NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

ncci-unc-chapel-hill-features-scott-m-graffius---lwres






Source information and links for materials referenced in this article are provided in the Bibliography section.




Introduction



The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) is one of the oldest and most storied public universities in the United States. Founded in 1789, it is a flagship research institution with a global reputation and is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. UNC Chapel Hill's academic community operates under institutional policies and an honor code premised on the conviction that honesty, trust, and respect for others' works are essential. The institution's stated values are clear. The problem is that UNC Chapel Hill has not lived up to them.

In 2022, UNC Chapel Hill's Vice Chancellor for Research, Terry Magnuson — the institution's own senior official charged with overseeing research integrity — admitted to plagiarizing text in a federal NIH grant application. The U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI), a federal watchdog agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, found that Magnuson had "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly plagiarized" text from multiple sources and submitted it as part of his grant application. The finding was reported by
Retraction Watch, Inside Higher Ed, Plagiarism Today, Times Higher Education, and others. Magnuson subsequently resigned from his vice chancellor position. The episode was widely described as a serious breach of research integrity — and an institutional embarrassment — at a university that brands itself on academic excellence and ethical conduct.

Another chapter unfolded in the troubling story: a UNC Chapel Hill / NCCI 2025 publication plagiarized and violated another's intellectual property rights. The infringement is unprofessional, disgraceful, immoral, unethical, and unlawful.

The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) is a higher education consortium that exists, by its own description, to foster innovation, drive organizational transformation, and build professional capacity across member institutions. It draws together leaders from universities across the country, united by the shared purpose of advancing the higher education community. Participation in such a network carries an expectation of professional and ethical conduct.

This article is about the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 publication, "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success." It plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' 2023 copyrighted "Phases of Team Development" work and violated his intellectual property rights. This situation requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Graffius presents evidence to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations.




Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property



Graffius is a global leader in teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his novel work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to advance the effectiveness of teams.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world have featured and used Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Government of Finland,
  • Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH,
  • IEEE,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Microsoft,
  • Oracle,
  • Technical University of Munich,
  • Torrens University,
  • Tufts University,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • United States National Park Service,
  • United States Tennis Association,
  • University of California at San Diego (UCSD),
  • University of Waterloo,
  • Warsaw University of Technology,
  • Yale University, and
  • many others.

Its adoption highlights its utility and value as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In
2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling, unforgettable talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:

  • Armenia,
  • Australia,
  • Brazil,
  • Canada,
  • Czech Republic,
  • Finland,
  • France,
  • Germany,
  • Greece,
  • Hong Kong,
  • Hungary,
  • India,
  • Ireland,
  • Lithuania,
  • Luxembourg,
  • Nepal,
  • Netherlands,
  • New Zealand,
  • Norway,
  • Romania,
  • Sweden,
  • Switzerland,
  • United Arab Emirates,
  • United Kingdom,
  • and the United States.

Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are
here and here, respectively.




NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill 2025 Publication Plagiarized Graffius' 2023 Work and Violated His Intellectual Property Rights



As noted above, Scott M. Graffius first introduced his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically updates it. The 2023 edition was the version plagiarized and exploited in violation of his intellectual property rights. Details follow.

Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2023 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property in the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication, nor did Graffius provide permission.

Nevertheless, the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication used Graffius' copyrighted 2023 property.

The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at
https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2023.html and https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846 and other locations) and excerpts from NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's 2025 infringing publication (the known locations are https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01.15.25-NCCI-Team-Collaboration.pdf and https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NCCI-Profile-2025.pdf - which lists the infringing "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" as part of the "Power60s" online education program). The locations of the infringing online training are unknown to Graffius but known to NCCI.

ncci-unc-chapel-hill-features-scott-m-graffius---exhibit-1-lwres

The names listed on the infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication include:

  • Georgia McRae, Senior Transformation Manager, UNC Chapel Hill
  • Nick Sengstaken, Senior Transformation Manager, UNC Chapel Hill

Additionally, the publication is marked with or references several organizations:

  • Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)
  • (UNC) Operational Excellence
  • Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers
  • Prosci
  • IDEO

The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 publication used much of Graffius’ 2023 copyright content word-for-word. In further evidence of apparent knowing and willful violation, the authors seemed to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, “Encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving” was changed to “Encourage collective decision-making & problem-solving”; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.

ncci-unc-chapel-hill-features-scott-m-graffius---exhibit-2-lwres

In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted work and the infringing 2025 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication.

