People Capability Maturity Model is defined as a framework for formalizing human oriented development activity into a readily applicable set of principles and practices. Earlier experience suggests that this approach is one key tool of managing an organizations’ total performance. Using a survey instrument this framework was investigated further. A small scale trial for adopting and testing the model in a real expert organization was performed. A theoretical background for using the simplified approach in the case study is presented. The case study addresses the following questions: (i) how the framework can be applied in developing organizations’ human assets in general; and (ii) how to develop a simplified approach for concurrent use with other process improvement and strategic planning actions with limited resources available. The findings support in general the claim that the use of a systematic P-CMM based approach together with other frameworks can improve organizational performance. However, more research is needed on how to interpret and adopt the development activities into an operative environment for a simplified approach with appropriate R&D resource management. Also more research work and case studies for calibrating the quantitative and qualitative P-CMM framework metrics in the particular case, at national and international level, are needed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons Ltd