STUDY REPORT: Assessing the Maturity and Impact of Project Management Offices (PMOs)

The publication Study Report: Assessing the Maturity and Impact of Project Management Offices (PMOs) presents a systematic and theory-informed examination of the role and assessment of Project Management Offices (PMOs) in contemporary project-based organisations. The author team, led by Dr Reinhard Wagner (Germany) in collaboration with an international research group, critically analyses prevailing PMO assessment practices, which remain largely dominated by maturity-based approaches.

The study demonstrates that, in the literature, maturity models—while useful diagnostic tools for diagnosing capabilities and supporting internal development—are frequently treated as proxy measures of effectiveness or value. However, limited empirical evidence supports a causal relationship between higher maturity and greater organisational impact.

Based on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of peer-reviewed academic literature, complemented by insights from professional discourse, the study clarifies key concepts and explicitly distinguishes maturity from impact, while also addressing the relationship between performance, maturity, and impact. It highlights the need to move beyond normative maturity assumptions toward theory-driven and context-sensitive impact models. Particular attention is given to impact understood as contribution to benefits realisation, strategic alignment, decision quality, and long-term organisational performance.

The study offers implications for both practice and research. For practice, organisations are encouraged to complement maturity and performance assessments with impact-oriented evaluations that explicitly link PMO activities to strategic objectives and benefits. For research, the study calls for longitudinal and mixed-methods designs capable of capturing indirect and long-term effects, as well as stronger collaboration between academia and practice.

Overall, the publication provides a robust foundation for advancing both scholarly understanding and practical evaluation of PMOs. It ultimately calls for a shift from capability-centric to impact-oriented assessment perspectives, better reflecting the strategic role PMOs play in today’s project-based organisations.

License: CC-BY-SA