P3M3 in a simple, easy to understand summary

Working in the Project Management space means that I often forget that concepts and frameworks that I am very familiar with may not be as clear to others.

I thought I would take a few minutes to write a very short summary of P3M3™.

P3M3™ is a model used to assess maturity levels against three distinct disciplines:

1. Project Management maturity
2. Programme Management maturity
3. Portfolio Management maturity

Maturity is calibrated at five levels and the model measures maturity in seven process perspectives that are common to all three disciplines. The seven process areas are:

• Management control
• Benefits Management
• Financial Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Risk Management
• Organisational Management
• Resource Management

Organisations can carry out their own self assessments, which provides an low cost way to create a baseline score that can be used to help measure improvements. However, in my experience self assessments usually lack objectivity and many organisations will later ask an independant organisation to carry out the measure which will become the baseline for an improvement plan.

One of the key steps for any organisation carrying out a P3M3 ™ assessment is to decide the appropriate level of maturity that is appropriate for their organisation. The five levels are:

1. Awareness of process
2. Repeatable process
3. Defined process
4. Managed process
5. Optimised process

Please contact me if you'd like to learn more about maturity assessments in Project or Service Management (ITIL).

New Zealand through to the Semi-Finals - RWC 2011

Was it a well executed project plan that yesterday saw the mighty Kiwi "All Blacks" triumph over the Argentinian Puma's or was it just a case of a hard fought desperate battle with the home town advantage?
As an experienced Project Manager, I'd like to think that the coaching and management staff sat down and looked at the game as a project. Surely they understood the Business Case for the project; financially, Rugby is good business and emotionally the hopes of the entire nation was at stake.

They would have had their plans defined to the point of knowing specifically who would be involved in the big plays of the day, what the communication structures were and when specific events would happen (ok, ok - so perhaps in a sporting arena we can't always predict when the points will be scored).

Then there would have been a regimented application of processes throughout the game. Each phase could be seen as a work package and each turn over in play (a stage boundary) would be a stage in itself. Assessments were happening on and off the field and ultimately the project was closed in the most satisfying way.

Well, perhaps I am stretching things a bit here, but life is a project and it was great to see the mighty All Blacks apply sound practice yesterday.