Research

Project management research is normally conducted from within traditional disciplinary areas, such as business, IT, engineering or construction. NCPM is the first inter-disciplinary forum fostering synthesis in research and driving the national research agenda.

Project Success
Project management has become a key competence, yet many projects continue to founder. NCPM is running a number of studies which will provide a more accurate picture of the extent of the problem. We are also engaged in analysing the specific factors that contribute to failure and, in contrast, the distinctive traits that lead to success.

Agile Project Management
To accommodate more rapid delivery of projects, agile methods have been proposed and applied in many project contexts with varying degrees of success. NCPM is involved in a number of research projects comparing the quality and usefulness of products delivered using alternative processes. Results indicate a significant difference in the level of productivity and a matching increase in satisfaction levels translating into an improved bottom line.

Maturity Models
Project management maturity models are used in the assessment of organisational capability to deliver projects. Our research in the area of process and project improvement is based on solid empirical foundations and is closely linked to our work on project success and failure. We edit the international journal focusing on maturity and capability in-house, and have used lessons learnt over the past twenty years in other domains to inform our approach.

NCPM offers:

• An active multi-disciplinary research network
• A growing group of researchers
• Innovative research approaches
• Projects that address practice-driven problems
• International collaboration
• Thought-provoking PhD projects
• Cutting edge insights and findings