Can any one help me in understanding difference between Program Management office and Program Office? And also let me know deliverables for each entity.
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Gabrielle MaherPMO Consultant| IndependentLondon, London, United Kingdom
In the UK the OGC (Office of Government Commerce) issued guidelines in the 4th quarter of 2008 around the 'P30' - where the term "P30" refers to the 3 offices that supports the 3 Ps (Portfolio, Programme and Project).
The hierarchicial structure is
Portfolio office
Programme office
Project office
The main function of the Portfolio office is to provide decision support to senior management - advising on the composition of projects and programmes within the organisation that represent the best investments for the organisation. The focus is to ask if the 'right' projects and programmes are being commissioned by the organisation to ensure alignment with strategic objectives - so that the business prioritises investment in change initiates that achieve strategic business outcomes / benefits / ROI / goals to acceptable levels of risk exposure. This is a permanent office which operates at the highest level of the organisation - reporting to the main board of directors - and is different to a Progrmame office or project office.
A Programme office - commonly known as PMO (programme management office) supports the delivery of a programme. A programme consists of a series of interdependent projects that are commissioned by an organisation (or group function such as an IT Dept) to to achieve a strategic objective. This office is concerned with ensuring that all programme delivery changes are done correctly - ie meet compliance requirements, adhere to the organisations methodology, control processes, governance, quality management, best practice etc. The focus of a programme office is to support a programme manager / Director in the successful delivery of the programme. The service offering varies depending on the size and complexity of the programme and capability of the programme office staff but typically a programme office supports programme resourcing, financial control and reporting, planning support, risk and issue management, dependency management, change control, quality management etc. A programme office provides oversight, scrutiny and challenge to assure the programme manager / Director and programme board re. the accuracy and quality of the programme MI and provides assurance that the programme will deliver to time, cost, scope and quality.
A programme office can also exist at a Corporate level - or Divisional level - where it is a permanent office that continues to support the delivery of project(s) and programme(s) initiatives of an organisation / or group function (i.e IT Dept). It can equally be a temporary office that supports the delivery of a specific programme - and is disbanded once the programme is delivered successfully.
A project office support the delivery of a project - and supports the efforts of the project manager. It is disbanded once the project is delivered.
I have posted more detailed comments and links in a previous discussion on Ganthead.
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