Copyright
© 2013 | Perseus Project Consultants

Project Management TRUTH

by Perseus Project Consultants

The 3 “P”s of PMO Formation and Articulation

I. Performance

A tried and true Gauge of the effectiveness of a project management organization is its performance. A true PMO should be a partner to every PM underneath it. It isn’t enough to provide document templates, rules, guidelines and checkpoints. These, in fact, may be necessary, but they aren’t the core of what the PMO has to offer. A PMO should provide support, guidance, and assist in overall project execution. Adding additional tasks to a project managers day is not what a PMO is there to do. A PMO needs to improve and enhance PMs performance and make tasks clearer, more transparent, and/or less repetitive. If a PMO isn’t doing these things, it isn't a truly functioning and performing PMO.

II. PR

The PMO is the tie that binds the pm function to the organization as a whole. Its goal is to fortify the process and documentation as well as providing a standardized “presentation” to the organization as a whole. New PMOs especially need to build their standing within the organization from the ground up. The structure and strength the office exudes will directly impact the perception of each project and pm it represents. This is why it is critical to have the foundation and approach of the PMO clear and in place well before enacting any particular pmo governance initiative.

III. Prudence

The PMO needs to decide what it can and needs to do and how to articulate it, for the betterment of the projects underneath it and for the organization as a whole. One can argue whether it is prudent to compile and publish statistics on PMs “performance”. If it IS done, they should be published INTERNALLY to assist the pms in improving performance, NOT as a barometer of each PMs Accomplishments. Publishing these results up the chain will simply contribute to further skepticism by the outside organization as well as potentially create internal strife within the organization itself. Improvement comes from within, not from external guidance. Any requests of the PM by the PMO should be clearly and succinctly explained. Creating charts or graphs and providing job aids and leaving it up to the PMs to determine what needs to be improved is not the answer. The PMO needs to foster an atmosphere of mutual partnership and support. 

by Arthur A. Hall - MBA, MSIM, PMP, CSM, ITIL, CSSBB