In every big (and complex) projects, integrating project tasks seems crucial for multiple project aspects and overall project success.
Bad integration can lead to risks of delay, misusing of resources, gaps in the scope etc.
I realize that "integration" comes from good planning and - generally speaking - good communication (so everybody knows what's going on and can adjust their part to the actual project progress). This is for integrating tasks in time.
Then, there are points of interface where the "scope" should be integrated. This widely depends on procurement management (at least in the construction industry). Once the contract is signed - the scope is often "fixed" for the phase of execution.
Finally, there is PMO, trying to help Project Manager to integrate project tasks "in time" and mitigate the risk of "scope gaps".
My questions are:
(1) Have you ever had PMO doing this kind of activity for your project?
(2) Would you recommend any tools or share tips for such integration?
(3) What power should given to PMO so it can perform project task integration successfully?
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Ganesh SrinivasanGanesh PMO (PMP, PMI-SP, ITIL-F)| MNC BankChennai, India
Hi Lukasz Osiecki,
Thanks for such lively needed questions for PMO industry.
Directly jumping on to the questions.
1. Based on my experience i have PMO's still have been looked as co-ordinators / facilitators for the project managers, and never given a oppourtunity for participation on integration. Somehow PM's / Program manager's think its part of their group activitiy.
2. Regarding Tools or Tips, I would like highlight about the Project Integration:
Project Integration got following activities :
a. develop project charter.
b. creating the subsidery plans, depending on the needs of project.
c. subsidery plans includes schedule managment plan, cost management plan, and risk managment plan.
d. executing the work defined in the project managment plan or subsidery plans.
so for above activities how for PMO involvment is there?
3. I feel PMO autothority on the project decides the success of the project. For Integreation PMO should have to be invloved for creating project charter, assist PM's for creating the subsidery plans, and mainly to create & maintain project schedule and logging risks/issues to track the project progress as per defined plan.
Thank you. Any comments Welcome.
I feel this group has got lot of values, and happy to be part of this group.
Maybe "integration" was not a good word to use in my previous questions, as I intended to reffer not so much to the Integration avticities - as described in the PMBOK- but rather to the situation of "tasks synergy" (i.e. when tasks are well coordinated in time and cover the scope completely).
I agree that principally it's a job of a PM. However, PMs are usually to busy to look into every detail.
I considered my questions once again, and it seems for me, that PMO - as the body that has complete picutere of the project - can spot a lot of tasks-coordination-related risks and then simply manage them as an issues or risks.
PMO should not however be responsible for achieving such "tasks synergy" in a project (not more responsible than every other team member that spots a new risks). Such "tasks synergy", to be acheived, needs someone with authority, and this is not usually characteristic of a PMO.
