The document discusses a project management maturity model (PMMM) that establishes five levels of maturity in project management. It aims to increase the probability of project success by implementing quality processes, effective communication, and integrating organizational strategy with project management. The five levels are common language, common processes, singular methodology, benchmarking, and continuous improvement. Key components of success discussed include project quality, earned value analysis, and communication methods. The PMMM provides a structured approach for organizations to improve their project management capabilities and link strategic planning with project implementation.

1. Running head: A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 1
The Probability of Success Using a Project Management Maturity Model
Robert Haskins
BUS 697: Project Management Strategy
Dr. Shawn Milligan
27 October 2014

2. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 2
The Probability of Success Using a Project Management Maturity Model
In 2013, the Project Management Institute produced a report on the status of the project
management profession and found an astonishing fact; organizations lose an average of $109
million for every $1 billion spent on projects (Project Management Institute, 2014). This figure
comes as a surprise with experts in the consulting industry publicizing the importance of
integrating organizational strategic planning with project management. Organizations must shift
from top-level management micromanaging projects and focus on strategic planning, leaving the
task of strategy implementation to middle management. An organization will need to discover
where its project management capabilities are. Thus, a project management maturity model
(PMMM) establishes a structural process to bring the organization to various levels of project
management maturity.
An examination of PMMM reveals the five levels of maturity in project management.
These levels are common language, common processes, singular methodology, benchmarking,
and continuous improvement. An analysis of project quality and earned value analysis are given
to understand key components to a successful project. Another pertinent factor in PMMM is
communicating during the project’s lifecycle because it allows stakeholders to be aware of past,
present and future activities or events. Lastly, the integration of the organization’s strategic plan
with the project management method is essential for the success of the product. The PMMM is
effective at implementing the strategic plan because the model ensures project quality, promotes
effective communication to all stakeholders, and integrates organizational strategy with project
management.
The Project Management Maturity Model

3. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 3
The first objective for any organization is to achieve profitability. The strategic plan is a
process the organization formulates to help put into effect decisions that puts it on a path towards
profitability. The development of an effective project management plan is a process the
organization uses in its strategic planning. However, many companies do not properly use
project management. An assessment of the organization’s project management capabilities and a
structure to implement continuous improvement towards achieving excellence is needed. The
PMMM gives five levels of maturity to deliver the strategic outcomes in a predictable,
controllable, and reliable manner (Project Management Institute, 2013a). These levels are
common language, common processes, singular methodology, benchmarking, and continuous
improvement.
Common Language
The first level of PMMM is the point in which the organization realizes the significance
and potential of project management. Although recognized at this level, management does not
support project management. The organization may occasionally use project management but
there is no real investment in it. However, if the organization decides to move from the first
level to the next, it must address the ignorance of project management with education. Once the
organization puts into action a fortified effort in learning about the principles of project
management under a common and systematic approach, it will realize the significance and
potential of project management.
Common Processes
When the organization accepts common terminology, educated principles, and
philosophies in project management, it moves into the second level of maturity. The second
level characteristics include consistently using project management for the organization’s

4. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 4
projects, recognizing tangible benefits, creating changes in corporate culture, organizational
commitment, and the development of a project management curriculum (Kerzner, 2005, pp. 67-
68). To achieve success in level two, a five-phase lifecycle produces effective results.
The first and second phase is called the embryonic phase and executive management
acceptance, respectfully. The embryonic phase involves senior management recognizing that
project management is needed for survival (Kerzner, 2005). The second phase will require
senior management support and cultural change throughout the organization. The next phase is
educating the middle management on the benefits of project management and amasses support
for change. The fourth phase is the most important for two reasons. First, this phase cannot
begin without the first three being complete. Secondly, it is the beginning of formulating an
organization wide project methodology. The last phase is called the maturity phase because of
the creation of a cost/schedule control system and development of a system to educate and
support project management skills (p. 71). The completion of the second level lifecycle will
propel the organization into level three of the PMMM.
Singular Methodology
The third level of project management maturity occurs when the organization accepts a
singular methodology over a multitude of processes. A commitment from everyone in the
organization is required for this level including managerial and cultural support, an integrated
process, training and education, less rigid policies, and recognizing the differences between
project management and line management (Kerzner, 2005). These attributes sets apart those
organizations that have truly committed themselves to excellence in project management and
codifies the next level of PMMM in benchmarking the successes of the organization when it uses
a singular project management methodology.

5. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 5
Benchmarking
The fourth level of the PMMM begins once the organization has established a singular
methodology and decides to use valuable internal and external knowledge to make improvements
in the project management process. Kerzner (2005) described the fourth level of PMMM as the
level where the organization realizes that its existing methodology can be improved upon (p.
100). However, the approach to attain and comprehend a process to bring about the
improvement needs examining.
The first step in an effective process of continuous improvement via benchmarking will
require establishing a project management office (PMO). The PMO will create certain criteria to
include in the benchmarking process including qualitative and quantitative benchmarking.
Moreover, the PMO manages the lessons learned and exhibits a commitment to improving the
project management process by comparing its benchmarking with other organizations from
within and outside of its industry. Continuous benchmarking will give way to continuous
improvement.
Continuous Improvement
The final level in the PMMM is to assess the benchmarking information, conceive new
ideas, and implement them to improve the project management methodology. However, once
those ideas are implemented benchmarking will need to continue in examining the effects of
those new ideas. Doing so determines if the new ideas are effective and contribute to continuous
improvement. Therefore, documentation of the lessons learned from one project to the next is
paramount in the exchange of knowledge.
Author’s note: Although I have never worked for an organization that considered the
intricate details of the PMMM, I recognize the importance of such a process. As a land surveyor,

6. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 6
I worked with a small firm that was project-driven but never embraced specific methodologies of
managing projects. After looking back and learning the valuable lessons in this course, I see the
impact a PMMM would have on the firm. I anticipate a definite need for the PMMM in my
future endeavors.
Project Quality and Earned Value Analysis
Project Quality
The project manager’s priority is to deliver the requirements of the customer in time and
on budget. However, when it comes to defining quality, ambiguity creeps in and makes the
definition confusing and archaic. Projects come in all different sizes and scope, making what
should be a systematic process of producing customer satisfaction to project quality becoming an
art. Joseph Juran (1999), a pioneer in quality management, described quality as those features of
products that meet customer needs and free from deficiencies and errors that require work over
again, customer dissatisfaction, and customer claims (pp. 26-27). The project manager must
keep in mind the definition of quality when making trade-offs to the triple constraints of time,
cost, and scope to conform to customer requirements.
The triple constraint is a mixture of time, cost, and scope. These constraints act much
like the legs of a stool, if one fails the stool does not work. A careful balance of making trade-
offs helps to meet the objectives of the project. Quality is similar to scope because scope reflects
customer requirements, and thus the quality the customer expects. Another aspect of quality is
the project itself. Kenneth Rose (2005) explained that “Quality processes that maintain cost and
schedule constraints will ensure a quality project” (p. 6). Therefore, a quality project will contain
all the requirements and expectation of the customer. Although a growing consensus claims
quality ought to be a fourth constraint, a project manager should not be given a choice to trade-

7. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 7
off quality for anything else. An earned value analysis of two of the triple constraints, time and
cost, will help to create an environment where scope/quality has a chance of succeeding.
Earned Value Analysis
Getting the most out of the project to meet the requirements of the customer to create
quality, the project manager must monitor and control the performance using an earned value
analysis. This is the purpose of the earned value analysis. Establishing the earned value
cost/schedule system is a key move for the PMO. All the stakeholders in the project must
support earned value management. Quentin Fleming and Joel Koppelman (2009) explained that
if everyone has a rudimentary understanding of what the earned value management data means,
everyone connected to the project knows what everyone else is doing (p. 22). If the metrics in
measuring the performance of the project has a different meaning to other departments, projected
results will differ and project success or failure will mean differently to others. Establishing a
baseline metric is the beginning of such a system.
The reasons for a baseline are to monitor, control, and report on the progress of the
estimated cash flow. To begin such a system, the project manager establishes the earned value
(EV), the planned value (PV), and the actual cost (AC). The EV is a percentage of the
completed project multiplied by the budget. The PV is the cost estimate of the resources at that
point in the schedule. The AC is the actual cost of the work at that point in the schedule. These
three figures are the foundation to the earned value analysis. From these three figures, a cost
variance and schedule variance are created to determine if the project is on schedule or on cost.
Once there is a baseline a comparison to actual and planned schedule and costs will provide data
the project manager uses to determine the health of the project. An example of the successful
and/or failed implementation of the earned value analysis will illustrate the difference.

8. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 8
Case study
The Springfield Interchange Improvement Project (SIIP) is an example of a large-scale
project that, on the surface, resembled a success. The praise from the primary stakeholders (i.e.
commuters and taxpayers) indicates the project was a success. However, an assessment of the
mega-project proved successes in the areas of communications, scope, and procurement
management, and opportunities to improve existed in risk and quality management (Anbari,
2002). An analysis of each phase in the life cycle of the project showed strong support from the
Virginia Department of Transportation, but waned in the latter phases of the project. Continued
support from the project sponsor throughout the project would have avoided problems in risk and
communication management.
Project Communication Methods
Communication in the project is essential in bringing the team members to adhere to a
common set of goals and objectives. Without the focus of communication, the project is at
jeopardy with costs overruns, exceeding schedules, inconsistent metadata, and various other
issues. A study conducted by the Project Management Institute revealed that the most crucial
success factor in project management is effective communications to all stakeholders, a critical
core competency to all organizations (Project Management Institute, 2013b). In a business
climate that indicates uncertainty and low business performance, a low cost solution like
communication can become the competitive advantage an organization needs. The PMBOK
(2013) identifies three communication methods; interactive communication, push
communication, and pull communication (p. 295). Employing effective communication methods
with all the stakeholders involved will lead to successful projects.

