Implementing a PMO: Does it Have to be So Hard?

Bill has been in IT for the last 23 years, with 21 of those years focusing on Project Management. He has built two Project Management Offices from the ground up using the best practices and core principals of PMI, and has been a tactical project manager since 1991. He is the co-author of the "Project Management Communication Bible" and the author of "The Tactical Guide for Building a PMO".

  PMO  

In my second book, The Tactical Guide for Building a PMO, I wrote a chapter that outlines how to implement a PMO (Chapter 13). I outlined the steps to follow, the tools to use and gave you the steps that you need to implement a successful PMO.

However, one of the caveats of using this chapter in the book is that you have read all the chapters leading up to this point. It is important that you followed along and you already read the Assess, Recommend, Design, and Build phase chapters. Otherwise, it would be hard to understand exactly what you want to implement. But what if you decide to go rogue and jump right in--and you don’t follow those previous steps?

What if your boss turns to you and says, “Okay, you want a PMO, you got a PMO…get out there and do it!” That can be a scary position to be in for anyone. Is it hard to implement a PMO? Yes, you’re darn right it’s hard--and a lot of work. I’m not sure anyone wants to be in that spot, but if you are, I have some high-level steps to follow.

What I am going to do is to outline a series of steps to help you implement a PMO very quickly. These steps won’t be perfect, but they will be a great starting point and are generic enough that they should work in most organizations. If you are in a jam and need to get going, then here is what I would recommend you to do to get …

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