Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Many organizations have PMOs, which can translate to Project Management Office, or PPPM Office, or something else. The name is probably not important, but the function is.
What do you see in your organization?
Is it a process-setting PMO?
Is it a policing PMO?
Is it a delivery PMO?
Is it a strategy PMO?
Is it something else of some combination of these? Saving Changes...
Financial Management Specialist | US Peace CorpsYaounde, Centre, Cameroon
Some sort of combination of this .. I'll describe it as a hybrid PMO
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2 replies by Francisco Herrera and Mike Frenette
May 04, 2024 12:38 PM
Mike Frenette
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Excellent, Kwiyuh. Please tell me more about how the projects your PMO works on are defined, who defines them, funds them and so on, assuming you don't mind sharing more.
Mine is an IT PMO. Is yours?
Jul 10, 2024 1:51 PM
Francisco Herrera
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same from my side! Hybrid PMO! Regards!
Saving Changes...
Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
May 04, 2024 12:02 PM
Replying to Kwiyuh Michael Wepngong
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Some sort of combination of this .. I'll describe it as a hybrid PMO
Excellent, Kwiyuh. Please tell me more about how the projects your PMO works on are defined, who defines them, funds them and so on, assuming you don't mind sharing more.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Our PMO is PMO as a Service (PMOaS) - We do provide variety of services to our clients depending on their needs so it's a mix of all functions mentioned in your questiosn stem! Saving Changes...
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
Dear Mike F
could you tell me about your project Management office?
1. **Purpose and Scope**:
- What is the primary purpose of the PMO in your organization? Is it to provide governance, support, or strategic alignment?
- Does the PMO focus on individual projects, specific departments, or enterprise-wide initiatives?
2. **Level of Control and Influence**:
- How much control does the PMO exert over project management processes? Is it directive, controlling, or supportive?
- Does the PMO actively engage with stakeholders and project teams, or does it operate more behind the scenes?
3. **Resource Allocation and Prioritization**:
- How does the PMO allocate resources across projects? Is it centralized or decentralized?
- Does the PMO ensure that projects align with organizational objectives and priorities?
4. **Reporting and Communication**:
- What reporting structure does the PMO follow? Does it report to senior executives or department heads?
- How does the PMO communicate project status, risks, and performance metrics?
5. **Adaptability and Evolution**:
- Is the PMO flexible and adaptable to changing needs? Does it evolve based on organizational shifts?
- How does the PMO stay relevant in a dynamic business environment?
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1 reply by Mike Frenette
May 06, 2024 3:30 PM
Mike Frenette
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1. **Purpose and Scope**:
- What is the primary purpose of the PMO in your organization? Is it to provide governance, support, or strategic alignment?
Yes it is to provide governance, support and, thorough execution of programs and projects in the executive-approved roadmap, strategic alignment.
- Does the PMO focus on individual projects, specific departments, or enterprise-wide initiatives?
It focuses mostly on business programs and projects that touch lightly or heavily in some cases on the use of IT for many different oganizational units.
2. **Level of Control and Influence**:
- How much control does the PMO exert over project management processes? Is it directive, controlling, or supportive?
It is all of the above.
- Does the PMO actively engage with stakeholders and project teams, or does it operate more behind the scenes?
Yes - active engagement.
3. **Resource Allocation and Prioritization**:
- How does the PMO allocate resources across projects? Is it centralized or decentralized?
We have a shared resource pool and meet at a group of PMs every two weeks to discuss resource assignments, conflicts and issues to help decide on re-allocation of existing resources and the need to staff up if necessary, or to seek other options, such as pausing lower priority projects.
- Does the PMO ensure that projects align with organizational objectives and priorities?
Yes - if they are in the executive-supported roadmap, they are aligned.
4. **Reporting and Communication**:
- What reporting structure does the PMO follow? Does it report to senior executives or department heads?
We have a highly visible projects dashboard with links to current status reports and the project sites, a place for each project where all project artifacts and work in progress are stored.
- How does the PMO communicate project status, risks, and performance metrics?
Status reports and dashboards.
5. **Adaptability and Evolution**:
- Is the PMO flexible and adaptable to changing needs? Does it evolve based on organizational shifts?
We try to be flexible. We have a project underway as we speak to add modify and add to our processes for Agile, hybrid and predictive projects as well as disciplined agile.
- How does the PMO stay relevant in a dynamic business environment?
Relevancy is always determined by the value any business unit delivers, and that goes for the PMO. Modifying the roadmap of programs and projects as required, ensuring expected benefits are delivered, responding to lessons learned, and modifying processes are you go are all aspects of staying relevant, and there are probably many more.
Md. Golam Rob Talukdar, thanks for the questions, the answers to which I hope provide some insights into the way this PMO, at least, works.
When I worked for TD, first within a line of business PMO and then for the EPMO I saw two different models at play.
The LOB PMO was primarily a delivery oganization staffed with PMs and Project Analysts, but I had a small team which was responsible for the standards, analysis and reporting functions as well as for guiding and coaching junior PMs and PAs.