9. A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL 9
An interactive communication method will involve two or more parties engage in
conversing ideas, opinions, objections, or statements. This type of communication method is
used the most often since it contains messages that are transmitted from sender to receiver and
vice versa. Modes of instant response from the receiver will include face-to-face,
teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and text messages. A push communication method
happens when there is contact from a sender to other parties without any expectation of a
response. This communication method is used on a regular basis to convey a message to
stakeholders without any intention for feedback. Examples could include meeting notes, status
reports, and press releases. The pull communication method is less used as it relies on large
groups to access a large amount of information at their own discretion (Project Management
Institute, 2013b). The sender has a limited amount of interaction as this method entrusts the
respondents to interact with the information medium. Examples of this type of communication
are large databases or data warehouses. Each of these methods of communication has its place
and using these methods appropriately is important to the effectiveness of project
communication. Project communication, project quality, and earned value management are
important tools at integrating organizational strategic with project management.
Integration of Organizational Strategy and Project Management
Strategic planning is a process born in the boardroom made by executives to decide the
future of the organization. These decisions will determine the survival of the organization
because of its impact on processes to adapt to change. The two phases in developing an
organization strategy are formulation and implementation.
The first phase is the process to identify those elements that make the organization
competitive. A strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat analysis evaluates the available

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resources and business environment to pursue the organization’s objectives. Moreover, the
organization determines the path towards creating value and satisfaction for its customers. The
formulation phase is conducted entirely from executive management. The second phase is to
implement the results of the formulation phase. “Implementation involves all levels of
management in moving the organization towards its mission” (Kerzner, 2005, p. 16). Since
implementation will require all levels of management, integration with the various departments
of the organization is also needed. This includes project management.
These past years has seen a rise in the development of PMMM’s as a way to link
organizational strategy with project strategy. However, a link between the two strategies will
require senior management to accept project management as a means to accomplishing its
strategic objectives rather than a top down approach to strategic implementation. Raju Rao
(2007) stated that current thinking on connecting strategy to projects rests on a structure of
considering project related work (Connecting Projects to Strategy section, para. 2). Integrating
PMMM into the strategic planning will connect the appropriate project to the need in the
strategy. A mature project methodology and an organized PMO will conclude with a successful
integration of the organization’s strategic objectives.
Conclusion and Lessons Learned
The implementation of the organization’s strategic plan using PMMM brings together
effective tools that create project quality, effective communication with all the stakeholders, and
integration of strategy with the principles of project management. The PMMM and its five levels
of maturity give an organization a structured format to build its PMO into an integral part of the
overall success of the organization. A byproduct of a prosperous project methodology is
satisfying the requirements of the customer and creating project quality. Moreover,

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communication has proven to be a significant core competency of all the stakeholders in the
project. An effective communication plan will bring collaboration and cohesiveness among
everyone invested in the project. Integration of the organization’s vision and mission in creating
a product or service that brings profitability and a competitive advantage is made more
efficiently using the PMMM. Using all of these elements increases the probability of success
when the organization reaches excellence in project management maturity.
A maturity model will differ according to the organization and the industry. The PMMM
described in this report is not an end-all-be-all, but more of a generalization of a maturity model
an organization can build on. Every maturity model will conclude with a level of continuous
improvement. It is through benchmarking and continuous improvement that success is more
probable. Moreover, the organization will need to make the cultural changes that allow them to
accept the changes that will undoubtedly occur. Additionally, a library of best practices,
continuously assessed, ensures the transfer of knowledge to all levels of the organization.
Therefore, benchmarking and continuous improvement, accepting a culture of change, and
organizing the best practices of the organization will certainly increase the probability of success.

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References
Anbari, F. T. (2002). Springfield interchange improvement project. The George Washinton
University. Project Management Institute. Retrieved from
http://www.marcoullis.com/PROJECTS/ANBARI/pdf/selected/Anbari_Research_Springf
ield_Interchange_Case_Study.pdf
Fleming, Q., & Koppelman, J. (2009). The two most useful earned value metrics: The CPI and
the TCPI. Cost Engineering, 51(3), 22-25. (Document ID: 1681065491). Retrieved from
ProQuest.
Juran, J. M. (1999). Juran's quality handbook (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.pqm-online.com/assets/files/lib/juran.pdf
Kerzner, H. (2005). Using the project management maturity model: Strategic planning for
project management (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge.
PMI(5th). Newtown Square, PA, USA.
Project Management Institute. (2013). The high cost of low performance: The essential role of
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http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Business-Solutions/The-High-Cost-Low-Performance-
The-Essential-Role-of-Communications.ashx
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performance. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. Retrieved from
http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Business-Solutions/PMI_Pulse_2014.ashx

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Rao, R. (2007). Connecting organization strategy to projects--the missing link. PMI Global
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http://www.pmi.org/learning/connecting-organization-strategy-aligning-projects-7345
Rose, K. H. (2005). Project quality management: Why, what and how. Boca Raton, FL, USA: J.
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