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Eager”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Socializing”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Socializing”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Generally polite tone”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Generally polite tone”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Sticking to safe topics”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Sticking to safe topics”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Some anxiety”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Anxious”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Some resistance”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Some resistance”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Lack of participation”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Lack of participation”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Conflict”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Competition”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Requesting and encouraging feedback”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Request and encourage feedback”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Building trust by honoring commitments”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Build trust by honoring commitments”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Developing cohesion”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Developing cohesion”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Engaged”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Engaged”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Supportive”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Supportive”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Relief”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Relief”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Lowered anxiety”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Lowered anxiety”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “High motivation”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “High motivation”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Trust”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Trust”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Empathy”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Empathy”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Effectively producing deliverables”

🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving”
🔴 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication has: “Encourage collective decision-making & problem-solving”

The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted property.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the internet — into falsely believing that the authors of the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication are the owners of Graffius' intellectual property.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor otherwise allowed.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.

The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.

So long as the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing publication exists anywhere, in any form, the authors, publisher(s), and other involved parties continue to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.

Evidence has been preserved.




Conclusion, Including Demand for Accountability



Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2023 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property in the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication, nor did Graffius provide permission.

Nevertheless, the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication used Graffius' copyrighted 2023 property.

The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted property.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his 2023 content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the internet — into falsely believing that the authors of the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication are the owners of Graffius' 2023 intellectual property.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor otherwise allowed.

NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.

The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.

So long as the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing material exists anywhere, in any form, the authors, publisher(s), and other involved parties continue to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.

The involved parties must immediately implement the following two (2) actions:

1. Cease All Use. Remove the Infringing Material.

1 (a). Electronic Versions: Cease all use. Immediately remove the infringing material (any and all publications/products with infringement) from digital platforms where it is published, posted, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.

1 (b). Physical Copies: Cease all use. If physical copies of the infringing material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution, recall any copies already distributed, and destroy (shred and recycle) copies. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.

2. Issue a Confirmation and Apology. Email Scott M. Graffius with confirmation of compliance with 1 (a) and 1 (b), and apologize for plagiarizing his work and violating his intellectual property rights. The apology will not minimize, mischaracterize, or otherwise downplay the plagiarism and infringement; any such conduct will demonstrate bad faith. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.


Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Mr. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. He expressly reserves his rights in this matter.

Notice

Beyond this article, Graffius sent notice of this serious matter to the names and organizations listed on the infringing publication. He notified the following via email (some details below are redacted).

Authors of the Infringing Publication

  • Georgia McRae - g████████@unc.edu
  • Nick Sengstaken - n█████████████@unc.edu

The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)

  • Amy Morgan - a███████@ncci-cu.org
  • Andrea Androuais - a█████████s@wustl.edu
  • Angela Song - a██████@ucsd.edu
  • Antonio Nava - a██████@ucsd.edu
  • Brandon Gaines - b███████@princeton.edu
  • Brian Fodrey - b████████@andrew.cmu.edu
  • Christian Van Horn - c████████@ncci-cu.org
  • Christina Blackman - c█████████n@ucdavis.edu
  • Cindy Moscrip - c████████@purdue.edu
  • Info - i███@ncci-cu.org
  • Jeremy Bean - j█████████████@psu.edu
  • Joseph Drasin - j████████@umd.edu
  • Josh Barnes - j███████@clemson.edu
  • Justin Rudisille - j████████@ncci-cu.org
  • Karen Keith - k████████@ncci-cu.org
  • Kim-Marie Jenkins - k████████@maine.edu
  • Maureen Knight-Burrell - m████████@northwestern.edu
  • Ralph Gigliotti - r██████████@rutgers.edu
  • Sarah Fidelibus - s█████████████@ucsf.edu
  • Scott Siler - s███@nd.edu
  • Scott Staelgraeve - s███████@umich.edu
  • Stacey Bradley - s████████@sc.edu
  • William Nelson - n████████@vcu.edu

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)

  • Amy Grau - a███████@unc.edu
  • Conduct - s███████████@unc.edu
  • Dedric Carter - d█████████@unc.edu
  • Internal Audit - i███████████@northcarolina.edu
  • Jim Dean - p███████@unc.edu
  • Kevin Best - k███████████@unc.edu
  • Loretta Hester - l███████.hester@unc.edu
  • Michael Barker - m███████████@unc.edu
  • Mike Andreasen - m███████████@unc.edu
  • Peter Hans - p████████@northcarolina.edu
  • Policy - p███████@unc.edu
  • Timothy Kundro - t████████@kenan-flagler.unc.edu

(UNC) Operational Excellence

  • Rick Wernoski - w████████@email.unc.edu

Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers

  • Info - i███@apppostgradtraining.com
  • Kerry Bamrick - k█████████@apppostgradtraining.com
  • Shay Etheridge - s███████████@apppostgradtraining.com

Prosci

  • Contact - g████████████████@prosci.com
  • Contact - s███████████@prosci.com

IDEO

  • IDEO Contact - w████████@ideo.com
  • IDEO Info - i█████████@ideo.org
  • IDEOU Info - i████████@ideou.com

Updates

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.

