---
reference_type: Performance Domain
reference_id: PD07
name: Measurement
version: "1.0.0"
status: Deprecated
edition: PMBOK7
pmbok8_source: "PMBOK8 Guide §2.7 — Measurement Performance Domain"
authority: PMI-derived
---

# PD07 — Measurement Performance Domain
**Type:** Performance Domain
**PMBOK8 Source:** PMBOK8 Guide §2.7 — Measurement Performance Domain
**Version:** 1.0.0

## Definition
The Measurement Performance Domain addresses activities and functions associated with assessing project performance and taking appropriate actions to maintain acceptable performance (PMBOK8 §2.7). Effective measurement establishes an evaluation system that identifies which metrics matter, collects reliable data, analyzes performance against established baselines, and translates measurements into actionable decisions. PMBOK 8 explicitly cautions against measurement dysfunction — the tendency to measure what is easy rather than what matters, or to report metrics that create a false picture of health. Both quantitative measures (such as Earned Value metrics, velocity, and defect rates) and qualitative indicators (such as stakeholder satisfaction and team morale) contribute to a complete performance picture.

## Desired Outcomes
- Reliable understanding of project performance relative to plan — schedule, cost, scope, and quality baselines
- Measurement system captures both leading indicators (early warning signals) and lagging indicators (confirmation of past performance)
- Performance data enables timely, evidence-based decisions and corrective actions rather than reactive crisis management
- Measurements are meaningful — connected to what actually matters for project success and value delivery — not merely convenient to collect
- Stakeholders receive clear, honest performance information that builds trust and supports governance decisions

## Key Activities and Considerations
- **Establish a measurement framework:** At project outset, identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that will be used — aligned to project objectives, stakeholder information needs, and organizational reporting requirements
- **Collect performance data:** Systematically gather data from project execution: schedule progress, cost actuals, quality results, risk status, and stakeholder feedback — using consistent methods to enable trend analysis
- **Analyze performance against baselines:** Compare actuals to planned baselines using appropriate techniques — Earned Value Management for integrated cost-schedule performance, variance analysis for individual parameters, burn-down/burn-up charts for agile contexts
- **Report performance to stakeholders:** Translate raw data into meaningful reports and dashboards calibrated to different audience needs — executive sponsors need different views than delivery team members
- **Identify and respond to variances:** When performance deviates from acceptable thresholds, investigate root causes, evaluate options, and trigger corrective or preventive actions through appropriate change management processes
- **Monitor qualitative indicators:** Supplement quantitative metrics with qualitative signals — team health, stakeholder satisfaction, morale, and engagement — which often predict problems before they appear in quantitative data
- **Guard against measurement dysfunction:** Avoid metrics that reward the wrong behaviors, create perverse incentives, or distort reality; regularly review whether the measurement system is serving its purpose

## Relationship to Principles
| Principle | Connection |
|---|---|
| P04 — Value | Measurement serves value tracking; the primary question of any metric should be "does this tell us whether we are delivering the value we committed to?" |
| P08 — Quality | Quality metrics — defect rates, rework levels, acceptance rates — are among the most important measurement outputs; measurement makes quality visible and actionable |
| P10 — Risk | Risk metrics — probability/impact trends, reserve consumption, risk exposure — are a critical component of the measurement system; measurement data reveals emerging uncertainty |

## Artifact Connections
| Artifact | Connection |
|---|---|
| A17 — Performance Reporting Record | Primary measurement output artifact — consolidates performance data into reports and dashboards for stakeholder communication |
| A16 — Financial Baseline | Establishes the cost baseline against which Earned Value and cost variance calculations are performed |
| A15 — Schedule Baseline | Establishes the schedule baseline against which schedule variance and schedule performance index are calculated |
| A20 — Quantitative Risk Reserve Decision Record | Documents risk reserve levels and consumption; risk reserve usage is a key measurement indicator of risk exposure |
| A02 — Benefits and Value Measurement Record | Tracks progress toward benefits realization; connects project-level performance metrics to portfolio-level value indicators |

## Skill Connections
| Skill ID | Skill Name | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| SKL-05-01 | Monitor and Control Project Work | Applies the measurement framework to overall project work performance — the broadest monitoring skill in this domain |
| SKL-05-02 | Monitor and Control Schedule | Applies schedule performance metrics (SV, SPI, critical path analysis) to assess schedule health and drive corrective action |
| SKL-05-05 | Monitor and Control Costs | Applies cost performance metrics (CV, CPI, EAC, ETC) to assess budget health and forecast final cost |
| SKL-06-02 | Final Performance Review | Synthesizes all measurement data at project close to produce a definitive performance record and lessons for future projects |

## Interaction with Other Domains
| Domain | Interaction |
|---|---|
| PD04 — Planning | Plans establish the performance baselines (cost, schedule, scope, quality) against which measurement compares actuals; without credible baselines, measurement loses its reference point |
| PD05 — Project Work | Work execution generates the performance data that feeds the measurement system; work performance information is the primary raw input to measurement analysis |
| PD08 — Uncertainty | Measurement data reveals emerging uncertainty — cost and schedule trends often signal unidentified risks; measurement and uncertainty management are mutually informing |

## Questions to Ask in Practice
1. Are our metrics measuring what actually matters for project success, or are we measuring what is easy to count?
2. Do we have both leading indicators (signals of future performance) and lagging indicators (confirmation of past results)?
3. When a variance is identified, do we understand its root cause before committing to a corrective action?
4. Are our performance reports trusted by stakeholders, or has measurement dysfunction eroded confidence in the data?

*Authority: PMBOK8 Guide §2.7 · Source type: PMI-derived*
*Repository: https://github.com/fakhruldeen/PMOSkills*
