Project Management Maturity Model - Research Paper Example

Project management Gloria Mitchell BUS 697 Project Management Strategy Dr. Kuznia, Kevin Ashford 5 July Project management Project management maturity model The advancements that have been witnessed in the business environment have created a significant role for project management and this explains the development of new approaches for to enhance its application. In the recent past, a number of businesses have continued to adopt business management approaches to improve their competitive advantage and profitability. One of the approaches that have been adopted is the project management maturity model, a tool that has enabled managers to understand the essence of project performance (Caron, Ruggeri & Merli, 2013). Maturity model is a tool that enables businesses to measure the ability of an organization to maturely manage different projects. It thus identifies the level of maturity and the avenues within the business within improvement before a roadmap is developed. In this roadmap, different steps are outlined that enable the business to manage its projects within the maturity model and achieve its long and short-term goals (Brown, 2008). The adoption of the maturity model by businesses increases the potential for success and the attainment of the strategic goals within the time set out in the organization’s missions and goals. Through the adoption of the maturity model, an organization increases its ability to continuously improve and develop strategic approaches, which are essential to the success of an organization. Though applied to project management, maturity model was developed under the aegis of quality management and assurance in an organization (Caron, Ruggeri & Merli, 2013). As a result, it was used in the processes of improving the quality of goods and services produced by a given organization, a process that is critical in the success of the same. By adopting the maturity model, an organization links its processes to the continuous improvement goals through a process that involves the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the same. As a result, avenues that can be improved through change can be identified through the adoption of the maturity model and this increases the success possibility of an organization (Brown, 2008). Within different organisations, there is an increasing need for the development of processes that capable of managing the variability has and obtain the desired results within the time set. Working towards achieving goals within the set budget and time constraint has remained the basic component of any project management plan. As a result, the maturity model has enhanced the management of projects especially within the IT departments that would otherwise have been abandoned due to time constraints (Caron, Ruggeri & Merli, 2013). According to a report published by the project management institute, the maturity model enhances the ability of an organization to select a project out the multiple ideas and manage it using the strategic goals established. Projects in different parts of the world have failed or been abandoned for various reasons and this has resulted into significant financial losses. According to a survey conducted in 2003, 66% of projects within IT departments that have been implemented without adopting the maturity model have failed or been abandoned halfway without achieving the set goals or objectives. This is the challenge that the maturity model abolishes as it provides a clear schedule based on the budget and time limitations and enables managers to follow within the program. The same challenge of failing projects due to budget and time limitations have affected projects implemented by the government, a challenge that can be easily eliminated through the adoption of project management maturity model (Brown, 2008). Importance of organizational strategy and the role of project management in achieving results Organizational strategy is essential in the success of any business or institution and this must be blended with the program management approach adopted. This applies to organisations that must adopt sound strategies for the business environment to favor them for success. Through the development of a strategy, an organization is given a new focus and impetus to work towards the accomplishment of its goals. Focus provides room for the development of an action plane, prepare the employees towards the task ahead, and set aside financial and material resources for the plans (Senescu, Aranda-Mena & Haymaker, 2013). The development of organizational strategy also provides room for development of a dynamic business environment that is critical in the achievement of different projects and programs. While there is need for the establishment of specific goals and plans for the organization in the short and long-term plan, there is need for the adoption of a dynamic approach that recognizes the impacts of the environment on the success of the plans. This acts as a motivation factor to the employees within an organization and decreases the likelihood of failure associated with change in the business environment or taste of the customers (Caron, Ruggeri & Merli, 2013). Cooperation also plays a central role in the success of any organization and this can be achieved through the documentation of the organizational program. Any organization cannot achieve its goals and plans with the input of one single individual and this stresses the need for the establishment of internal cooperation (Senescu, Aranda-Mena & Haymaker, 2013). However, no successful cooperation can be achieved without engaging all employees in the plan of the organization through the establishment of an organizational strategic plan. Through a good strategy, roles are assigned to different employees and this eliminates the development of a chaotic environment that may prevent the organization from achieving its goals. The development and establishment of projects must follow an alignment process that incorporates the objectives and strategic plans of the organization. This is due to the fact that projects acts as vehicles which are used in the process of executing different initiatives in an organization and are prompted by deliberative and emergent efforts of the business. Through these project management programs, an organization can enhance its performance through grouping different projects managed and controlled in order to reduce the inefficiencies and increase organizational performance (Brown, 2008). The alignment of project management with organizational strategy also provides the management with an opportunity to deeply analyses the process that can used in the process of strategy formulation and implementation. The management and expectation of the interests and desires of the customers is key to the success of any organization and this can be achieved through creation of linkage between strategy and project management. Project communication methods Communication and management are two integral components of any organization and this makes project management communication essential for the success of any strategic plan. Every organization has stakeholders that need to be up to date with the progress made in all the projects being undertaken. To successfully accomplish effective communication with the management, employees and the stakeholders, project management communication approaches must be adopted and implemented wholly. Just like any other communication process within the organization, project communication must be planned and organized effectively. The process of planning for project communication involves more than just the use of memos and meetings