6.9 Action Items for Beginners and Beyond

While PPM maturity is a continuous journey, there are practical steps that both newcomers (those at earlier maturity stages) and experienced practitioners (those aiming to refine or optimize existing frameworks) can take to accelerate progress. This section provides actionable recommendations tailored to organizations at different stages of their PPM evolution, ensuring that each reader—whether standing up foundational processes or fine-tuning sophisticated analytics—has a clear path forward.

6.9.1 Immediate Actions for Beginners (Ad Hoc to Basic)

1. Establish a Baseline
   • Conduct a Simple Assessment: Use a basic questionnaire or checklist to understand where your organization stands in terms of governance, processes, and tools (see Section 6.4).
   • Identify Critical Gaps: Pinpoint obvious pain points—lack of standardized intake, no formal gate reviews, poor visibility of costs or schedules—that impede project success.
2. Implement “Lite” Governance
   • Form a Steering Committee or Small PMO: Even a part-time or skeleton PMO structure can bring consistency and oversight.
   • Create Basic Templates: Introduce simple project intake forms, high-level business cases, and a short, standardized risk register to ensure minimal documentation and transparency.
3. Secure Executive Sponsorship
   • Obtain CIO/CTO/CEO Backing: Emphasize the importance of visible support to encourage adoption of new processes.
   • Start Small: Focus on one or two pilot projects under the new governance process; success stories from these pilots can build momentum.
4. Communication and Training
   • Educate Project Teams: Provide short workshops or lunch-and-learn sessions on new forms, reporting requirements, and the basics of stage gating.
   • Promote Quick Wins: Share early benefits—like cost savings or clearer priorities—to illustrate why even minimal PPM structure is beneficial.
5. Plan for Incremental Growth
   • Keep It Simple: Avoid overwhelming teams with too many metrics or heavy documentation.
   • Set Short-Term Goals: Aim for small improvements (e.g., “all new projects must submit a one-page intake form”) within the next 3–6 months.

6.9.2 Building Momentum for Intermediate Maturity (Basic to Managed)

1. Refine and Expand Governance
   • Institutionalize Gate Reviews: Define clear go/no-go criteria for at least two or three gates (feasibility, approval, execution readiness).
   • Strengthen the PMO: Broaden responsibilities to include portfolio-level reporting, resource tracking, and risk consolidation.
2. Introduce Portfolio-Level Financial Oversight
   • Budget Tracking: Integrate budget vs. actuals into monthly or quarterly reviews; even a simple spreadsheet can suffice initially.
   • High-Level Business Case Reviews: Mandate that each project update financial projections at major milestones to maintain alignment with ROI or strategic goals.
3. Enhance Resource and Capacity Management
   • Centralize Resource Requests: Capture demand for specialized roles or scarce skill sets in a central system (even if it’s a shared spreadsheet initially).
   • Balance Priorities: Let steering committees reallocate resources among projects based on business impact or strategic alignment.
4. Adopt a Data-Driven Mindset
   • Basic Dashboards: Track key metrics—like on-time delivery, cost variance, and top risks—and share them with stakeholders.
   • Measure Progress: Review how many projects meet gating milestones on schedule and within budget; use insights to refine processes.
5. Bolster Change Management Efforts
   • Continuous Communication: Reiterate the why behind PPM—tie improved governance to better outcomes like reduced risk, faster delivery, or higher customer satisfaction.
   • Address Resistance: Identify and coach individuals or departments still clinging to ad hoc practices, highlighting success stories from peers.

6.9.3 Advancing to Measured and Optimized Levels (Managed to Measured/Optimized)

1. Leverage Integrated PPM Tools
   • Enterprise-Wide Rollout: Move from siloed or ad hoc tool usage to a consolidated platform that spans project scheduling, resource allocation, and financial data.
   • Automate Reporting: Shift from manual status updates to real-time dashboards that offer predictive insights (e.g., looming resource bottlenecks, potential schedule slippage).
2. Adopt Advanced Analytics and Scenario Planning
   • Predictive Modeling: Use historical data to forecast cost/schedule variances or identify high-risk projects early.
   • What-If Analysis: Run multiple funding scenarios to guide strategic decision-making, especially for large or high-stakes portfolios.
3. Deepen Strategic Alignment
   • Align with Enterprise Architecture: Ensure each project’s technology stack aligns with overarching architectural roadmaps to avoid redundant systems or tech debt.
   • Link to KPIs and OKRs: Require every project to articulate which corporate KPIs or OKRs it directly supports and how success will be measured.
4. Cultivate a Culture of Continuous Improvement
   • Regular Retrospectives: At the portfolio level, evaluate how well governance processes and analytics tools support business outcomes, then refine accordingly.
   • Feedback Loops: Encourage teams to propose process improvements; recognize and reward valuable ideas to maintain engagement.
5. Expand Risk and Change Management
   • Integrated Risk Register: Consolidate project-level risks into a portfolio-wide view, facilitating proactive mitigation across the enterprise.
   • Robust Change Management Framework: Use formal models (e.g., Kotter, ADKAR) to guide large-scale PPM transformations, ensuring stakeholder readiness and buy-in.

6.9.4 Continuous Learning and Evolution

1. Stay Current with Industry Trends
   • Emerging Technologies: Keep an eye on AI-driven resource scheduling, automated compliance checks, or predictive analytics.
   • Framework Updates: PPM frameworks and standards (PMBOK®, MoP®, SAFe®, etc.) evolve over time—stay updated through training or professional communities.
2. Invest in People
   • Certification and Training: Sponsor key staff for PfMP®, MoP®, or agile scaling certifications to maintain a knowledgeable talent pool.
   • Leadership Development: Encourage mid-level managers to refine strategic thinking and stakeholder engagement skills, preparing them to step into broader PPM leadership roles.
3. Benchmark Against Peers
   • Industry Conferences: Attend events where thought leaders and peers share insights, best practices, and lessons learned.
   • External Assessments: Periodically bring in outside experts to re-evaluate maturity, measure progress, and highlight new improvement areas.
4. Celebrate Milestones
   • Acknowledge Achievements: Whether it’s completing 100% of gate reviews on time or integrating a new PPM tool enterprise-wide, mark these wins to build morale.
   • Share Best Practices: Encourage business units to learn from one another; spotlight teams that innovate or excel in portfolio execution.

6.9.5 Final Thoughts: From Beginner to Expert and Beyond

PPM maturity is not an end-state but a cycle of continuous improvement. As your organization climbs the maturity ladder, you’ll discover new opportunities to enhance governance, analytics, resource management, and strategic alignment. Equally important is remembering the human element—cultural readiness, leadership engagement, and clear communication can make or break even the most robust PPM processes.

• Be Realistic About Pace: Transforming from ad hoc to optimized can span multiple years, especially in large or heavily regulated enterprises.
• Balance Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Vision: Quick successes foster enthusiasm and credibility, while steady, strategic improvements lay the groundwork for sustained value.
• Leverage Cross-Functional Insights: True PPM maturity requires collaboration across IT, Finance, Operations, Sales, and beyond—ensuring project portfolios deliver holistic benefits to the entire organization.

By following these action items—whether you’re just starting out or refining advanced practices—you’ll be well-equipped to continuously elevate your PPM capabilities, driving more reliable execution and enhanced strategic outcomes at every stage of the journey.