5 Social Impact Skills Every PMO Should Build in Their Teams

Elizabeth is a freelance writer and project manager living and working in London. She runs The Otobos Group, a project communications consultancy specializing in project management.

  PMO   Social Impact  

Several research reports into project management and social impact, including PMI’s own research, show that there is a growing demand for projects that deliver not just outputs but lasting social value.

All projects have a social impact, whether positive or negative, but what we are talking about are the projects that have a positive impact on the world. An in turn, those projects often contribute to building a positive reputation for the company amongst staff and customers.

However, almost 40 percent of organizations report barriers to achieving the social impact they desire, including lack of financial resources, lack of organizational commitment and lack of skills in the team.

The last one is what I want to talk about today. The technical and behavioral competencies that are missing in many project teams can be trained in. PMOs can play a powerful role as capability builders, embedding social value delivery into the culture of project practice.

Want to know how? Let’s take a look at five essential skills for social impact work—and practical ways that your PMO can develop them.

1. Empathy and stakeholder listening
Social impact relies on understanding lived experiences and diverse needs, particularly for marginalized or non-traditional stakeholders. Nearly 70 percent of organizations that measure social impact do so with interviews or …

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