Now What? Project Management Research Points the Way

June 2, 2020 | by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

We live in interesting times. Although the new research study officially released today, The State of Project Management 2020, was conceived of and designed last fall--a seeming lifetime ago!--the issues it frames, and the solutions offered, could not be more timely.

If your organization has struggled to realize the full benefits of a maturing project and program management process, you are not alone. Some of the challenges that beset organizations are perennial: over the course of 25 years, we have seen PMOs spread throughout sectors, yet the issue of resource management continues to plague even high-performing organizations. One positive aspect of the business disruptions of Covid-19 is that companies have been compelled to experiment with a variety of human resource management strategies, some of which will doubtless have a lasting impact on how organizations operate. (See: "Death of the Office" )

Another area where progress has been slow is in benefits realization management, and the link it provides between strategic planning and portfolio performance. A recent focus on this important practice area on the part of PMI has helped to spread the word, but as with any organizational change, the wheels turn slowly ... until a crisis makes the need evident, and then it is surprising how fast even large organizations can turn.

We welcome dialogue and questions about this new study; the links provided offer a free download of the research summary, and I am always available to respond to inquiries about the full report, or to dig deeper to help you find out how the information applies in your industry, company size, or department. And, as always, to those who participated in the study, our deepest appreciation.

About the Author

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin is editor-in-chief for PM Solutions Research, and the author, co-author and editor of over twenty books on project management, including the 2007 PMI Literature Award winner, The AMA Handbook of Project Management, Second Edition.

View Posts by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

Related Posts:

• Understanding PMaaS-Part 2
• When You Needed Results Yesterday: Understanding the Role of Project Management as a Service (PMaaS)
• PMaaS and Organizational Performance, Then and Now
• (More) Changing Approaches to Project Management
• What We Mean When We Say PM as a Service
• A Festively Decorated Big Box of …. What Now?!
• Jazzed Up About Project Management and AI
• Live from Atlanta ... People, Ideas and More, Part 2
• Live from Atlanta ... People, Ideas and More
• Value Delivery Skills Webinar Attendees Had Questions: Here Are Some Answers
• Webinar Alert: Project Management Skills for Value Delivery Research Overview
• Seven Actions for the Adaptive Organization
• PMO Staff vs PMO Leaders: Realism or Pessimism?
• High Performers Value These Skills
• PM Skills Benchmark Study: Your Second Chance to Participate
• New Research Launch: Project Management Skills for Value Delivery
• Managing Projects…Or Delivering Value? Eric Foss’s Challenge to Project Managers
• A Look Forward, With Hope and Confidence
• Some Thoughts About Governance, PMOs and the Thinking Project Manager
• PMO of the Year Finalist Ontario Power Generation
• The Future is Already Here for These PMOs
• State of the PMO Research Webinar – Your Questions, Answered: Part 2
• State of the PMO Research Webinar – Your Questions, Answered: Part 1
• Will A.I. Kill the PMO? Part 3 in Our A.I. in PM Series
• PMO Research Reveal: What You'll Learn in This Week's Webinar
• The Evolution of the Enterprise PMO: What Comes Next?
• Think Your Business Is Too Small for a PMO? Think Again.
• The Enterprise PMO Delivers
• PMOs: New Research Shows Benefits Outweigh Cost
• The PMO at 20: New Research Findings Released

(1 votes. Average: 5.0 out of 5)