And all the other hairy questions answered such as:Why the single biggest threat to project management is project management.And how an effective PMO will help you survive the project deluge.

What’s A

PMOAll About?

Today’s organisations are project heavy. With the relentless pace of change, reduced costs, and demand for greater efficiency, projects are now a recognised vehicle to achieve organisational change.

Strategic objectives are often met through a series of projects involving complex coordination.

And, of course, large sums of money.

Despite the growing amount of projects, many organisations still score poorly when it comes to their project management maturity.

As a result project failure is still far too high.

This creates some real problems.

The winners in this era of Project Deluge are the companies with a formal body managing an organised approach to all their projects.

This is often referred to as a Project Management Office, or PMO.

PM’s love acronyms.

So what is a PMO actually responsible for?

• Setting and maintaining consistent project management standards through the implementation of a project management framework

 • Being the owner and steward of project management processes,

methodologies, documentation and tools

• Ensuring the successful delivery of projects and benefits

• Providing governance and support to Project Managers

Every organisation is unique and there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to PMOs.

* Make sure there is a need and a desire to implement a PMO. Do the ground work, evaluate and understand your businesses needs and current project management maturity to ensure you are making informed decisions.

An effective PMO will reap many benefits…

An effective PMO will reap many benefits…

Successfully delivered projects

Better resource management

Reduced project failures

Projects finished on time and on budget

Benefits realisation

A consistent, professional approach to projects

Development of competency and skills

Visibility of all projects

An effective PMO will reap many benefits…

Successfully delivered projects

Better resource management

Reduced project failures

Projects finished on time and on budget

Benefits realisation

A consistent, professional approach to projects

Development of competency and skills

Visibility of all projectsProject Success & Cost Savings

However, even with a PMO, the struggle is not yet over.

PMOs usually face three common challenges.

PMO Challenge #1

Doing the right projects.

PMO Challenge #2

Doing projects right.

PMO Challenge #3

Raising the bar to improve organisational capability.

*A typical PMO should only tackle challenges 2 and 3. The first challenge should be left to Programme Management and Enterprise Portfolio Office’s.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#1 Governance

Ensure projects are properly constituted on the basis of a sound business case.

Implement the overall framework for managing projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#2 Mentoring

Train, develop and support Project Managers.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#3 Project Management Tools

Implement standard tools and templates for planning, delivering and monitoring projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#4 Quality Assurance

Implement a regular project audit/health check process assessing project performance and provide constructive feedback.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#5 Planning & Scheduling

Implement standards for the planning and tracking of projects.

Provide a consolidated view of projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#6 Risk Management

Implement risk planning and management processes and ensure the mechanism for dealing with issues is robust.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#7 Reporting

Track the status of projects and provide a consolidated view of progress across projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#8 Cost Control

Ensure project finances are being managed and reported.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#9 Change Control

Develop and implement a process for cohesively identifying, assessing and approving changes to project scope.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#10 Resource Management

Build and maintain an overall project resource plan and align the supply of resources and skills to the demands of projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#11 Benefits Management

Plan and track the delivery of benefits arising from projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#12 Stakeholder Management

Implement the discipline of engaging and managing stakeholder input to projects.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

#13 Vendor Management

Ensure there is rigour in the procurement and management of third party products and services.

The 13 Core FunctionsOf Effective PMOs

The bottom line:A well established and managed PMO will significantly increase the success of your projects.

Some more content you may like.

Top 10 Free Project and Programme Management Templates!

www.lps.co.nz/pmtemplates

LPS provides top notch Project Management services from resourcing to consulting.

Need help with your PMO?Give us a call.

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