Access to new resource related to Benchmarking in Project Management added to PMWL
Resource provided by Ishitha Doniparthi
12 April 2026 – Mumbai, India – Access to a new resource has been added to the PM World Library (PMWL) related to benchmarking and project management. The new resource is titled “Benchmarking the Management of Projects,” an article by Elizabeth Barber, published by the University of New South Wales, Australia.
The paper examines benchmarking as an evaluative tool to assess and improve the performance of project management practices. It highlights that different project organizational structures such as functional, matrix, and pure project structures require different managerial skills and evaluation approaches. The study emphasizes that benchmarking should account for these structural differences when assessing project management performance.
The research outlines various types of benchmarking, including performance, process, and strategic benchmarking, as well as internal and external benchmarking approaches. As explained in the analysis framework on page 3, benchmarking can be conducted across different levels, ranging from internal best practices to world-class standards, enabling organizations to identify performance gaps and adopt best practices.
A key contribution of the paper is its discussion on evaluating project management effectiveness beyond traditional metrics such as cost, time, and quality (the “Iron Triangle”). The study references an expanded evaluation model, illustrated in the diagram on page 8, which incorporates additional dimensions such as information systems, organizational benefits, and stakeholder impacts. This broader perspective provides a more holistic approach to assessing project success.
The paper also discusses challenges in benchmarking project management, including the uniqueness of projects, difficulties in establishing comparable metrics, cultural differences, and the cost and time involved in benchmarking processes. Despite these challenges, the study concludes that benchmarking remains a critical tool for continuous learning, performance improvement, and the development of project management competencies.
To access this new resource, go to the Advanced Topics In P/PM section of the library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/advanced-hot-topics-in-ppm/, scroll down and click on “Benchmarking in Project Management”, scroll down to resource. Must be a registered member and logged in to access. If not currently registered, please consider the FREE 30-Day Trial at https://pmworldlibrary.net/trial-membership.
This new resource provided through the PMWL university research internship program; to learn more, click here