IPMA Delta and IPMA Organisational Competence Baseline (OCB) : New approaches in the field of project management maturity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the concepts of two new approaches offered by IPMA through its internationally widespread member associations: IPMA Delta® for assessing and developing project management maturity and the IPMA Organisational Competence Baseline (OCB), acting as reference model for IPMA Delta. In addition to this description, a case study reveals insights in the usage of IPMA Delta and the benefits realized through such a holistic assessment of project management maturity. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a conceptual paper and a case study. Findings – IPMA Delta is a holistic assessment of the organisational competence in managing projects. Three modules are used to assess the competence of selected individuals, the application of project management in selected projects and the organisation's approach of managing projects. Through the assessment, an organisation gets insights in regard to the current maturity and the Delta to a desired target state. Recommendations drive the continuous development of organisational competences in managing projects, which is shown in the case of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This case study also reveals insights in the benefits realized through such a holistic maturity assessment. Originality/value – This conceptual paper builds on organisational competence in managing projects, a new concept in the world of maturity models offering a holistic view beyond processes.