Delivering the Goods: PMOs Must Deliver Value

  Governance   PM Network  

It’s fast becoming do or die for project management offices (PMOs).

Those within the project management community may understand the value of a PMO, but it’s sometimes hard to show on paper—and that can lead to the perception that it’s just another layer of administration.

“The challenge is that many people see the PMO as a nice-to-have department that mostly acts as a buffer between the project team and senior management,” says Rommy Musch, business manager at Orange Business Services, an IT services company in Wellington, New Zealand.

“But now that times have changed, the PMO has to change the company’s mindset about what purpose it serves. We need to transition from nice-tohave to a business-critical function that is part of the way business is done,” says Ms. Musch, who is also the vice chair of governance for the PMI Program Management Office Specific Interest Group.

PMOs can and often do provide bottom-line benefits through better project selection and decision-making. But those that don’t are in serious danger.

“The PMO that doesn’t deliver on its main goal to keep business and delivery aligned while continuously improving the performance of business will be useless and will be canceled,” says Michele Maritato, PMP, owner of project management consulting firm, PMProgetti,…

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.