The Case for a Pragmatic PMO

Andy Jordan is President of Roffensian Consulting S.A., a Roatan, Honduras-based management consulting firm with a comprehensive project management practice. Andy always appreciates feedback and discussion on the issues raised in his articles and can be reached at [email protected]. Andy's new book Risk Management for Project Driven Organizations is now available.

  PMO  

Why does the PMO in your organization, department, or business area exist? Some of you may say that it acts as a process and compliance hub, or as a center for consolidating and harmonizing reporting.

But an increasing number of you would respond by suggesting that the PMO exists to improve the ability of the organization to deliver projects. That’s the direction that PMOs have been headed in for the last several years, and it is where I believe their ability to drive real, long-term value to the business can make the most impact.

But what does that mean in practical terms? What should PMOs actually be doing in order to achieve those improvements in project delivery?

There are many options for areas of focus in the PMO that you are most familiar with. Common challenges exist around the ability of the organization to manage resources effectively and efficiently—both now and in terms of planning for future needs.

Approving an amount of work—or number of projects—that align with the ability of the organization to deliver is another aspect that frequently generates some challenges. And there are always opportunities to improve around tools and technology, processes and best practices, and relationships between the PMO and its many stakeholders.

It's impossible to focus on all of those things at the same time, so how do you prioritize among…

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