Is ISO Certification for PMOs Worth It?

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.

  Career Development   Governance   PMO   ProjectsAtWork  

Before PMO directors pursue ISO 9001 certification, it is important to understand what it constitutes and how it can benefit PMOs. For some, the certification can be a way to increase performance and staff confidence. For others, it can be cost-prohibitive and add little value.

Many PMO directors consider ISO 9001 certification for their PMO at some point. Some embark on the ISO 9001 certification path because it is customary to do so, especially in organizations that are focused on product or service excellence. Other PMOs opt for ISO 9001 accreditation to win kudos amongst departments responsible for initiating project work. Whatever the case maybe only a few PMO directors develop a strong rationale for undertaking such an endeavor.

Before PMO directors pursue ISO 9001 certification, it is important to understand what ISO 9001 constitutes and how it can benefit PMOs. ISO 9001 is an international quality management standard that is geared towards improving the quality of product and services, through the implementation of key processes and the utilization of measures to determine the operational effectiveness of such processes.

ISO 9001 certification should not be confused with the certification of the PMO’s project methodology. The latter is a completely different discipline, and in many ways is less challenging than ISO 9001 certification. ISO 9001 …

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