PMOs in the Age of Turbulence

Abid Mustafa is a seasoned professional with 18 years' experience in the IT and telecommunications industry, specializing in enhancing corporate performance through the establishment and operation of executive PMOs and delivering tangible benefits through the management of complex transformation programs and projects.

  PMO   ProjectsAtWork  

In the current climate of instability and uncertainty, companies must adopt flexible business models and supple delivery mechanisms to take advantage of new opportunities to re-invent and diversify. An executive project management office can play a major role, but mixed signals about its responsibilities often negate its potential.

Many if not most business executives possess narrow — if not somewhat contorted — views about the roles of an executive project management office (EPMO) in the realization of corporate strategies. It is not uncommon to find executives oscillating between the EPMO as a reporting function or an entity that is responsible for the execution of corporate initiatives. This often results in a perpetual identity crisis for the EPMO and gravely hampers its ability to perform, as continuous questions are asked about its existence.

In some cases — after lengthy trial and error periods and protracted debates— a compromise is brokered between the executives, and the EPMO is eventually given the responsibility for reporting and delivery. However, this is a temporary fix and overlooks the fact that structural weaknesses prevalent at the birth of the EPMO combined with discombobulated executive support cannot be overcompensated for at a later stage in its life. In most cases, the damage is severe and the EPMO is relegated to the …

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