When I moved to the EPMO, it acted as a Centre of Excellence but also had a delivery group which focused on large enterprise-spanning programs and also an advisory team which would help LOB PMs/PgMs with their trickier projects. There was a significant-sized reporting team, a tools-focused team (primarily focused on our EPM/PPM solution) and my team was governance/guidance focused.
Kiron Saving Changes...
William M Hayden JrAdjunct Assistant Professor| University at Buffalo, School of Management, Operations Management & StrategyBuffalo, Ny, United States
Q. “Is it (PMO) something else or some combination of these?
Some decades ago, management of the PMs in E/A/C firms learned that their best PMs were not that interested in maintaining records and files, relevant to their projects. When you asked a PM where the files were, the answer was “In the box, out in the hallway.” This was particularly troubling to the corporate attorney when a case required getting to the right files, right away.
Also, the COO wanted timely reports of the actual progress of the project, as to scope, schedule and budget. Again. . . . “In the box, out in the hallway.”
So, now enters the first PMO.
Those assigned had knowledge and skills appropriate for the need to have fact-based answers for the questions noted above. And that’s all they did.
Since that early phase, we now have “Level III” PMOs that are like the control tower staff at major airports, doing the same types of functions.
Of course, I may have missed some more recent PMO versions.
Cheers,
Bill Saving Changes...
Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
May 05, 2024 3:18 AM
Replying to Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
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Dear Mike F
could you tell me about your project Management office?
1. **Purpose and Scope**:
- What is the primary purpose of the PMO in your organization? Is it to provide governance, support, or strategic alignment?
- Does the PMO focus on individual projects, specific departments, or enterprise-wide initiatives?
2. **Level of Control and Influence**:
- How much control does the PMO exert over project management processes? Is it directive, controlling, or supportive?
- Does the PMO actively engage with stakeholders and project teams, or does it operate more behind the scenes?
3. **Resource Allocation and Prioritization**:
- How does the PMO allocate resources across projects? Is it centralized or decentralized?
- Does the PMO ensure that projects align with organizational objectives and priorities?
4. **Reporting and Communication**:
- What reporting structure does the PMO follow? Does it report to senior executives or department heads?
- How does the PMO communicate project status, risks, and performance metrics?
5. **Adaptability and Evolution**:
- Is the PMO flexible and adaptable to changing needs? Does it evolve based on organizational shifts?
- How does the PMO stay relevant in a dynamic business environment?
1. **Purpose and Scope**:
- What is the primary purpose of the PMO in your organization? Is it to provide governance, support, or strategic alignment?
Yes it is to provide governance, support and, thorough execution of programs and projects in the executive-approved roadmap, strategic alignment.
- Does the PMO focus on individual projects, specific departments, or enterprise-wide initiatives?
It focuses mostly on business programs and projects that touch lightly or heavily in some cases on the use of IT for many different oganizational units.
2. **Level of Control and Influence**:
- How much control does the PMO exert over project management processes? Is it directive, controlling, or supportive?
It is all of the above.
- Does the PMO actively engage with stakeholders and project teams, or does it operate more behind the scenes?
Yes - active engagement.
3. **Resource Allocation and Prioritization**:
- How does the PMO allocate resources across projects? Is it centralized or decentralized?
We have a shared resource pool and meet at a group of PMs every two weeks to discuss resource assignments, conflicts and issues to help decide on re-allocation of existing resources and the need to staff up if necessary, or to seek other options, such as pausing lower priority projects.
- Does the PMO ensure that projects align with organizational objectives and priorities?
Yes - if they are in the executive-supported roadmap, they are aligned.
4. **Reporting and Communication**:
- What reporting structure does the PMO follow? Does it report to senior executives or department heads?
We have a highly visible projects dashboard with links to current status reports and the project sites, a place for each project where all project artifacts and work in progress are stored.
- How does the PMO communicate project status, risks, and performance metrics?
Status reports and dashboards.
5. **Adaptability and Evolution**:
- Is the PMO flexible and adaptable to changing needs? Does it evolve based on organizational shifts?
We try to be flexible. We have a project underway as we speak to add modify and add to our processes for Agile, hybrid and predictive projects as well as disciplined agile.
- How does the PMO stay relevant in a dynamic business environment?
Relevancy is always determined by the value any business unit delivers, and that goes for the PMO. Modifying the roadmap of programs and projects as required, ensuring expected benefits are delivered, responding to lessons learned, and modifying processes are you go are all aspects of staying relevant, and there are probably many more.
Md. Golam Rob Talukdar, thanks for the questions, the answers to which I hope provide some insights into the way this PMO, at least, works. Saving Changes...
Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
The PMOGA, recently acquired by PMI, takes the stand that one does not set out to satisfy your executive team by selecting a "type of PMO", but rather that they select the benefits that can be achieved by implementing a PMO, but only those that they wish to pursue. These benefits are tied to PMO functions, and those are the functions that you would implement. There is a whole lot more to it than this, but in a nutshell, implemented functions follow the desired benefits, and this impacts everything you do in the PMO unti the next time you checkpoint on benefits.
It is an incredibly interesting and insightful approach that I encourage anyone involved with the establishment or ongooing operation of a PMO to examine closely. Saving Changes...
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