Defining The PMO Role: The Quest For Identity

Mark Mullaly is president of Interthink Consulting Incorporated, an organizational development and change firm specializing in the creation of effective organizational project management solutions. Since 1990, it has worked with companies throughout North America to develop, enhance and implement effective project management tools, processes, structures and capabilities. Mark was most recently co-lead investigator of the Value of Project Management research project sponsored by PMI. You can read more of his writing at markmullaly.com.

 

In last month's column, I explored the ongoing tension between control and support that every PMO must balance. While there is no question that one aspect of this struggle is purely political, the correct formula for any given organization can be determined by the answer to one fundamental question: "What role does the PMO play in the organization?" Organizational politics aside, the greatest challenge that most companies face is to define what the PMO's purpose should be, and why it is being created.

While this is ideally a question that is asked as a PMO is being established, it is an equally valid one as it continues to evolve. I have seen too many PMOs try to be all things to all people, and struggle with their identity and purpose as a result. As with any entity, the PMO needs a clear mission, one that should be defined based upon the needs of its customers. To define this mission, we first must identify who these customers are. The project managers? Senior management? The project customers? From an understanding of customers can come a definition of requirements, and only at that point can the PMO truly characterize and implement its services.

To the astute reader, this probably sounds a lot like what should happen at the outset of a project, and they would be absolutely correct in that perception. Setting up a PMO is a project, and needs to be approached with …

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