Maturity Models

What are they?

A maturity model provides a systematic framework for carrying out benchmarking and performance improvement.  It will include a series of descriptions of business performance for discrete business elements.  The descriptions are ordered into levels of capability from "not able to do it" through to "continuously improving".

The currently available models vary in the numbers of maturity levels they describe and will have a variety of titles for each level. For example some models developed by OGC have 5 levels:

Level 1 -getting started/awareness/initial

Level 2 -developing/focusing/repeatable/knowledge

Level 3 -complying/practising/competence/defined

Level 4 -sustaining/exploiting/managed/excellence

Level 5 -advocating/transforming/optimised

In some other cases there may also be a Level 0 - unawareness!

The optimum level of maturity is recognised as being the level that delivers the organisation's strategic objectives most effectively and efficiently, which does not necessarily mean Level 5.

 

What do they do?

Maturity Models can be applied to an organisation, a business unit or a team to provide a road map for performance improvement.

• The first step plots the current capability to achieve. Assessing the current level of maturity typically involves answering carefully worded questions.  The assessments can be done internally (self-assessment) or externally, by an independent facilitator and may be scored [eg RAG].

 

• The second step plans out what needs to be improved. This uses the descriptions for higher levels of maturity to provide the focus for planning performance improvements. To move from one maturity level to another requires actions to be taken that make the organisation more robust, flexible and measurable. 

As examples, Maturity Models have been used to:

• Help visualise how to deliver business benefits in incremental steps
• Help determine whether a team is fit to deliver a programme and identify key areas to work on
• Develop and embed a seamless 'strategy to delivery'

 

For further information on OGC maturity models, please see the Tools and Techniques page.

 

Maturity Models from elsewhere:

IDeA has developed a set of tools supporting the Capacity Building Programme. These include tools for PPM Maturity Self Assessment and Change Management.  

 

National Audit Office Efficiency Toolkit: a set of guidance for assessing an organisation's approach to achieving efficiency. It helps identify opportunities for improvements and develop actionable recommendations. It is designed around a broad interpretation of what 'efficiency' means and is also relevant to some aspects of effectiveness - e.g. spending money on the right things.

 

Other performance management tools

Assessments and Reviews - provide a judgement on current performance.  Examples: OGC's likelihood of delivery assessment, PMDU's likelihood of delivery assessment, Capability Reviews, CIPFA Financial Management Model. 

EFQM Excellence Model - set of criteria for assessing performance in key areas of leadership, people, policies, resources, processes (the enablers), and a range of indicators that measure results. Includes feedback loop to improve the enablers.

Balanced Score Card - mix of performance measures reflecting breadth of corporate performance; financial, customer related, internal business processes, learning and growth.  A balance of lead and lag indicators are used to measure performance.

Benchmarks - used to compare specific aspects of performance against similar in other organisations.  Often difficult to identify and collect comparable information and statistics, but effort is worthwhile if committed to using results to improve performance.