Project Management

PMXPO 2018: Imagining the Future of PMOs

The idea of a project management office has been around for a few decades now. In that time, we’ve still not come to agreement on what they are, what they do or how they should be organized. The idea of PMO is in the eye of the beholder. And while some are inarguably successful in delivering value to their organizations, there are many more that are not. Research has continued to show that the average life expectancy of a PMO is about two years. That’s an incredible short time span, considering the effort and change associated with their creation.

So what is the value of the PMO? What should be their value? And where are they likely to evolve to in the coming decades? This presentation takes a scenario-based view of the role and the future of the project management office. Mark Mullaly explores where PMOs are coming from, where they might evolve to, and what is going to need to happen along the way. In particular, he takes a critical look at what has and hasn’t worked, and what needs to change for PMOs to ultimately deliver value in a sustainable fashion. That requires rethinking what a PMO can be, and what organizations should expect of themselves and the PMO going forward. If you manage projects in organizations, or your trying to get your projects more organized, then this is the presentation for you.