This section on project and programme management statistics is sourced from a variety of reputable organisations (citations provided under each statement). Many of you may be surprised by these numbers but I would imagine a far greater proportion will have experienced this in the real world of projects. if you have any other interesting facts or figures please don't hesitate to send them through and I'll add them to this page.

Regards,

Michael Cooch

Project Failure

"Only 35% of software projects are delivered on time, on budget and within requirements"
Standish Group, Chaos Research 2006 (Analysis of more than 10,000 global software projects)

Statistics show that regardless of the original budgets defined by projects there is still a real issue with project overrun in terms of both cost and schedule. The study showed an average overrun of 24% on original baselined schedule and budget across all completed projects.

A Study in Project Failure – 2008 - British Computer Society (BCS) - Dr John McManus and Dr Trevor Wood-Harper

Statistics show that the average baseline IT project cost in the UK is £6M

A Study in Project Failure – 2008 - British Computer Society (BCS) - Dr John McManus and Dr Trevor Wood-Harper

In low-performing organisations project management performance (and PMO performance) is not measured nor is appropriate accountability for outputs assigned

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

Project Management/PMO Maturity

The breakdown of PMO Maturity across all surveyed organizations was as follows:

Level 1 - Immature: 25.7%

Level 2 - Established, in need of improvement: 34.4%
Level 3 - Grown up, more successes than failures: 30.4%
Level 4 - Mature, very successful: 8.7%
Level 5 - Best in class: 0.7%
The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

It has been shown that deploying a PMO does not lead to performance improvement in itself. It is only when the PMO increases maturity that tangible improvement occurs.

Project Management - The State of the Industry - Center for Business Practices (CBP) Study

Level 4 (Mature) PMOs deliver a 34.5% performance improvement over their Level 1 (Immature) PMO competitors.

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

A comprehensive study conducted on the value of the PMO demonstrates the of level performance improvement (against schedule, budget and quality) when operating a mature PMO, when compared to an immature PMO, is substantial. This includes a 24% improvement in customer satisfaction between Level 1 and Level 3 PMOs (Level 4 and 5 are not included due to lack of statistical data at these points, however extrapolation clearly trends positively) and a 65% improvement in the optimal allocation of resources

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

Value of a PMO

Nearly 70% of organisations implementing PMOs report that project success rates have improved significantly as a result.

Gartner Survey

Level 3 (Grown up) PMOs support project delivery on schedule & to budget 64% more often that their Level 1 (Immature) PMO competitors. 

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

Project Success Rates (All Projects) – Met Expectations 25%

Project Success Rates (World Class Organisations with PMO) – Met Expectations 90%

Gartner Survey

Programme Management Office (PMO) Strategic Importance

According to research, "building a Project Management Office (PMO) is a timely competitive tactic". It is believed that "organisations, who establish standards for project management, including a PMO with suitable governance, will experience half the major project cost overruns, delays, and cancellations of those that fail to do so".
Gartner Industry Research

In low-performing organisations executive sponsorship is approximately 60% less likely to have an appreciation of the strategic value of a PMO

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

Interesting statistics include the fact that high performers utilise resource management and risk management nearly 23% more frequently than in low performers, integrated planning nearly 20% more often, quality 17%, performance monitoring & control 16% and time management 12%. 

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

High performing project organisations deploy approx 20% more key PMO capabilities than comparable low-performing organisations

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

In 2000 only 47% of surveyed organisations had implemented a PMO of any type. By 2006 77% of the respondents had implemented PMOs.

Value of Project Management - Center for Business Practices (CBP) Study

In low-performing organisations PMOs face much greater difficulty in being accepted as a real value-adding proposition, at all levels of their organisation, when compared to high-performers

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

Project Management Qualifications

'8th - Ranking of the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential on a list of highest-paying certifications for IT professionals'
2007 IT Salary and Skills Report, Global Knowledge

In low-performing organisations PMO staff are much less likely to have formal project management qualifications, hands-on-experience and extensive project management knowledge

The State of the PMO - 2007-2008 - A Benchmark of Current Business Practices (Center for Business Practices (CBP) Report)

31% of global CIOs require certified project managers – up 10% since 2005
The Standish Group 2009

67% of CIOs regard a PMI certification as valuable
The Standish Group 2009

Value of Project Management