DOMAIN 7
PMBOK 7 Performance Domain · Deep Dive
Measurement
Assess performance and take action to keep on track: choose effective measures tied to objectives, decide what to measure, present it clearly, and avoid the measurement traps. Measure to decide & act — not to decorate reports.
Visual Map — A Performance Dashboard
Traffic lights & thresholds turn data into decisions. Pair leading indicators (predict the future) with lagging ones (confirm the past).
Effective Measures & What to Measure
- Tie measures to objectives; make them SMART; set baselines & thresholds.
- Delivery: velocity, throughput, cycle/lead time.
- Baseline: EVM — SPI / CPI & forecasts.
- Value: benefits realised, stakeholder satisfaction.
Measurement Pitfalls
- Hawthorne effect — measuring changes behaviour.
- Vanity metrics — look good, mean little.
- Gaming — targets get manipulated.
- Too many metrics, false precision, correlation ≠ causation.
Exam Concepts
- Leading (predicts) vs lagging (confirms).
- KPIs & thresholds trigger action.
- EVM indices are measures.
- Don't measure what you can't act on.
Executive View
- Dashboards to steer, not to admire.
- Measure outcomes, not just activity.
- What's measured gets managed — and gamed.
Industry Example
Manufacturing & IT
- Manufacturing: OEE, SPC, takt time. IT: DORA metrics, velocity, lead time — all with thresholds.
Interactions & Checking Results
- Measures every domain; feeds governance & decisions.
- Good signs: timely, reliable, actionable information; data-driven decisions; measures that evolve.
Memory Hooks
- "Measure what matters — then act."
- Leading predicts · lagging confirms.
- Beware the Hawthorne effect & vanity metrics.
60-sec ReviewLeading vs lagging3 things worth measuringName 3 pitfallsThresholds → actionOutcomes over activity
PMI Visual Wall · Domain Deep-Dive · Measurement · original instructional design · A3 landscape