as a way of passing the information but ensuring that all the stakeholders understand the basics of the project. During planning, project managers must develop approaches for the development of open and two way information as way of creating interaction between the management and the stakeholders. The communication approach must also aptly identify and facilitation the understanding of the problem that the project seek to solve and the resolution of the approaches. Though communication can involve passing the information to the stakeholders, the participation of these people in the planning for the project cannot be ignored at all cost. As a result, the communication will be a process adopted just to brief already informed employees on the approaches being adopted and the methods being used vary considerably (Senescu, Aranda-Mena & Haymaker, 2013). The communication adopted must thus ensure that each and every member of the management and other stakeholders are kept up to date with the progress of the implementation. However, this does not make the process of project implementation under the complete influence of the stakeholders as this may derail the implementation of the projects (Neverauskas & Railaite, 2013). During communication, the goals, needs, and resources used must be included to enable the audience grasp the benefits and opportunities created by the project. The resources used and budgetary allocation needed and the approaches that will be used must be clearly articulated in the communication program. Despite the needs and pressures placed on project communication, a number of challenges exist that managers must factor in to ensure that the stakeholders accept and endorse them. Project communication challenges, which can affect the articulation of the issues to be covered, include the resistance from some of the employees and lack of interest among the stakeholders (Hunter, Fitzgerald & Barlow, 2014). Project communication must be established within a short time to cover the entire illustrious project and this may lead to the inclusion of the essential components of the project. Management stakeholders that are affected by the success or failure of the project include the customers, the corporate sponsors of the project and among other stakeholders and shareholders. These stakeholders are involved in the planning, financing, implementing and review of the projects and this determines the performance of the project. Though this group may lack attention and interests in the details, their desire to see the success of the project makes them essential consideration during planning for communication (Caron, Ruggeri & Merli, 2013). The use of project quality Different techniques and tools are available for project managers to enhance the quality of their projects and ensure that the objectives and strategic goals of organization are met. As a project manager, one must be able to provide the necessary documentation for the client and ensure that compliance with needs of the organization is met (Neverauskas & Railaite, 2013). First, the project quality plan must be established in line with the organization’s internal quality assurance and control measures. Just like the project itself, quality management is also influenced by proper communication approaches, which target the employees and the customers alike. Good project planning and scheduling alone cannot be enough to push the quality the project up without proper communication approaches (Hunter, Fitzgerald & Barlow, 2014). This makes it essential for the project managers and the quality assurance team to develop their communication skills in order to eliminate internal challenges that may affect the success of the project. During the procedure of implementing the project, quality control must be planned and the assurance department equipped to oversee the processes (Caron, Ruggeri & Merli, 2013). The analysis of the current performance indicator using data and information currently available within the organization provides forecast for the goals and the costs involved in the implementation of the project. This is achieved through a process known as earned value that involves the evaluation of the plan, the work involved, and the value of the completed work. Through this analysis, the budget allocation and the time available for the implementation of the same will be evaluated to determine the likelihood of success for the project. Earned value analysis was developed by the defense department of the United States as a way of evaluating the PERT/costs of projects implemented in 1963. Earned value analysis has a number of benefits to the process of implementing different projects and this explains its implementation by organisations (Neverauskas & Railaite, 2013). A single management control approach enables project managers to acquire reliable data and information necessary for the success of their projects. Earned value analysis is also integrative of the work involved in the projects, the schedules and the costs especially when the implementation involves the use of breakdown structures. Through the use of databases from previous projects, earned value analysis enhances the success of the current project and provides an opportunity for the use of the cumulative cost performance index to evaluate whether the project will succeed or not (Hunter, Fitzgerald & Barlow, 2014). Organisations should thus adopt the earned value analysis approach to enhance its performance and success of its projects at all time. Conclusion Project management is essential for the success of plans and strategic objectives of organization and provides opportunities for implementation with ease. Maturity model is a tool that enables businesses to measure the ability of an organization to maturely manage different projects. It thus identifies the level of maturity and the avenues within the business within improvement before a roadmap is developed (Brown, 2008). In this roadmap, different steps are outlined that enable the business to manage its projects within the maturity model and achieve its long and short-term goals. The adoption of the maturity model by businesses increases the potential for success and the attainment of the strategic goals within the time set out in the organization’s missions and goals. Through the adoption of the maturity model, an organization increases its ability to continuously improve and develop strategic approaches that are essential to the success of an organization. For any organization to succeed, it must be able to reach out to the terms and approaches described in the maturity model. This paper has evaluated different models and approaches in the process of project management and how they define success of projects. References Brown, C. J. (2008). A comprehensive organisational model for the effective management of project management. South African Journal of Business Management, 39(3), 1-10. Caron, F., Ruggeri, F., & Merli, A. (2013). A Bayesian Approach to Improve Estimate at Completion in Earned Value Management. Project Management Journal, 44(1), 3-16. doi:10.1002/pmj.21303 Hunter, H., Fitzgerald, R., & Barlow, D. (2014). Improved cost monitoring and control through the Earned Value Management System. Acta Astronautica, 93497-500. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.09.010 Neverauskas, B., & Railaite, R. (2013). Formation approach for project management maturity measurement.Economics & Management, 18(2), 360-365. doi:10.5755/j01.em.18.2.4604 Senescu, R., Aranda-Mena, G., & Haymaker, J. (2013). Relationships between Project Complexity and Communication. Journal of Management in Engineering, 29(2), 183-197. Doi: 10.1061/ (ASCE) ME.1943-5479.0000121 Read More