I would like to know what is your understanding about auditing a PMO?
What should be the key points to search in depth to have a good diagnostics of the situation?
Thank you
Rogério Saving Changes...
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Martin AlemanProject Manager| Schneider-ElectricApodaca, Nl, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
An audit to a project manager can be done using the PMBOOk as a reference and identify the gaps. Behind this audit, the company must have worked on customize the procedures and standards to their own needs since the PMBOOK has a lot an generic tools. The audit must no slant due the auditor understanding of the concepts. Saving Changes...
John HUGHESSenior Lecturer Project Management| UWBSTelford, United Kingdom
Hi
There are 2 issues which should be addressed as part of a process driven audit. 1. Do they have processes, properly maintained with a change control process, 2. Do they follow the processes and maintain associated records. However, if the processes are poorly designed this might mean you have a compliant PMO that is not adding value to the organisation, perhaps even quite the opposite
So there also needs to be an audit of the process itself to ensure that it is effectively and efficiently(not always easy and it generates some creative tension getting the balance right) providing control for the organisation, but also that it is enabling projects rather than simply acting as "project police". A good PMO will help support the projects that are accepted through the process, and provide sensible and constructive advice to those that do not. So do the processes reflect that, or is it seen as a barrier to be broken through by fair means or foul. One way to get a view of that would be to include within the audit the opinions of both successful and unsuccesful project "champions", as well as reading the reasons provided to those champions at the "gateway"
Ian Saving Changes...
John MonkProject Manager| Virtual Partners Network (VPN).., Malaga, Spain
In order to audit a PMO, to me, the first point of understanding would be to be sure that you know what the scope of the PMO actually is. What is their remit? What is their focus?
Different organisations use the PMO structure in different ways and the answer to your question will be driven by a clear understanding of what it is meant to be doing in relation to the organisation it works within.
Once you know this, then the other contributions become valid and can be used to determine the processes and validity as well as to discover any gaps.
Just a final word on how you might want to present your findings: it is easier to criticise in an audit, and sometimes this is justified. However, I tend to find that buy-in is easier to obtain, if you angle towards pointing out “areas that you do well” and “areas for improvement”. Saving Changes...
Elyse NielsenSenior Project Manager| Ascension Health Information ServicesHaines City, Fl, United States
Hi Rogerio,
I wrote a blog post on project audits, however hopefully the information will be useful for you.
A properly constructed audit can help the organization embrace the PMO as a helpful resource. The trick of the trade is to tune in upon the goals of the organization and have a support structure in place to help project managers develop. Read more at Taming Chaotic Project Management - Using Project Audits Effectively.
Martyn PrettyDirector| Bowler Hat ConsultingFranklin, Act, Australia
Hi,
My first thought would be "Why am I auditing this PMO and to what end?" This will tell me what I am trying to look at.
I would then ask "How shall I audit this PMO?" as i already know what i am trying to find out, i can then choose my approach to match the requirements.
It is important to know what the PMO is mandated to do and be responsible for before you start as if you are testing to see how well they are doing Project Portfolio Management and it just so happens that they are not mandated to do so, you may be wasting your time.
To answer you question specifically now; You need to know all of the above before you can start diving in to an assessment and asking what you should be focusing on? I would ask you (as above) what type of assessment are you doing (Maturity, Capability, process adherence audit, etc) and what do you want to find out? You can then create your assessment to suit your needs.
You cannot just say here look at these points in depth as a general rule, every PMO is different and you may want to look at something specific and the "General points" you get back might not address these. Saving Changes...
Aleem KhanDirector Training and Consulting| 360PMO Project Management ConsultingMilton, Ontario, Canada
Conducting an audit on PMO is different than performing an audit on a project or on a program. Organizations often ignored PMO audit and limit their focus on how project/program is performing.
In planning a PMO audit, you should review PMO road map, assess the performance of processes e.g. governance, escalation, & change management and usability of PMO tools etc. Saving Changes...
Auditing a PMO is necessary if there is no tangible benefit visible or the customer still is unhappy with the IT in delivering their projects/products.
Audit should be on 3 fronts:
1. PM tool: How good is the tool and if there is a need to adopt a new tool. Is the Project team tracking their projects through the tool?
2. Metrics/Dashboard: Are the reports generated show that the projects that are accepted are On-time and Within budget or whats the deviation?
3.Training needs: By taking a feedback questionnaire from IT and Business will clearly indicate the areas of training needed? Entire PM process, PM tool, Project Costing, Requirement Gathering and so forth? Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Great post and replies. I especially agree with Kohn Monk's and Martin Pretty's advice, "It is important to know what the PMO is mandated to do..." I would view the PMO audit effort as an effort that seeks to audit (1) the PMO as a business department in terms of its leadership team determined (not PMO determined) PMO mandate, PMO goals and objectives that that serve as fulfillment of the mandate, leadership team assessment and agreement of the value of fulfilling the PMO mandate (this is the value of the PMO) and then seeks to audit (2) the PMO strategy and how well the PMO strategy is working in terms of processes and metrics.
I would offer that the idea that a PMO merely audits processes and metrics, without regard to the PMO mandate, is misguided as processes and metrics are merely the means to the ends. If we do not truly know the ends to be achieved, any discussion of means is premature and misguided.
I would also add that an audit aligned to a body of knowledge like the PMBOK is also misguided. For one, a project management body of knowledge is just that, a body of knowledge - and for a single project, not a body of knowledge for how to run a PMO and satisfy project-related needs of a buisness. And it, the PMBOK, addresses maybe 20-25% of the project related PMO work that takes place over the span of a project. And lastly, with repect to the PMBOK, many of the concepts and areas of knowledge of the PMBOK are incomplete and some are even wrong.
Again, audit the PMO mandate and the process to establish the mandate (ends to be achieved) and audit the PMO strategy (means to the ends) and the PMO metrics that serve as execution of the strategy and fulfillment of the mandate. And for this, there is no certification, rather business acumen, leadership, and competence. Saving Changes...
