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Pulse of the Profession 2024: The Future of Project Work

Pulse of the Profession 2024: The Future of Project Work
Pulse of the Profession 2024: The Future of Project Work
PMI’s 15th annual Pulse of the Profession® report focused on the adoption of project management approaches and their evolution over the past years. We also explored the impact of onsite and remote types of work arrangements on project delivery and project performance. We can confidently say that project management's future success is defined by adaptability to the changing environment, which constantly brings new challenges to achieving top project performance. Organizations that take the lead in adapting to the evolving landscape of work, empowering their project teams, and investing in continuous learning can not only become more resilient to the impact of frequent changes but will also thrive and unlock their full potential. As the future of work changes, preferences for project management approaches are changing as well. Our research shows that organizations have shifted toward flexible, fit-for-purpose project delivery practices as they face new challenges and requirements driven by postpandemic effects and increased digitalization. In fact, the use of these hybrid approaches has increased from 20% in 2020 to 31% in 2023. Today’s project management professionals are also dealing with other significant changes to conventional ways of working. For example, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of “work from anywhere” arrangements. Today, approximately 61% of project management professionals work remotely at least some of the time. The Pulse of the Profession findings offer compelling evidence that organizations can provide flexibility and empowerment without affecting project execution and performance. In fact, our research shows that project teams perform equally well using predictive, hybrid and agile project management approaches and within onsite, hybrid and remote work arrangements. Our research also offers insights into how organizations can drive above-average project performance by providing resources that further enhance employees’ skills and capabilities, enabling them to adapt to different project and business circumstances, challenges and needs. Equipping employees with the right skills and empowering teams with flexibility can drive stronger innovation, agility and efficiency. Organizations that provide supportive programs (we call them enablers), such as mentoring and communities of practice, to help individuals and teams learn new skills demonstrate better project performance. In fact, there was an 8.3% percentage point increase in project performance among organizations that offer at least three of these resources versus those that offer none.
Project Management Evolution, Hybrid Work Arrangements, Adaptive Project Delivery, Remote Work Adoption, Project Performance Enhancement, Skills and Empowerment Programs
Project Management Institute
Le Manh, Pierre
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Dabscheck, David
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Simpson, Adam
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Temes, Peter
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Shehhi, Heba Al
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Balushi, Zahra Al
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Jindong, Zhang
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Li, Zhiguang
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Jiang, Feng
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Garro, Felipe
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Mathur, Mohit
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Aguiñaga, Garé Avelar
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Srinivasan, Krishnan
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Dacre, Nicholas
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Le Manh, Pierre
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Dabscheck, David
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Simpson, Adam
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Temes, Peter
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Shehhi, Heba Al
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Balushi, Zahra Al
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Jindong, Zhang
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Li, Zhiguang
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Jiang, Feng
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Metpally, Forum
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Kapoor, Vikki
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Griffiths, Mike
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Mathur, Mohit
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Aguiñaga, Garé Avelar
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Srinivasan, Krishnan
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Le Manh, Pierre, Dabscheck, David, Simpson, Adam, Temes, Peter, Shehhi, Heba Al, Balushi, Zahra Al, Jindong, Zhang, Li, Zhiguang, Jiang, Feng, Garro, Felipe, Singh, Deeksha, Ojekhekpen, Festus, Guha, Avroneil, Montgomery, Olivia, Metpally, Forum, Kapoor, Vikki, Griffiths, Mike, Mathur, Mohit, Aguiñaga, Garé Avelar, Srinivasan, Krishnan and Dacre, Nicholas (2024) Pulse of the Profession 2024: The Future of Project Work Project Management Institute 41pp.

Record type: Monograph (Project Report)

Abstract

PMI’s 15th annual Pulse of the Profession® report focused on the adoption of project management approaches and their evolution over the past years. We also explored the impact of onsite and remote types of work arrangements on project delivery and project performance. We can confidently say that project management's future success is defined by adaptability to the changing environment, which constantly brings new challenges to achieving top project performance. Organizations that take the lead in adapting to the evolving landscape of work, empowering their project teams, and investing in continuous learning can not only become more resilient to the impact of frequent changes but will also thrive and unlock their full potential. As the future of work changes, preferences for project management approaches are changing as well. Our research shows that organizations have shifted toward flexible, fit-for-purpose project delivery practices as they face new challenges and requirements driven by postpandemic effects and increased digitalization. In fact, the use of these hybrid approaches has increased from 20% in 2020 to 31% in 2023. Today’s project management professionals are also dealing with other significant changes to conventional ways of working. For example, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of “work from anywhere” arrangements. Today, approximately 61% of project management professionals work remotely at least some of the time. The Pulse of the Profession findings offer compelling evidence that organizations can provide flexibility and empowerment without affecting project execution and performance. In fact, our research shows that project teams perform equally well using predictive, hybrid and agile project management approaches and within onsite, hybrid and remote work arrangements. Our research also offers insights into how organizations can drive above-average project performance by providing resources that further enhance employees’ skills and capabilities, enabling them to adapt to different project and business circumstances, challenges and needs. Equipping employees with the right skills and empowering teams with flexibility can drive stronger innovation, agility and efficiency. Organizations that provide supportive programs (we call them enablers), such as mentoring and communities of practice, to help individuals and teams learn new skills demonstrate better project performance. In fact, there was an 8.3% percentage point increase in project performance among organizations that offer at least three of these resources versus those that offer none.

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PMI Pulse of the Profession 2024 Report - Version of Record
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More information

Published date: 29 February 2024
Additional Information: This research provides valuable insights into the evolving nature of project management amidst global megatrends, emphasizing the critical need for adaptability in work arrangements and project management approaches. It underscores the importance for project leaders to foster organizational support, enabling teams to select the most effective strategies for project execution and team dynamics. The findings are particularly significant for researchers studying the dynamics of project performance in relation to work arrangements and management approaches. They offer evidence that adaptable, fit-for-purpose strategies can significantly enhance project outcomes without compromising performance.
Keywords: Project Management Evolution, Hybrid Work Arrangements, Adaptive Project Delivery, Remote Work Adoption, Project Performance Enhancement, Skills and Empowerment Programs

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 492599
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/492599
PURE UUID: dcd4839b-8141-46b7-8e78-99ec4fe172f6
ORCID for Nicholas Dacre: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9667-9331

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Date deposited: 07 Aug 2024 16:42
Last modified: 08 Nov 2024 02:56

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Contributors

Author: Pierre Le Manh
Author: David Dabscheck
Author: Adam Simpson
Author: Peter Temes
Author: Heba Al Shehhi
Author: Zahra Al Balushi
Author: Zhang Jindong
Author: Zhiguang Li
Author: Feng Jiang
Author: Felipe Garro
Author: Deeksha Singh
Author: Festus Ojekhekpen
Author: Avroneil Guha
Author: Olivia Montgomery
Author: Forum Metpally
Author: Vikki Kapoor
Author: Mike Griffiths
Author: Mohit Mathur
Author: Garé Avelar Aguiñaga
Author: Krishnan Srinivasan
Author: Nicholas Dacre ORCID iD

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