Program Management Office (PMO)

A new global survey indicates disparities in the measurement and effectiveness of PMOs, leaving their value a great unknown.

An IT transformation program at Allianz sought simpler creation and review of project information to let stakeholders resolve project issues more quickly, with more timely and detailed data. Allianz implemented BrightWork's pmPoint solution, leveraging its use of Microsoft Project and SharePoint.

As we enter 2011, it's time for a refresher--it's the perfect time to explore the cross section of views and perspectives about PMOs. It's the perfect time to see what others are thinking regarding the state of PMOs, and this article will focus on starting a PMO, avoiding PMO failure, trends and the future of the PMO.

From the Saudi Arabian MOI NIC
The history and culture of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia posed unique challenges to the Ministry of Interior’s PMO. Like Harris Corporation, they understood the four reasons why many organizations fail to transform their Project Management cultures, and avoided these pitfalls working with OPM Experts LLC. But as a counterpoint to Harris, the NIC’s case shows how the culture can be the driver of process deployment.

New benchmark study on project management offices shows consistent, two-year trend in delivering quantifiable value, with upwards of $400,000 in savings per project.

With an unprecedented 96 percent project success rate, Dell Services’ Healthcare and Life Sciences team wins the 2011 Project Management Office of the Year award.

Welcome to the PMO! Does your Program Management Office have a plan for helping new project managers? More than any other function, the PMO varies hugely from one organization to the next--and even from one division to the next. That means that there will always be a ramp-up period for anyone entering as a project manager--and yet many PMOs make no allowance for this.

A project management office can operate on a continuum, from providing project management support functions in the form of training, software, standardized policies and procedures to actual direct management and responsibility for achieving the project objectives. Here, we look at some of the key responsibilities and features of a typical PMO.

Trying to convince executives to implement a best-practice methodology is a recipe for failure when establishing a program or portfolio management office. Better to cultivate a PMO identity based on a thorough analysis of what executives really want. Here are some techniques to get started.

Management consultants are being called on to help establish project management offices that are simply not equipped to succeed after they leave. Here are three things they’re doing wrong.

Establishing a program management office is a project in Itself. And like all projects, you need a charter that presents a clear and measurable purpose, scope, schedule, quality, budget, risks and critical success factors. Here are guidelines for creating a charter for your PMO project.

What does your project management office need to do to ensure that it's serving your organization? What makes it effective? In this writer's professional experience, five primary factors greatly influence the ultimate success of the PMO.

Does your PMO Produce Multiple Obstacles for your project or Promote Many Opportunities for success? PMOs often get a bad reputation on agile teams, but it need not be that way--they can also add tremendous support and be a great help.

The project management office has a different role in the operational team than in project teams. In general, there are two major reasons for having a PMO as part of the operational team--and it's up to the PMO to ensure that it is supporting operations instead of hindering them.

In the next few years the PMO is going to evolve considerably as EPMOs become the new norm. The concept of an EPMO is gathering support in a lot of different environments, and the recent economic challenges have only accelerated the process. In this article, we look at what that might mean for traditional PMOs and identify some of the things that you can do for the arrival of an EPMO in your organization.

The sixth annual award recognizes visionary and proven project management offices. Past winners include EDS, Rockwell Automation and IBM Corp.

As businesses enter the "new normal" era of economic uncertainty, program and portfolio management offices that remain tactically and administratively-focused will struggle. Successful PMOs in 2012 will move towards a strageic, holistic view that embraces agile methods and increases visibility for executives.

A recession doesn’t mean a project management office should slow down, much less shut down. Here are five practical activities that a PMO can embark on to keep busy and improve project management efforts in tough times.

Project, program and portfolio management offices have survived tough economic times, but they have not advanced the cause of operational excellence, according to a survey of 600 practitioners.

Software program management office, founded in 2004, proves instrumental in helping the Milwaukee-based company achieve increased predictability, productivity and visibility.

Many PMOs are struggling to survive the cost-cutting knife, facing staff reductions and increased workloads. It is during these periods of adversity that PMO leaders must take steps to discard the PMO’s image as a cost center and recast itself into a profit center.

