Abstract
The California Technology Agency (CaTA) has adopted the California Project Management Methodology (CA-PMM) as a tool to help information technology (IT) project managers deliver successful IT projects. The California state agencies developing these IT projects are attempting to capitalize on technological innovation to enhance the delivery of services to Californians. Despite the widespread use of this project management tool throughout the state, the impact of the CA-PMM on IT projects was unknown. This thesis studies the impact of the CA-PMM by comparing the outcomes of IT projects started before the implementation of CA-PMM to projects started after its implementation. Using publicly available data from the CaTA IT Project Tracking website, I tested whether statistically significant differences existed between IT projects that started before and those that began after the implementation of CA-PMM. My study answered three questions based on data about IT project costs, milestone completion, and project completion. The results from my research support that the CA-PMM is having a positive impact on IT project outcomes. Projects begun since the implementation of CA-PMM are less likely to revise their budgets than projects begun before the implementation of CA-PMM. In addition, there were fewer delays in project milestone completion since the implementation of CA-PMM. Even overall project completion delays seem to be on the downward trend. However, these results should be considered with caution, as they are not causal; there may be other explanations for the difference in project outcomes since the implementation of CA-PMM. The results from this preliminary study underscore the need for future research to determine the impact that the CA-PMM is having on IT project outcomes throughout the state.