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Chapter 6

The OPM3 Cycle

6.1 INTRODUCTION
OPM3 provides users with the knowledge to understand organizational
project management, the tools to assess themselves against the Standard,
and the means to decide whether or not to pursue a plan of improvement.
For those who choose to undertake improvements in maturity, OPM3 pro-
vides steps to determine an appropriate course of action while conserving
organizational resources. The steps of the OPM3 Cycle are described in gen-
eral terms in Chapter 2. The following sections give a thorough explana-
tion of these steps, in the context of actually applying OPM3 in an
organization. At the end of this chapter, in Section 6.3.6, is a hypothetical
example, illustrating an organization’s progress through the Steps of the
OPM3 Cycle.

6.2 DIAGRAM OF THE OPM3 CYCLE
The following diagram illustrates how the steps in the OPM3 Cycle would
function when an organization undertakes to apply the Standard. At two
critical points—following the Assessment and Improvement stages—an
organization has potential decisions to make. These are indicated on the
diagram, Figure 6-1, and elaborated in the detailed explanation of the steps
that follow.

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