Critical evaluation of project‐based performance management

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate project‐based management in the context of interventions to initiate improved organisation performance. Design/methodology/approach - The work draws on literature from project management, change management (CM) and performance management. Findings - Results identify the interrelated aspects of project management, CM, and performance management. Conclusions indicate that improved organizational performance and increased productivity would be achieved by adopting an integrative approach to project‐based interventions. Research limitations/implications - Further research into specific integrated techniques and tools for delivering change would be valuable with particular focus on technical contributions to CM. Moreover, the PM field could gain from utilising CM processes in implementation of projects. Practical implications - Whilst a number of theories of CM are widely accepted, literature suggests they are falling short of their endeavours as a result of the theories lacking a useful framework to successfully plan, implement and manage change. Social implications - The rapidly changing business environment has required organisations to seek out effective processes, tools and techniques to implement successful change. Whilst there is a significant body of literature surrounding CM, the high failure rate of change interventions suggests improvements could be made to its management, monitoring and control. The analytical focus of this research was in how the common and most utilised CM models could be improved with PM processes, in order to appropriately deliver successful change. Originality/value - This article critically argues the value of project‐based management in the CM process, with particular focus on the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBoK). As such, change interventions to bring about improved organizational performance can be considered a project; as such, a new approach to project‐based change interventions is proposed.