8 Project Management Trends for 2016

NK Shrivastava and Phillip George, RefineM LLC

As we look toward 2016, we examine eight project management trends in the coming year. First, we
describe how changes in technology will affect the knowledge and skills project managers need. Second,
we describe trends that will change the role of a project manager. Finally, we describe other trends for
2016, including increased agile adoption and scaling, more remote/virtual teams and projects, greater
influence of PMOs, and a continuing need for more project management and agile education.

Technology Trends Affecting Project Management

1. Technology changes will require project managers to learn more.
Implementation of new technology happens largely through projects, putting project
managers at the forefront of change. Project managers need to understand emerging
technology so they can build teams with the right skillsets, plan risks, and lead projects with
new technology. We predict that three technology trends will shape project managers
learning:
Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things (IoT) trend involves common household
devices connecting to the Internet to help people collect data and be more efficient in
their lives. According to David Pierce, three separate analyst groups all project over 20
billion connected devices by 20201. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung all use
different IoT architectures, making future integration difficult. Will Kelly predicts that
IoT will open up new hardware and software requirements for developers2.
1 Pierce, David (2015, 29 December). The Internet of Things is everywhere, but it doesnt rule yet. Wired Magazine. Accessed 2015 30
December from http://www.wired.com/2015/12/this-year-was-almost-the-year-of-the-internet-of-things/
2 Kelly, Will (2015, 15 December). 7 project management trends for 2016. Liquid Planner. Accessed 30 December 2015 from
http://www.liquidplanner.com/blog/7-project-management-trends-2016/

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762

Cybersecurity. Many IT and non-IT organizations tell us that cybersecurity is one of their
top concerns. With high-profile data breaches and cybercrime in the news so often, IT
managers and C-suite executives want to shield themselves and their customers from
damaging attacks. We expect organizations to take on more cybersecurity
infrastructure projects in 2016. Some may be voluntary, to stay ahead of the
technology curve, but we also expect more projects to be initiated to meet
requirements such as HIPAA, SOX, and PCI.

Mobile Web. For many years, mobile usage has increased in comparison to applications
or Internet access from desktop or laptop computers. This year, according to Danyl
Bosomworth of Smart Insights, mobile usage has surpassed desktop usage3. As a result
of this shift, we expect more projects to accommodate smartphone users. These
projects could include new mobile applications and mobile-first websites, adaptations
of existing applications to mobile, or website redesigns to make sites more mobilefriendly. By staying current with trends in mobile web design, project managers can
effectively plan and select project team members for these projects.

Technology projects will drive project managers learning in 2016.

3 Bosomworth, Danyl (2015, 22 July). Mobile marketing statistics 2015. Smart Insights. Accessed 30 December 2015 from
http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762

Trends That Will Change the Role of Project Managers

2. Project managers will have a greater role in benefits realization.
As organizations emphasize benefits realization during project initiation, project managers
begin to play a greater role. As part of the Exam Content Outline update for the Project
Management Professional (PMP) exam, the Project Management Institute (PMI) added
benefits realization tasks as part of its documentation of the project manager role4. Project
managers may be more involved in calculating the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) or Net
Present Value (NPV), assessing balanced scorecard criteria, and developing other key
metrics. By performing these tasks, project managers gain better understanding of how
their projects fit into an organizations business strategy.
3. Project managers will have a greater role in change management.
Project managers are already heavily involved in scope management planning. They help
collect requirements and create the work breakdown structure. They often initiate change
requests on behalf of others in an organization. We expect that project managers will take
on a greater role in change management in 2016. This may include having a greater role on
change control boards and/or taking more involvement in reviewing change requests. Jeff
Collins, writing for Innovative Management Solutions blog, predicts that increasing
emphasis in change management will be driven by a greater emphasis on compliance and
visibility5. In other words, as organizations seek to become more transparent, more
opportunities for change requests will emerge due to greater stakeholder involvement.

Some 2016 trends will change the project manager role.

4 Project Management Institute (2015, June). Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Content Outline. Accessed 30 December 2015
from http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Certifications/pmp-certification-exam-outline.ashx.
5 Collins, Jeff (2015, 9 November). Project management trends you will see in 2016. Innovative Management Solutions. Accessed 30
December 2015 from http://www.ims-web.com/blog/project-management-trends-you-will-see-in-2016

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762

4. Project managers will have a greater role in content creation.

Because project managers are often the main points of communication with clients and
customers, they often have interesting insights to share about projects and project
management. Project managers can participate in content creation in many ways, including
blogs, social media, case studies, webinars, and PMI chapter meetings. Will Kelly also
expects project managers to emerge as thought leaders6. By taking a greater role in content
creation, project managers learn how to tell the story of their projects, helping them
enhance their writing skills and communicate more effectively on their projects.

Other Trends
5. Agile adoption and scaling will increase.
Agile has numerous benefits to any organization, including more consistent, value-based
delivery of software and greater customer participation and satisfaction. More organizations
have recognized this value and have started adopting agile. According to VersionOnes ninth
annual State of Agile report, 94 percent of organizations surveyed had adopted agile7.
Because of the benefits agile offers, we expect the adoption rate to increase.
While many organizations have found success with their agile implementation, we predict
an increase in scaling agile as organizations realize they need more in order to realize the
full benefits of agile. Scaling agile helps increase enterprise-wide agile awareness, improves
consistency of value-based delivery, and helps any organization tackle larger, more complex
projects in an agile way. According to VersionOnes report, 69% of organizations scaled
using the scrum of scrums approach, in which teams send one representative to a gathering
of all the teams. Other popular approaches for agile scaling included Scaled Agile
Framework (SAFe), Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) and Large-scale Scrum (LeSS).
6. More projects will involve remote/virtual teams.
We expect more remote teams and remote / distributed projects in 2016 because of the
increasingly global nature of projects and the potential for cost-saving. Rachel Burger,
writing for Capterras blog, also cites an increase in telecommuting and improvements in
communications technology8. Project managers can prepare for this trend by expanding
learning about communications technology and incorporating it into the communication
plan. By planning for some face-to-face meetings and rotating meetings among team
members native time zones to share the pain, project managers can help build and
sustain team camaraderie. Engaging in effective planning helps project managers work with
remote teams.

