Project Management Office is basically a body that has various responsibilities with respect to the centralization and coordination of projects under its realm of work. These responsibilities could be related to providing support facilities for management of project or undertaking direct supervision and responsibility of a project.
How do PMOs help organizations?
Many organizations globally are now allotting large sums of money to the execution of various programmes and projects. The successful management of change has slowly become an important factor for the overall success of any organization. Also, an integral part of this success is the investment in various kinds of projects. Several organizations still find it difficult to properly execute all their projects and strongly believe that allocating money and effort for the implementation of PMOs has made a huge difference to their success story.
Creating a clear plan for a project
It is important to understand and comprehend what type of PMO you need for your organization. There are different types of PMOs. There is usually a specific goal at the center of all Program Management Offices. For example, it could be delivering a project that adheres to the standards of governance. Most PMOs at the enterprise level cover a work portfolio and are usually given reports from the various division offices.
It is crucial to establish early alliances and work on a communication plan. Involve your stakeholders in various kinds of informal and formal talks to get an idea about the type of authority or sway they have. The project agreement needs to be filled out with all kinds of preliminary data and other relevant information. Make sure that you have a strong plan for a business case. The idea is to invest enough time in the PMO, thinking of it as a project in itself.
Review the project charter
Once you have finished working on the project plan/agreement, take a step back and get some reviews from your peers in the organization. You could get some needed support as well as feedback for a successful launch and get a step closer to the desired result.
It is important to ensure that the C-level executives are in agreement with your project charter for long term success. Try to be realistic with setting of goals and time lines. A PMO implementation usually involves a big change task. It is advisable to have healthy expectations and have your assumptions supported by a premeditated degree of confidence.
More information:
Download the latest Thinking Portfolio PPM Whitepaper Q2/2014
