Project management maturity in project-based organizations: frameworks, drivers, and the role of sustainability

Abstract

Project management maturity models (PMMMs) provide structured approaches to evaluate and enhance project alignment with strategic and sustainability goals. We conducted a PRISMA-aligned systematic review of project management (PM) maturity in project-based organizations (PBOs) from 2010 to 2023, utilizing Scopus as the primary database, with supplementary searches in ProQuest and Google Scholar. PBOs play a key role in delivering infrastructure, energy, environmental initiatives that impact natural and socio-economic systems. Across the literature, sustainability emerges as a critical driver of maturity, with models like SPM3, PSM3, and the Sustainable Project Management Cube integrating economic, environmental, social indicators. Unlike traditional PMMMs, which focus on cost, time, and scope, these models integrate sustainability throughout the project lifecycle and provide prescriptive tools to support long-term resilience. Our findings indicate that while PM maturity models are crucial for performance in PBOs, their unique operational context necessitates models tailored to six key drivers: sustainability, structured frameworks, benchmarking, strategy formulation, continuous improvement, and technological advancement. Additionally, the maturation pathways differ between enterprise and intelligent PBOs, highlighting the need for adaptive, context-sensitive maturity assessments.