Has anyone had any experience with setting up what is effectively a PMO, without the responsibility of delivering projects? In my organization we have managers who have project leads who deliver projects, but the processes are diverse and non-standardized. My proposal to my boss is to create a Project Support and Mentoring Group that will maintain templates, best practices, even do occasional reviews and audits of projects to ensure adherance.
Kevin, Nice approach; however not feasible. This would be fewed as strickly and overhead function and most companies are trying to cut overhead. The best avenue si to go ahead and develop those templates, then try to get people to use them. This will take time; however over time they will be uniform throughout the organization. Saving Changes...
John ZacharProduct Dev Manager| Association for Project Management (APM)Brackley,, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
I wholeheartedly and 100% disagree with Elden Jones. I do have some sympathy with him as some organisation are so short sighted that this view unfortunately prevails.
I am a Pj Mngmnt consultant, specialising in PSO / PMO and their implementation; and I would say that you are spot on in your aspirations. That said it is / will not be an easy task, mostly due to the blinkered view earlier expressed.
This view frequently comes from the financial executives of organisation that have no idea about new product development or implementing change. I once had a financial director tell me that "We won't finance any project that will not pay for itself with tangible benefits!" Since infrastructure projects typically don't have tangible benefits, he didn't know what he was talking about. So I asked him what about a new phone system, or a network upgrade? He indicated that the new 'systems' would be paid for by increased efficiency when the increased efficiency would be provided by the new applications that would sit ontop of the new / enhanced infrastructure.
A good PSO evolves from an environment where some control is exerted over information flow - from project to senior management. That may be based on templates, but shouldn't stop there. Once control is established, then building / supporting a common PM method is paramount. If doesn't really matter what it is, as long is it is common throughout the organisation, and produces pridictable results. Easily said, much ore difficult to accomplish. Finally the evolution process should result in a 'partnership' model - the PSO / PMO working with senior management to determine where the 'project spend' will accomplish the most based on managed capability of the project managers and their staff, and the capacity of the project management community of the organisation.
A quick skip through the subject, but I hope it helps. I am in the process of changing jobs, so if more is needed, do e-mail me direct as it has a much better chance of attracting my attention. Saving Changes...
