How to do define the skills that are necessary for your PMO?

Laura Lazzerini
Defining the skills required for a PMO should be treated as a structured, iterative process, one that aligns capabilities not only with the PMO’s purpose and services, but also with the organization’s maturity level and its continuous value delivery culture.
When defining these capabilities, it’s essential to align them with the PMO’s lifecycle,  from initial awareness and needs assessment to service design, integration, operation, and continuous improvement.
According to the PMO Practice Guide (PMI, 2024), this process rests on three key pillars:

1. Understanding the PMO Competency Domains - Design, Operation, and Improvement
These domains define how the PMO creates, delivers, and enhances value:
- Design: Aligning services with strategy, structure, and organizational maturity.
- Operation: Ensuring consistent service delivery and governance.
- Improvement: Continuously optimizing PMO services and practices to reinforce a culture of ongoing value creation.
Each domain requires a unique blend of competencies — from strategic thinking and influence to analytical skills and change management.

2. Mapping Competencies to PMO Services
Appendix X4 lists 30 core competencies (e.g., business acumen, communication, analytical thinking, ethics, influence, teamwork) linked to the 26 most common PMO services.
Conducting a competency-by-service mapping helps identify which skills are critical for each service and how they evolve with organizational maturity.

3. Following a Skills Identification and Development Cycle
(1) Assess current team skills.
(2) Identify skill gaps.
(3) Build SMART development plans.
(4) Implement learning and mentoring actions.
(5) Review progress and update regularly.

Ultimately, defining PMO skills isn’t just about listing abilities, it’s about building a capability architecture aligned with purpose, organizational maturity, and a continuous value delivery culture.
As the Guide emphasizes, “The PMO’s effectiveness is deeply rooted in the competencies of its professionals.” (PMI, 2024, p. 91)

Well put — grounding the PMO’s design in leadership’s expectations ensures relevance and alignment. Defining the “jobs to be done” first makes every process, skill, and deliverable purpose-driven and value-focused.

From my perspective, defining PMO skills starts with aligning them to organizational goals. I identify the PMO’s core functions, assess the team’s current capabilities, and conduct a skills gap analysis. This helps me determine which technical and leadership skills to develop or hire for, ensuring the PMO stays effective and aligned with strategic priorities.