Using project management principles to plan the research and development project “Active Pregnancy”

Vollständiger Abstract

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Abstract This paper demonstrates how a principle-based interpretation of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) 8th Edition can enhance the initiating and planning phases of complex research projects, using a multicenter maternal health initiative—Active Pregnancy—as an illustrative case. Building on PMBoK’s emphasis on value delivery, adaptability, and tailoring, the project is framed as a health-focused endeavor that must balance scientific rigor with stakeholder needs, ethical constraints, and organizational strategy across multiple sites. The paper adopts a qualitative, document-based approach to map project charters, management plans, and governance structures onto PMBoK’s performance domains and value delivery system. It shows how explicit definition of scope, schedule, cost, quality, communication, and risk management in the early phases provides a coherent architecture for later execution, monitoring, and closure. Particular attention is given to the translation of PMBoK principles into practical mechanisms, including a detailed stakeholder matrix, an organizational breakdown structure, and a work breakdown structure that covers management, intervention, resource development, digital product design, and dissemination. Another contribution is the illustration of a hybrid lifecycle tailored to a research-intensive, ethically sensitive environment. Predictive elements are used for ethics approval, protocol development, and trial logistics, while adaptive, agile components guide iterative co-creation of educational materials, digital tools, and communication strategies responsive to participant feedback and contextual changes. The paper also discusses how success criteria, key performance indicators, risk registers, and sustainability plans can be aligned with both project-level objectives and broader organizational and societal goals, including health equity and the Sustainable Development Goals. By abstracting from the specific maternal health context, the case study offers a transferable model for project managers seeking to operationalize PMBoK in other complex, multi-stakeholder research and innovation projects, demonstrating how a principle-based framework can improve planning effectiveness, coordination, and value realization beyond traditional commercial settings.