Which tool or technique of Plan Quality involves comparing actual or planned practices to those of other projects to generate ideas for improvement and provide a basis by which to measure performance?

Benchmarking is a data-gathering technique used in the Plan Quality Management process. It involves the comparison of actual or planned project practices, processes, and quality standards to those of comparable projects or organizations. The primary purpose is to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and establish a basis for measuring performance. This process helps the project team set realistic and achievable quality goals by learning from the successes and failures of others, which directly aligns with the activity described in the question.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute. Section 8.1.2.3, Data Gathering, p. 280. The text states, "Benchmarking. Benchmarking involves comparing actual or planned project practices or the project’s quality standards to those of comparable projects to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for measuring performance."

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute. Section 4.2.3, Models, p. 160. This edition defines benchmarking as "A comparison of an organization’s or project’s performance to the performance of other organizations or projects in the same or a different industry."

3. Eppinger, S. D. (2001). Benchmarking in Project Management. MIT Sloan School of Management. MIT Sloan Working Paper 4192-01. This paper defines benchmarking as "the process of identifying, understanding, and adapting outstanding practices from other organizations to help your organization improve its performance."