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Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.




Bibliography



Bailey, J. (2022, March 14). UNC-Chapel Hill vice chancellor resigns after admitting plagiarism.
Plagiarism Today. https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2022/03/14/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-resigns-after-admitting-plagiarism/

Basken, P. (2022, March 11). UNC research chief steps down over plagiarism charge.
Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/unc-research-chief-steps-down-over-plagiarism-charge

Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Public Speaker.
https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html

Graffius, S. M. (2023, January 9). Use the Phases of Team Development (Based on Bruce W. Tuckman's Model of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning) to Help Teams Grow and Advance: 2023 Update. ScottGraffius.com.
https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2023.html and https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846

Graffius, S. M. (2026). Rate Card for 2026.
https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf

Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com.
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601

Greenberg, S. H. (2022, March 9). UNC vice chancellor for research cited for plagiarism.
Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/03/10/unc-vice-chancellor-research-cited-plagiarism

Michaels, W., DeWitt, D., & Jurney, J. (2022, March 9). UNC vice chancellor resigns following report that said he plagiarized part of a grant application. WUNC News.
https://www.wunc.org/2022-03-09/federal-investigation-finds-unc-ch-vice-chancellor-for-research-plagiarized-part-of-a-grant-application

Oransky, I. (2022, March 8). UNC-Chapel Hill vice chancellor admits to plagiarism.
Retraction Watch. https://retractionwatch.com/2022/03/08/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-admits-to-plagiarism/

McRae, G., & Sengstaken, N. (2025, January 15). Setting Your Project Team Up for Success [PDF]. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill). Published at the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI).
https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01.15.25-NCCI-Team-Collaboration.pdf

Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). (2025). Network for Change and Continuous Innovation in Higher Education: Profile 2025 [PDF]. This lists "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" as part of the "Power60s" Online Education Program.
https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NCCI-Profile-2025.pdf and the locations of the infringing online training are unknown to Graffius but known to NCCI.




About Scott M. Graffius



scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.

He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.

He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.


International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.
Graffius has conducted 97 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is
here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • BMC Software,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
  • Computer Weekly,
  • Constructor University - Germany,
  • Data Governance Success,
  • Deimos Aerospace,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Dropbox,
  • EU's European Commission,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Gartner,
  • GoDaddy,
  • Harvard Medical School,
  • Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
  • IEEE,
  • Innovation Project Management,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Lam Research (Semiconductors),
  • Leadership Worthy,
  • Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
  • London South Bank University,
  • Microsoft,
  • MSN,
  • NASSCOM,
  • National Academy of Sciences,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Pinterest Inc.,
  • Project Management Institute,
  • Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
  • SANS Institute,
  • SBG Neumark - Germany,
  • Singapore Institute of Technology,
  • Torrens University - Australia,
  • TBS Switzerland,
  • Tufts University,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway - Ireland,
  • US Department of Energy,
  • US National Park Service,
  • US Soccer,
  • US Tennis Association,
  • Verizon,
  • Wrike,
  • Yale University,
  • and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

  • The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
  • Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition
  • The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition
  • Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition
  • The Practice Standard for Project Estimating – Second Edition

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Scott-M-Graffius-Phases-Of-Team-Development-2026-Update-v26010307G2-jpg-lwres

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

scott-m-graffius-lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2026-summary-visual-v26012207-jpg-lwres

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy,
Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

  • Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
  • Project Management Professional (PMP),
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
  • IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Discover Scott’s Books


Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.




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How to Cite This Article



Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 20). NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work. ScottGraffius.com.
https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ncci-unc-chapel-hill-features-scott-m-graffius.html




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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)



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Content Acknowledgements



The “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success” publication, dated January 15, 2025, is marked with several names and organizations — including authors Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill), the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers, Prosci, and IDEO. It features Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted January 9, 2023 “Phases of Team Development” work. Names and marks are the property of their respective owners. “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success,” except for material plagiarized from Graffius’ copyrighted work and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of its authors/owners. Graffius' article on this case includes limited excerpts from “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success,” attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis. Graffius’ “Phases of Team Development” is copyrighted © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.




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Post-Publication Notes



If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.




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Copyright



Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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