Thought on integrating a EPMO with Enterprise Change Management office to become an Enterprise Value Delivery Office

I lived those experiences and I was in charge of creating both. Just my experience in the following. Related to change management, it is boarder than project change management. Change Management scope is more than project/program/portfolio. Related to project management it is important to understand if the EPMO has project scope or includes program and portfolio. So, in my previous experinece, what adds more value is to keep both as separate entities. BUT it will depends on lot of things. If you ask me, if I have to do this work, I will start by an strategy analysis where I find the functions/process that will implement the strategy then create the strategy themes and after that decide about where I will locate that functions/process to achieve the strategic goals by put in place the strategic themes.

Thanks Sergio for sharing this insight

Wingyan -

A lot depends on the level of maturity in both disciplines at the leadership level. If they are both equally valued, then they are likely to be more open to the synergies of having them as part of the same supporting entity.

I worked for a large Canadian bank for many years, and they had both disciplines as well as business analysis reporting under their EPMO which they did eventually rebrand to Enterprise Delivery Excellence.

Kiron

I lived those experiences and I was in charge of creating both. Just my experience in the following. Related to change management, it is boarder than project change management. Change Management scope is more than project/program/portfolio. Related to project management it is important to understand if the EPMO has project scope or includes program and portfolio. So, in my previous experinece, what adds more value is to keep both as separate entities. BUT it will depends on lot of things. If you ask me, if I have to do this work, I will start by an strategy analysis where I find the functions/process that will implement the strategy then create the strategy themes and after that decide about where I will locate that functions/process to achieve the strategic goals by put in place the strategic themes.

Integrating an Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) with an Enterprise Change Management Office to form an Enterprise Value Delivery Office (EVDO) can be a strategic move that aligns project management and change management with the organization's value delivery and benefit realization goals.

Here are some thoughts on this integration:

- **Holistic Approach**: Combining the EPMO and Change Management functions can create a more cohesive approach to managing projects and organizational change, ensuring that both are aligned with the strategic objectives of the organization¹.

- **Enhanced Focus on Value**: An EVDO can shift the focus from just delivering projects on time and within budget to also ensuring that they deliver tangible value and benefits to the organization¹.

- **Improved Governance**: This integration can improve governance by providing a unified framework for decision-making and prioritization of initiatives based on their potential value contribution².

- **Efficient Resource Utilization**: By merging these offices, resources can be optimized across projects, avoiding duplication of efforts and ensuring that change management resources are effectively allocated to high-value projects³.

- **Better Change Adoption**: An EVDO can facilitate better adoption of changes by ensuring that change management principles are embedded in the project management process from the outset⁴.

- **Continuous Improvement**: The combined office can foster a culture of continuous improvement, where lessons learned from both project management and change management are used to refine processes and strategies⁴.

It's important to note that the success of such an integration depends on the organization's culture, structure, and the maturity of its existing PMO and change management practices. It requires careful planning, clear communication, and strong leadership to ensure that the combined office can effectively drive value delivery across the organization¹.

Source: From Peacekeeper To Change Agent - Project Management Institute. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/empow...-agility-11410.

Thanks Kiron for sharing. So when the bank rebranded themselves to Enterprise Delivery Excellence, was it basically the same as an EPMO but just use another name for it? What was the reason to rebrand it?

Sergio, when you said "what adds more value is to keep both as separate entities", would you mind elaborating more. What it adds more value to keep both separately? You did mention that change management scope is broader. I always thought PM scope is broader while CM mainly focuses on the human aspect (it's complicated, but not as broader as PM... that was my thought). Curious to hear more of your thoughts.