How to Successfully Set Up a PMO in 2015

Businesses can benefit significantly by setting a project management office within their organization. While it has been proven again and again that a PMO can add value to the project manager as well as the overall productivity of the organization, a lot of businesses are yet to set up a PMO. The year 2015 will see more and more PMOs being set up by organizations. If you have decided to set up a PMO for your own business this year, the next question you may have is – how to get establish it successfully. Here are a few tips for that.

Define expectations – realistic ones

The first step for setting up a PMO is to define and understand what the expectations would be from the office. At the same time, make sure that the expectations you set for the OMO are realistic and are in sync with the goals of the organization. As you define expectations, you should also define the roles and responsibilities of the project managers, the members of the PMO and the project team members.

Draw a roadmap for success

Setting up a PMO for your organization is nothing less than undertaking a huge project. To ensure that you successfully set up a PMO that you can benefit from, you need a road map for it. Planning is essential to create a project management office. Create a plan and test it virtually. Set up a committee that will oversee the functioning of the PMO to set define the standards and rules that the PMO will adhere to. Also have a formal risk and risk mitigation process in place, and a team that will review and track the progress of the PMO as per the established guidelines.

Sustaining the significant role that a PMO plays

Launching a PMO is just the first step. The most difficult part for the organization is to sustain the standards of the PMO’s functioning well after it has been established. Have the right tools and tracking systems that can help you assess and ensure that the PMO is focused on its goals.

Assess current project portfolio and gap analysis

One of the most important things to consider for identifying the role and responsibility of the PMO is to assess the current project portfolio and the current state of project management in the company. Then perform a gap analysis between the current and the desired future state of gap analysis, which will act as the foundation for defining the role that the PMO plays in project management of the company.