisation, what resources are involved, and the overall strategy of the business.
The second step is to measure the current level of maturity within the project team, and align this with the goals that have been identified.
In assessing a company`s project management maturity, a number of questions can be identified, including the following:
* What is the current level of project management maturity within the company?
* Has the company started maturing in other maturity levels before showing full maturity on a previous level?
* Does the methodology have executive buy in or not?
* Does the company at least speak a common project management language to provide a solid base to start from?
It is important to understand that even though 88% of companies are at level one of project management maturity, a number of those organisations have shown some maturity into level two and, even, level three.
This often happens based on the following:
* Project managers within a team have different levels of education and experience.
* The company methodology is in place - but there is no owner enforcing and training this methodology, ie the project managers who have been working with the methodology within the company environment will show more maturity than others.
* The project managers have learned to pay enough lip service to keep out of trouble, without understanding the bigger picture or related concepts.
All of the above create an illusion of well-being and maturity but upon further investigation it becomes apparent that it is superficial and does not reach to the heart of the company.
To solve the problem, companies need to treat the cause and not the symptoms. Project management maturity assessments assist greatly in finding the cause of the problem as well as defining the goals for resolution.
Knowledge is power, and as such, companies that have the knowledge of where they want to go and where they are, have completed the maturity circle at least once.
Be mindful that this circle has to be re-iterated over and over and will form a continuous endeavour within the organisation. Maturity and methodology has to be re-assessed on a regular basis, ensuring the company does not fall back into old habits.
* Adeline Cruywagen is project manager at Fulcrum.
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