Organizational Enablers for Organizational Project Management.

Abstract

This research report focuses on the five Board and Executive OPM driven enabler areas in response to a PMI Standards request for research. In this report, we review evidence-based literature on Organizational Enablers (OEs) that facilitate effective Organizational Project Management (OPM). This report uses a systematic review of the empirical literature including the Project Management Research Journals, the Allied Disciplines Journals, and the 2012 Financial Times Top 40 Journals. The report offers detailed findings and recommendations for PMI. Our main conclusion is that whereas the field of standards is evolving, there are gaps that need to be bridged between how the standards are developed and how research is conducted. Our findings indicate that these gaps contribute to narrower understandings and interpretations of concepts and related standards in the Board and Executive OPM driven enabler domain. We recommend that PMI: • Refine, clarify, and better position the definitions, scope, and roles of OEs referred to in the standards. • Include leadership as a key component of all the standards and describe its role as a meta-enabler for OPM and effective leadership as a meta-enabler characteristic. • Transition from a prescriptive processes orientation towards a human orientation by advocating the development of “reflective practitioners” who can understand and use enablers. • Develop a framework to use for OE development. • Solicit input from practitioners and academia for further development of the standards. We greatly appreciate the regular and extensive integrative work that occurs between the Standard Members Advisory Group, the Academic Members Advisory Group, and the Research Informed Standards Steering Committee. It is only through their generous support for research such as this, that we are able to contribute to future developments and directions at PMI. The entire project team thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative and open working relationship in terms of trust and communication in terms of the successful partnership between the team and PMI.