How do data, project management maturity, and PMO support shape resilient oil and gas projects?

Abstract

The global disruption of 2020-2022 forced organizations to reassess their resilience strategies, with executives agreeing to prioritize project management, data analytics, and problem-solving among the top 10 skills for their workforce. In this context, the role of the Project Management Office (PMO) in building resilience and achieving project success has been critically examined. While PMOs are assumed to enhance governance and structured guidance, it remains unclear whether their presence significantly influences resilience-building during disruptions. This study investigates this issue by conducting multi-group analysis (MGA) using data from 170 practicing project managers worldwide who navigated the global disruption. The study examines how Data Analytics Capability (DACP) and Project Management Maturity (PMMM) impact Project Resilience (PRES) and Project Success (PSUC), employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for empirical validation. Results indicate that both DACP and PMMM significantly enhance resilience, with DACP demonstrating a comparatively stronger effect. Project resilience, in turn, has a robust positive impact on project success, highlighting its strategic value beyond mere survival. Notably, while multi-group analysis shows no statistically significant differences between PMO-supported and non-PMO-supported projects, this does not undermine the importance of PMMM and PMO support. Instead, it reinforces that structured governance and maturity practices are considered baseline expectations in high-reliability industries, rather than distinct differentiators of project resilience.