Project Management

Project HEADWAY: Demonstrating PMO Relevance

By Mark Mullaly

As research has repeatedly demonstrated, the half-life of a Project Management Office (PMO) is about two years.

That’s an appalling statistic. Building a PMO is not a small undertaking. It is a significant investment in changing organizational functioning and accountability for projects. Whether that emphasis is on reinforcing process, reporting or actual delivery, creating a PMO shifts the political dynamics of an organization.

That can be a net benefit. To some areas of the organization, it is also a threat.

One of the fundamental reasons that PMOs fail is their struggle to demonstrate relevance and value. That becomes progressively harder and harder to do once probing and difficult questions start to be asked.

Successful PMOs do exist. They offer insight into what can be done to demonstrate the relevance and value of a PMO from the outset. Doing so requires thought, design, deliberate action, and deft political alignment.

If you are responsible for a PMO—or think you might be tasked with building one in the future—this is a webinar you won’t want to miss.