Mark MullalyPresident| Interthink Consulting IncorporatedToronto, Ontario, Canada
I recently posed the question: if you could design your perfect PMO -- the PMO that you would want as a project manager -- what would that be?
Would you want a PMO that is an active supporter, advisor and coach? Or a passive source of information? Should the PMO be a laissez-faire source of information, to use as you will? Or an active influencer in ensuring projects are successful?
Weigh in and provide your perspective. Contribute to the design of the perfect PMO. Your input and comments will provide the basis for a continuing series of columns in the Program Management Office department.
There may be some confusion here between wanting someone to translate between the business needs/wants and the IT requirements, and wanting someone to be a buffer between two groups. My experience is that the business people want to focus on their business and the tech people want to focus on their technology, but the people who can translate between business and technology are very valuable.
In the same vein, my experience is that the best PMOs are not part of the IT organization, but are part of the operations organization, reporting to the COO. Thus they should have a holistic view of a project - how the business gets a payoff, what process changes have to be a part of the package, etc. As such, they should have a responsibility to ensure that ALL the money spent on the project (not just IT budget) results in a positive return. If they have the responsibility and authority for that result, the PMO function is an exciting and rewarding place to work. Saving Changes...
Question posed and all posts are great! My own experience with two PMO's, one EMO (Enterprise..)and now my great relief to be 'just a PM' and billable, not overhead, make me want the perfect PMO in my organization. What is the perfect PMO? In my opinion, it is one that is used and performs a valuable and valued service to the organization. It is where completed project information and binders are stored (both for reuse and audit purposes). It is where a 'reluctant' or new PM goes to find out how to do something. It is where all the processes around managing a project are defined complete with examples and templates. And it provides a simple-to-use (preferably automatic) way for senior management to check the status of all of their portfolio of projects; focus on the issues and problems that bubble to the surface (red status lights?); and have a simple (graphic?) to show the interactions between their various projects, plus their schedules and 'burn rate' (money spent to date).
Am I asking too much? Does such a 'Shangri-La' exist in your company? Keep the discussion going.
Interesting reading. For me a PMO is ultimatly there to make project/s delivery more effective for the corporation.
This means different kinds of support in many different ways for many stakeholders, but always with the corporate perspective view. Some PM dont always see this as support, but rather interference.
A PMO should always be able to justify everything it does with the phrase ' We need to do this because it makes our stakeholders more effective in this way, without this we would ultimatly be more ineffective and therefore cost ineffective. Saving Changes...
I set up and run PMOs. Through previous experience I have learnt that PMs are reluctant to provide PMOs with accurate information, necessary information, on time. I learnt quickly that there are both sides to the coin and both sides need to understand each other well.
I am a Contractor. When I join a new company I make a point of meeting each PM individually, finding out about their project, finding out what their requirements and needs are, and letting them know I am there to help and support (though not all their admin requirements!). I will sit with them if they need help with their project plans and putting together project documentation. I will explain the necessity for reporting and how it benefits the company, sponsor, stakeholders and the PM.
Saying that, I am NOT pro to unnecessary reporting, over reporting, reporting where nothing is done with it and/or where no-one else is interested in it.
It is important PMs are updated and communicated with... not too often... by email they tend to ignore them. Articulation is paramount. Good communication and feedback is valuable between members of the PMO and the Programme Manager. Without it... failure lingers... along with low morale and deadlines being missed. Deadlines that allow us to be able to help resolve/clear any important risks/issues that need escalating above, particularly where the budget could be affected.
If we fail to understand what the PM is doing, fail to support the PM, fail to communicate with the PM, and the PM fails to communicate, understand how and why the PMO works, then we will lose track of where we are and ultimately collapse. Saving Changes...
I have worked as a PMO and also helped some organizations setup a PMO.
In the PMO position, I had a dual reporting responsibility - to the corporate department that provided oversight to all projects as well as to a local branch as a mentor / advisor to the Project Managers in the branch. I was fortunate to work with a group of seasoned professionals, so I would characterize my relationship to my peers as their conscience during regular and structured project reviews.
In setting up a PMO, the emphasis was usually to establish some standards for projects and project managers and to provide a consistent reporting mechanism to senior management. These organizations varied in their maturity, but overall the majority of them continued with this function, although it was not always full time and could have Project Managers acting in this role on a rotational basis.
In response to what would be my perfect PMO, I would have to say now that I am back full time as a Project Manager, I would value a peer reviewer / mentor where I could get reinforcement and support (my conscience), when sometimes I think I am too busy to do what I know I should. Saving Changes...
I was one of the pioneers in setting up PMOs. It was very hard at the begining as CEOs and PMs could not find the real value of PMO in Jordan. PMs did not provide accurate and on time reports as they should but after they found out the standarization the PMO can provide, they started looking at the PMO in positive way. PMOs can be added values if worked side by side with Project Managers. Saving Changes...
David WinieckiEnterprise Information Officer| Sarasota Clerk of CourtSarasota, Fl, United States
The PMO should serve not as just a buffer, but as the link between the business and the IT group to deliver the business the appropriate technology solution. As a project manager and an IT Director, what I found necessary is a consistent approach across the enterprise for each IT endeavor. The PMO can be the group to deliver this consistency in linking the IT and business groups. This consistency should be provided in the form of standards for prioritization of projects, project roles and tasks (both customer and IT), and executive reporting. In this manner, I would see the PMO lead the prioritization process, own the methodology utilized by the organization, provide the standards and templates for projects, and standardize and manage the executive reporting. The PMO could lead these enterprise activities as well as manage the user side activities of the project, such as defining business requirements, change management and training - coordinating these activities with IT. In larger organizations, these end user tasks are critical to the success of any project and are more often than not overlooked. The PMO is an ideal area to place these user side activities, and could add tremendous value to the process by being an active project participant rather than the “project police”. Saving Changes...
The PMO should provide 2 main functions each having equal importance.
1. - Provide a framework within which project managers will perform their work. The framework will include documented processes that the PMs must follow as well as templates so that documentation will be standardized across projects. The PMO will also provide an audit function to make sure the standards are being followed and mentor PMs so that they can improve their skills as they progress through their careers.
2. Provide a means to report project status/health to senior management. This should include, but is certainly no limited to:
- Current schedule status as it relates to the baseline schedule
- Current budget status as it relates to the baseline
- Human resource consumption as it relates to the baseline (for individual projects) and the total consumption of human resources for all projects
Your most recent article seems to cover the 6 Habits of Highly Successful PMO's. I would add two more items:
Be a bridge builder: In most organizations, where project management is just a twinkle in an Execs eye, starting a new PMO frequently means addressing all of the burnt bridges between business units.
Be committed: In the face of diversity, adversity, and all of the other challenges you will encounter, your unwavering commitment will inspire commitment in others.
Sometimes one of the most important skills that a PMO is required to do is to prioritize in order to balance the stream of operations or towards the optimum output.
As a facilitator without bias as you mentioned, the judgement call must come from the depth of understanding of the big picture of the organisational/operational objective. In this capability lies the USP of the PMO's endeavour. Saving Changes...
