What is a Project Management Office (PMO)

What is a Project Management Office (PMO)
Author: PM Majik
Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. www.pmmajik.com

Contents
1. Purpose of this presentation
2. PMO definition
3. PMO objectives
4. Types of PMO
5. PMO engagement model
6. PMO structures
7. Summary
8. PMO resources and downloads
9. Contact details

1.0 Purpose of this presentation
The purpose of this presentation is to answer one of the most asked questions in
respect of Project Management Office’s (PMO’s).
“What is a PMO?”
Approach
This presentation answers this question by:
•Providing a definition
•Explaining the purpose
•3 types of PMO
•PMO maturity
•PMO structures

2.0 PMO definition
PMO is the acronym for Project Management Office. Sometimes it may be referred to
as Programme Management Office. Some alternatives are PSO, Project Support Office
or PO, Project Office.
Official Definition
The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a PMO as follows:
“An organizational body or entity assigned various responsibilities related to the
centralised and coordinated management of those projects under it’s domain. The
responsibilities of the PMO can range from providing project management support
functions to actually being responsible for the direct management of a project”[1]
In simple terms the PMO is a function that is given the responsibility to deliver the
projects within it’s scope to a single defined set of standards so as to provide
management with a greater visibility of project performance and to increase the
probability of success through standardisation / good practice.

3.0 PMO objectives
Primary Purpose
to provide a framework that will support all stakeholders and project teams to
improve the probability of successful delivery.
An organisation embarks on a project to achieve an outcome. This involves the
investment of valuable resources (people, money, time). If the PMO does not
improve the probability of successfully project delivery it is not doing it’s job and is
not needed.
There will be other objectives depending on each organisation. However, the
primary purpose should always be true!

4.0 Types of PMO
There are 3 types of PMO:
•Administrative / Reporting PMO
•Hybrid PMO
•Managerial / Pro-active PMO

4.1 Administrative / Reporting PMO
The Administrative or Reporting PMO (report clearing house) is the basic form of PMO.
Due to this it is the type of PMO that most management have experience of.
The main purpose of an Administrative PMO is:
•Report consolidation
•Report distribution
•Track deliverables / milestones
•Programme administration
•Document management
More information:
http://www.pmmajik.com/description-administrative-reporting-pmo/

4.2 Managerial / Pro-active PMO
At the other end of the spectrum to Reporting PMO is the managerial / pro-active PMO.
This type of PMO will usually provide all of the services of a reporting PMO and
additionally any number of the following:
•Review and challenge project reporting
•Trend analysis (i.e. identifying common themes impacting project delivery)
•Coaching / Mentoring
•Interpret strategy / mobilise / shape programme
•Actively manage risks / issues / cross dependencies
•Actively manage the delivery of milestones
•Actively manage benefit realisation
•Actively manage costs including allocation and cost recovery models
•Define project methodology for use on the programme
•Recruit and own programme and project managers
•Provide recommendations to senior management on remediation action
More information: http://www.pmmajik.com/description-managerial-pro-active-pmo/

4.3 Hybrid PMO
In many cases a PMO is implemented that is somewhere between the Reporting and
Managerial models (or even one that starts of as administrative but then grows to take
on more functions).
The common term for this type of PMO is a hybrid PMO. Unfortunately, as this type of
PMO can be anywhere between the 2 extremes there is not clean way of defining what it
does or does not include as scope. However, a hybrid PMO will typically include all of
the functions of the administrative PMO and then take on some of the following:
•Manage and Change Control process
•Pro-active risk / issue management
•Facilitate cross dependency workshops
•Facilitate cross programme communications
•Increased level of review of deliverables and documentation
Not an exhaustive list, more to try and provide the type of behaviour of a hybrid PMO.
More information: http://www.pmmajik.com/description-hybrid-pmo/

4.4 PMO maturity
The PMO can start out as an
Administrative / Reporting function
and then as it matures, add
additional services to increase
value.

5.0 PMO engagement
Stakeholders
“Interested parties who need to be
either consulted or informed”
PMO
“Custodianofstandards,costs,benefits.Providing
executionsupporttodriverthedelivery”
Steer Co
“Senior management empowered to
make decisions”
Sponsor
“Passionate about the business case”
Project Team
“Dedicated ring fenced resources to
deliver agreed scope”
Project Manager
“Responsible for the delivery of the
business case on behalf of the Sponsor”
The PMO will engage with many different stakeholders. If set-up correctly, the PMO will be the ‘glue’
between all of the stakeholders.

6.0 PMO structures
PMO structures will vary from organisation to organisation. The structure will be driven
by the type of PMO:
•Managerial – tend to be centralised with resources working in PMO structure
•Administrative – tend to be dispersed with small central PMO linking into project PMO’s
•Hybrid – will be structured in-between

7.0 Summary
The PMO is:
•Responsible for overseeing delivery
•Defining and implementing standard tools and process
•Improve the probability of successful delivery
•3 types of PMO – Reporting / Hybrid / Managerial
•PMO is the ‘glue’
•Structure – centralised / dispersed
Designed and implemented correctly, the PMO can deliver enormous
benefit to an organisation.

8.0 PMO resources
If you want more information, visit www.pmmajik.com where you will find lots of project
and PMO resources including the FREE guide, 7 Steps to Set-Up a PMO.
Visit http://www.pmmajik.com/set-pmo/
PM Majik Website
On the PM Majik website you will find over 100 articles that contain practical and
pragmatic tips and insights for designing, mobilising and managing a PMO. New
articles are added weekly. Topic requests are encouraged from the community.

What is a Project Management Office (PMO)

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais de PM Majik

Mais de PM Majik (8)

Último

Último (20)

What is a Project Management Office (PMO)