We seem to be moving from the “every PMO is different” model to the “PMOs fit into one of several types” model. However, since the heady days of Y2K the world has changed a lot--and created a lot of opportunities for PMOs to reinvent themselves and create a new model. This writer may be a power-crazed egomaniac, but he thinks PMOs can run the organization (if not the world).

The head of the PMO has a significant responsibility to the project managers to act as career coaches and mentors. Are you taking that role seriously?

What should the PM know about a larger program? Should the PMO mandate a consistent level of understanding for PMs whose initiatives fall into larger program? It's time to explore the right program-level perspective for the project level manager.

Enterprise project management is rarely the same across different entities; however, there are common denominators that collectively define the new age of EPM in the public sector.

A new survey from Project Management Institute identifies key trends in project, program and portfolio management, including a renewed focus on talent development and increased use of agile methods. The results also point to critical success factors, among them clearly defining expected benefits, ensuring top-level management support, and creating a career path for project participants.

One of the unsung PMO functions is managing risk. There are a lot of aspects of risk management where the PMO can provide tangible support to project managers in their endeavors. In this article, we explore some of that support in terms of identification, analysis and response.

Do PMOs have value? Arguably, yes. At least...sometimes. According to the results of recent research, the presence of a PMO was often a contributor to the attainment of organizational value. What was of particular concern, however, was the actual role of the PMO within the organization. Two broad types emerged within the research; find out what they are inside...

Too many PMOs are not yielding demonstrable positive financial results, often due to limitations outside of their control. Here are two common problem scenarios that can be fixed by changing the way in which the PMO is chartered, operates and is perceived within the business.

Our writer was approached by the head of a PMO who was launching a major new program--a huge initiative that would consume more than half of the project management capacity of the organization for the next three years. If it sounds like a project manager allocation nightmare, it is.

When it comes to standardizing project management practices, PMOs are essential. If your organization doesn’t have a PMO, here are some ways to approach the concept. (And even if you do have a PMO, they will serve as important reminders!)

A wide variety of technology solutions and services are available to help organizations implement, customize and improve their project portfolio management processes. Here is our August roundup of recent updates and announcements from CA, Daptiv, Innotas, Oracle Primavera, Planview, PowerSteering, Rally and others.

Working closely with Bell Canada business units to deliver a complete communication network at the 2010 Winter Olympics, project manager Richard Brodowski established an “enabling, not inhibiting” approach that allowed his team to quickly learn from mistakes and make decision at the ground level, continuously moving the project forward.

How can you ensure that your PMO is as strong as it can be as the economy recovers? In this article, we look at how you can use this opportunity to improve your PMO--making it a more significant contributor to your organization than it was before the downturn.

From Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation offers compelling insights into the impacts that process can have on culture and vice versa. This organization understood the four reasons why many organizations fail to transform their Project Management cultures, and avoided these pitfalls with their PMO working with OPM Experts LLC.

Project managers wear many hats, but if we are continuously multi-tasking we run the risk of paying partial attention to important activities. Striking the right balance between multi-tasking and focusing on singular, critical tasks is the key to getting things done. Here are some suggestions.

What are the business drivers for enterprise project portfolio management, what are the consolidation challenges and what is the solution?

PMOs: A panacea for some, a disaster for others. If like many others you anticipate a bad ending, you've come to the right place. Want some sure-fire approaches for disaster? Here are some tips on killing your PMO. (Optimists can go ahead and do the opposite...)

Beyond obtaining more certifications, project managers should take the processes, tools and techniques learned in a certification project and focus on putting them into practice. Training and education is great, but it’s not until you apply the knowledge that you’ll benefit from the hours studying to pass an exam. Here are are just a few ideas on how you can apply your certifications.

Interviewing candidates for a PMO position is different than hiring for a project manager position. The following interview questions are just a few that can be used to staff PMOs at various levels in an organization, and should be tailored according to the specific PMO’s form and function.

Based on the best practices of winners and finalist from PM Solutions’ annual PMO of the Year award, a new book offers tips, insights and checklists for people management, performance measurement, strategic alignment, organization design and more.

The purpose of the PMO is to create a more efficient, more successful project portfolio. How do you know if your PMO is getting the job done? That's where PMO governance comes into play.