Lessons Learned from the PMMM Research Series
SERIES ARTICLE
By Darcy Prado, PhD
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Brazil
ABSTRACT
This is the seventh article in the series Lessons Learned from Maturity Research. It examines the evolution of maturity and the role of leadership in this process, focusing on organizations that consciously choose to pursue excellence in their business—or in fulfilling their mission. To fully grasp the discussion, readers are encouraged to review the previous articles in this series [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
1 – INTRODUCTION
In the previous article (Benchmark Organizations in Project Management [9]), we noted that when an organization consciously chooses to pursue excellence in its business—or in fulfilling its mission—certain project areas are compelled to advance their project management capabilities, evolving toward a level of excellence. These areas are typically closely connected to the organization’s core purpose and therefore become strategic for achieving excellence. For example, referencing the last article, in the case of the Central Bank, this corresponds to the corporate area responsible for standardization and control of the National Financial System; for Moura Batteries, it is the product engineering area; and for Reta Engineering, the engineering and construction area.
The pursuit of excellence generally implies a goal, a term that can carry multiple meanings. For private organizations, it may involve growth, increased competitiveness, high profitability, and leadership within their industry. For public organizations, it may mean delivering an exceptionally high level of service to the population. In this article, we will use the simplified expression “pursuit of excellence” to encompass these variations.
On this journey, all organizational areas are affected—some more than others—and one or more departments that execute projects usually align most closely with the organization’s strategic goals. Here, we analyze the trajectory of such a department as it evolves in project management to better support organizational objectives, with particular emphasis on the role of leadership. Throughout this article, we will refer to this as the strategic department.
To frame this scenario, we draw on the work of Jim Collins.
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Editor’s note: The Project Management Maturity series of articles by Prof Darci Prado is based on his extensive research on this topic in Brazil and other countries. Darci is the developer of the Prado Project Management Maturity Model which has been successfully implemented by many organizations in Brazil. More about this model and related research can be found at. https://maturityresearch.com/en/home-en/
How to cite this work: Prado, D. (2025). Maturity Evolution: Towards Evolution, Lessons Learned from the PMMM Research, Series article 7, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue X, October. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/pmwj157-Oct2025-Prado-Maturity-Evolution-Towards-Excellence-series-article-7.pdf
About the Author
Darci Prado, PhD
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Brazil
Darci Prado is a consultant and partner of FALCONI in Brazil. He is an engineer, with graduate studies in Economical Engineering at UCMG and PhD in Project Management from UNICAMP, Brazil. He has worked for IBM for 25 years and worked with UFMG Engineering School for 32 years. He holds the IPMA Level B Certification. He was one of the founders of Minas Gerais State and Parana State PMI chapters, and he was a member of the Board Directors of the Minas Gerais State PMI chapter during 1998-2002 and member of the Consulting Board during 2003-2009. He was also the president of IPMA Minas Gerais State chapter during 2006-2008. He is conducting Project Management maturity research in Brazil and Italy. He is author of nine books on project management and is also author of a methodology, a software application, and a maturity model for project management. Darci can be contacted at darciprado@uol.com.br.
To view other works by Dr. Prado, please visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/darci-prado-phd/
