The creation and application of the Project Management Adherence Tool (PMAT) in understanding and advancing deflection programs and other community-based initiatives

The opioid overdose crisis in the United States has given rise to innovative solutions to address behavioural health problems in communities. These complex initiatives vary greatly, making it difficult to understand what makes them successful and where their gaps and needs are, which impairs the ability to know how to best apply resources. This article examines Cordata’s Operation to Save Lives (O2SL) and Quick Response Team (QRT) National’s use of the Project Management Maturity Model (Maturity Model) to create an instrument, the Project Maturity Adherence Tool (PMAT) to better understand the state of complex, collaborative community-based programs that address substance use disorders (SUDs), opioid use disorders (OUDs), mental health disorders, community safety and well-being, and fatal overdoses in the United States. It represents a shift in the purpose of employing this model from industries like engineering, software development, and business to community-based initiatives to address behavioural health issues. In this setting, its primary purpose is to create structured communication within and between geographically dispersed, multifaceted initiatives that are united by common goals and funding streams but may have great diversity in how they operate.