Project management maturity of selected organizations in Croatia

Abstract

Project management maturity models (PMMM) are a part of the PM development process, and present a relatively new concept. PMMMs are used to assess and plan strategically the PM development and required resources in an organization. Maturity models can also be used as a performance benchmark among different organizations and industries. Our fieldwork assessed the average PM maturity level of Croatian organizations, correlated the maturity with the basic organization characteristics, like ownership, market, size and industry, and explored the relation between PM process maturity and PM environment maturity. Croatian organizations are at low maturity levels (mostly 1 and 2 out of 5, average 1.75). There are differences in maturity among industries and the different sizes and markets in which organizations operate. The differences indicate that there is a link between the higher performance of an organization and its PM maturity level. The research showed that there is a very high correlation between the maturity of the PM processes and PM environment, and maturity can almost be considered the same from both perspectives. There is high recognition and high expectation regarding the development of PM practice within organizations. However, declining budgets and closed approach to maturing in PM might indicate hesitation. PM alone cannot improve the competitiveness of Croatian organizations, but its promotion should be an important element in the overall business environment