6 Kelly, Will (2015, 15 December).

7 VersionOne (2015). Ninth Annual State of Agile survey. Accessed 30 December 2015 from http://info.versionone.com/state-of-agiledevelopment-survey-ninth.html
8 Burger, Rachel (2015, 7 December). The 6 biggest project management trends of 2016. Capterra. Accessed 30 December 2015 from
http://blog.capterra.com/the-6-biggest-project-management-trends-for-2016/

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762

7. PMOs will increase in influence in 2016.

Project management offices, or PMOs, have often struggled for several reasons. Many
times, they do not have strong leadership or executive support. PMO directors and leads
often struggle to demonstrate the PMOs value, and they are often seen as merely ordertakers. In addition, many PMOs fall short of providing a career path or guidance to their
project managers, leaving many of them feeling stuck in their careers. If a PMO continues to
exhibit these traits, it will continue to struggle and may be disbanded. However, PMOs can
increase their influence in 2016 if they do the following:
Exhibit strong leadership and gain executive buy-in.
Develop strong metrics to show progress and demonstrate value.
Create and refine strong templates and best practices.
Manage resources effectively by matching people to the right roles.
Help their project managers grow and plan their careers.
8. There will still be a demand for project management and agile education.
According to PMI Today in December 2015, there were nearly 680,000 Project Management
Professional (PMP) certification holders9, demonstrating that the certification remains
competitive and in-demand. The same report found that nearly 30,000 project managers
have the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). In addition, PMIs latest
salary report shows an average salary increase of 20 percent for PMP certification holders10,
fueling the demand. In order to meet the demand, high-quality education in project
management fundamentals and knowledge areas is required. In addition, project managers
who wish to renew their certifications now have to distribute their PDUs among the three
areas of PMIs Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management, Leadership, and
Technical Skills. As a result of these changes, project managers will need to take a greater
role in their own professional development, making sure it is diversified and is meeting their
needs.

9 Project Management Institute (2015, December). PMI Today. Accessed 30 December 2015 from : http://www.pmi.org/Learning/publicationspmi-today.aspx
10 Project Management Institute (2015, December). Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, Ninth Edition. Accessed 30 December
2015 from http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/learning/project-management-salary-survey-2015.ashx

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762

Conclusion
Last year, we proposed eight trends for 2015. Many of these we found to still be relevant this year:
1. More agile adoption
2. Increasing demand for PMs
3. Increase in global projects
4. More cloud-based PM
5. More integration with CRM
6. More integration of BA/PM
7. Millennials more influential
8. More PM education needed
Despite all the changes, we expect that the fundamental aspects of project management will remain the
same. No matter how much project management changes or how large or complex a project is, the basic
and essential processes like the project charter, stakeholder register, communication plan, and risk
register will still be important. While keeping up with new ideas and new trends is important, project
managers should also ensure that they have a solid foundation on which to build.
If youre looking for a way to build a solid foundation in project management, RefineMs toolkit,
Essential Gear for Project Managers Level 1, is a package of eight essential processes delivered via
intuitive templates and a handbook that describes how to execute best practices and avoid pitfalls.

References
1. Bosomworth, Danyl (2015, 22 July). Mobile marketing statistics 2015. Smart Insights.
Accessed 30 December 2015 from http://www.smartinsights.com/mobilemarketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/
2. Burger, Rachel (2015, 7 December). The 6 biggest project management trends of 2016.
Capterra. Accessed 30 December 2015 from http://blog.capterra.com/the-6-biggest-projectmanagement-trends-for-2016/
3. Collins, Jeff (2015, 9 November). Project management trends you will see in 2016.
Innovative Management Solutions. Accessed 30 December 2015 from http://www.imsweb.com/blog/project-management-trends-you-will-see-in-2016
4. Kelly, Will (2015, 15 December). 7 project management trends for 2016. Liquid Planner.
Accessed 30 December 2015 from http://www.liquidplanner.com/blog/7-projectmanagement-trends-2016/
5. Pierce, David (2015, 29 December). The Internet of Things is everywhere, but it doesnt rule
yet. Wired Magazine. Accessed 2015 30 December from
http://www.wired.com/2015/12/this-year-was-almost-the-year-of-the-internet-of-things/
6. Project Management Institute (2015, December). Earning Power: Project Management
Salary Survey, Ninth Edition. Accessed 30 December 2015 from
http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/learning/project-management-salary-survey-2015.ashx

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762

7. Project Management Institute (2015, December). PMI Today. Accessed 30 December 2015
from : http://www.pmi.org/Learning/publications-pmi-today.aspx
8. Project Management Institute (2015, June). Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam
Content Outline. Accessed 30 December 2015 from
http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Certifications/pmp-certification-exam-outline.ashx
9. VersionOne (2015). Ninth Annual State of Agile survey. Accessed 30 December 2015 from
http://info.versionone.com/state-of-agile-development-survey-ninth.html

www.refineM.com [email protected] 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.763.6762