PHILADELPHIA, PA — A sweeping global study from the Project Management Institute finds that only half of projects succeed, exposing a widening gap between corporate strategy and execution at a moment when companies are under pressure to reinvent faster than ever.
The research, based on responses from more than 5,800 project professionals, stakeholders, and knowledge workers, shows that just 50 percent of projects deliver value that outweighs their cost and effort. Thirteen percent fail outright, while 37 percent fall short of expectations. The findings arrive as senior executives report accelerating digital and artificial intelligence initiatives, yet struggle to turn plans into measurable outcomes.
A companion survey of CEOs and senior leaders highlights the scale of the challenge. Nearly all respondents said they must rethink their business model or operating approach at least every five years, with close to two-thirds doing so every two years or more often. Two-thirds said they are currently speeding up digital and AI transformation. The most frequently cited barrier to reinvention, however, was not capital or technology, but a disconnect between planning and execution.
PMI President and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Le Manh said the data makes clear that the strategy-execution gap shows up in everyday project work. He said organizations investing heavily in transformation cannot afford a coin-flip success rate on the projects intended to deliver it.
To identify what separates high-performing organizations, the study examined behaviors associated with successful outcomes and distilled them into a framework PMI calls M.O.R.E. The approach emphasizes managing stakeholder perceptions, owning success beyond traditional time and budget metrics, relentlessly reassessing plans as conditions change, and expanding perspective to link projects to broader organizational and societal goals.
The impact is stark. PMI’s Net Project Success Score, which measures successful projects minus outright failures, rises from 27 when none of the M.O.R.E. elements are used to 94 when all four are applied consistently. Yet only 7 percent of respondents said they currently use all four.
The research also highlights the role of artificial intelligence as both a catalyst and a test. Nearly three-quarters of executives cited AI and automation as a primary force pushing reinvention, but PMI found that technology alone does not close the execution gap. Professionals who integrated AI tools into their project workflows saw a 17-point increase in success, particularly when paired with human skills such as judgment, communication, and adaptability.
PMI said it plans to embed the M.O.R.E. framework across its standards, training programs, and professional recognition efforts, reframing project success around value delivery rather than narrow performance metrics.
Le Manh said project execution has become a board-level issue as reinvention turns into a permanent condition. He said organizations that redefine how projects are led, measured, and governed will be better positioned to turn constant change into durable results.
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