Insights from Inside Project Management Journal^®
The Benefits of a Consistent Project Management Approach

Instead of trying to find the perfect project management approach, project managers should concentrate on using one approach consistently throughout the organization, to see the best tangible benefits.

Recent PMI-sponsored research^{1, 2} has centered on determining the value to an organization of implementing project management. One finding of that research was that the project management research community doesn’t fully agree on how to identify and measure values related to project management.

An article in the September 2009 issue of the Project Management Journal^® entitled “Value Creation by Building an Intraorganizational Common Frame of Reference Concerning Project Management”—by Pernille Eskerod, PhD, and Eva Riis, MSc, both of the University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark—presents further new thinking on the question of how to create and quantify value through project management practices.

The authors, who were involved in the PMI research, assert that real value results not from choosing a particular project management approach, but rather from implementing an approach consistently throughout an organization. They focus on four case studies at organizations where a “common frame of reference” for project management—a uniform set of project management processes, methods and instruments—was established, and on the values or benefits attributed to this approach.

Elements in a Common Frame of Reference

Each of the organizations in the study established a common project management framework across all departments. While there were differences among the frameworks, there were key elements that all four typically included:

A common project management model. This included consistent application of agreed upon tools and methods, comprising a unified approach to project management.

Companywide project management training programs. This provided for use of common terminology, understanding of concepts, project management methods, and tools.

Project management career development. This included customized, internal examinations or external certification of project managers as an integral part of their professional development.

Knowledge-sharing activities. Sharing knowledge among project managers was found to enhance the use of common methods, even though it was less formal and systematic than the approaches to training or certification.

Resulting Benefits

Individual stakeholders identified a range of values that they believed resulted from the implementation of the common frame of reference. Below is a list of many of the benefits cited, with examples of ways each benefit was experienced in the organizations:

Communication. Fewer misunderstandings; easier communication; people using the same language and terminology.

Use of resources. Higher-quality project results and less rework; smoother cross-national projects; easier management monitoring of project progress.

Time management. On-time project delivery; quicker response to customers.

Project progress. Customer and project team expectations aligned early in process; increased focus on conflict resolution and project progress.

Financial management. Projects completed within budget.

Customer satisfaction. Project team more professional toward customers; stakeholders satisfied with deliverables.

Knowledge sharing. Easier knowledge transfer due to common understanding and integration efforts.

Conclusions
The implementation of a consistent system of project management throughout an organization appears to produce many tangible and valuable benefits. The study described in this article is a helpful extension of the important research that has been done on the value of project management. Those interested in more detail on the case studies and the researchers’ findings will want to read the full article in the Project Management Journal.

PMI’s Project Management Journal is a peer-reviewed journal “dedicated to advancing the understanding of project, program, and portfolio management through empirical investigation and theoretical research.”

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¹ Thomas, J., & Mullaly, M. (2004). Understanding the value of project management. Research proposal submitted to the Project Management Institute in answer to the 2004 RFP Quantifying the Value of Project Management (unpublished).

² Thomas, J., & Mullaly, M. (2007). Understanding the value of project management: First steps on an international investigation in search of value. Project Management Journal, 38(3), 74-89.