What Value can the PMO (Programme Management Office) Offer?
When considering what the PMO can bring to the organisation, we need to consider the key roles and responsibilities it has:
Project & Programme Management Methodology
The PMO builds and maintains the Project/Programme methodology and updates it to account for improvements and best practices.
As part of this methodology it establishes and deploys a common set of project management processes and templates. These “reusable” components should save time by allowing projects to start-up more quickly and with less effort.
Further this set of common processes, project management deliverables, and terminology facilitate communication within and between project teams.
It sets up and supports a common repository of project information; making acailable prior project management deliverables that can be candidates for reuse by similar projects. This helps to save start-up time.
Project & Programme Management Training
The PMO is responsible for PM training.
This training helps to build core PM competencies and knowledge through a common language and set of experiences.
This PMO training helps to reduce overall training costs paid to outside vendors.
Further the PMO coaches, guides and where appropriate mentors project managers to help keep projects from getting into trouble.
At risk projects can be assisted by the PMO to mitigate further issues and risks.
Governance and Reporting
The PMO serves as a tracking mechanism for basic project status information and provides a common project visibility report to management (RAG Dashboard, schedule, finances etc.)
It also tracks organisation-wide metrics on the state of project management, projects delivery, project benefits; as well as the value being provided to the business by project management in general, and the PMO specifically.
The PMO should also be the overall PM advocate to the organization. This includes educating and selling management on the value of using consistent PM processes, educating sponsors and acting as a liaison to other business units to provide project management training and support.
It is critical in supporting sound project management practices.
Conclusion
Clearly therefore an effective PMO will deliver improved project management practice, through a combination of processes, procedures, education and governance/oversight.
It is widely accepted that good project management processes support:
A) Reduced Cycle Time and Delivery Costs
B) Improved quality of project deliverables
C) Early identification of project issues, budget, scope and risks
D) Reuse of knowledge and the ability to leverage that knowledge on future projects
E) Improved accuracy of project estimates
F) Improved perceptions of the project management organization by our partners
G) Improved people and resource management
H) Reduced time to get up to speed on new project
