Strategic PMO
Neil P. Goldman, PMP, ITIL
PMO Advisors, LLC
[email protected] Steps to Implement a Strategic PMO
1. Assess the Company’s Current Condition
2. Project Office Rationale, Organization Structure, and
Functions
3. Meet the Players
4. Project Office Planning, Preparation, and Strategy
5. Establishing a Project Management Methodology
6. Changing the Organizational Culture
Assess Company’s Current
Condition
Some Question to Ask an Organization
Before Starting
As a organization what knowledge about Project
Management do they possess?
How is PM knowledge acquired?
What is the “basic” approach to organizing, planning and
managing projects?
How successful do they think they have been?
What formal assessments have been conducted within the
organization?
What support for Project Management exists within the
organization (Both business and IT)?
Additional Questions
How does the executive level view the success of current
project management practices?
What do they want changed?
Do they support entering into a formal assessment?
Do they support introducing formal project management?
Determine Company’s Maturity
Before introducing PMO into a Company Determine if They
Are Ready
Determine Company’s Project Management Maturity
Perform Project Management Maturity Assessment
Five Levels of Maturity
Similar to CMMi
Determine Company Project
Management Maturity
Five Levels of Company Project Management Maturity
Level 5 – Continuous Improvement
Level 4 – Benchmarketing
Level 3 – Singular Methodology
Level 2 – Common Processes
Level 1 – Common Language
Level 1 – Common Language
Characteristics Roadblocks
Lip Service to Project Resistance to Change
Management
Virtually No Executive-Level Leaving Well Enough Alone
Support
Not Invented Here
Small “Pockets” of Interest
No Attempt to Recognize of It Does Not Apply to Us
Benefits of Project Management
We Don’t Need It
Self-Interest Comes Before
Company Interest
No Investment in Project
Management Training and
Education
Level 2 – Common Processes
Characteristics Roadblocks
Recognition of Benefits of Resistance to New
Project Management
Methodology
Organizational Support at All
Levels What We Already Have
Recognition of Needs for Works Well
Processes/Methodologies
Believing That a
Recognition of the Need for
Cost Control Methodology Needs Rigid
Development of a Project Policies and Procedures
Management Training Resistance to “Horizontal”
Curriculum
Accounting
Level 3 – Singular Methodology
Characteristics Roadblocks
Integrated Processes Don’t Fix It If It Isn’t Broken
Cultural Support Resistance to a Singular
Management Support at All Integrated Methodology (i.e.
Levels Repeatable Process)
Informal Project Resistance to Shared
Management Accountability
Return on Investment for Fragmented Corporate
Project Management Training Culture
Dollars Overemphasis on
Behavioral Excellence Documentation
Level 4 – Benchmarketing
Characteristics Roadblocks
Establishment of Project Not Invented Here
Office (PMO) or a Center of
Excellence (COE) Syndrome
Dedication to Benchmarking Does Not Apply to Us
Looking at Both Similar and Wrong Industry to
Nonsimilar Industries
Benchmark Against
Quantitative Benchmarking
(Processes and Fearful of What Results
Methodologies) Will be Found
Qualitative Benchmarking
(Cultures) Resistance to Change
Level 5 – Continuous Improvement
Characteristics Roadblocks
Lesson Learned Files None
Knowledge Transfer
COE/PMO Mentorship
Program
Strategic Planning for
Project Management
Project Office Rationale, and
Functions
Project Office Rationale
Assessing PM Software
Coordination of Schedules for Various Projects
Systems Interfaces with Other Business Systems
Project Office Functions
Types of the Project Office
Level 1 – The Project Control Office
Responsible for handling Large, Complex Single Projects
Level 2 – Business Unit Project Office
Level 3 – Strategic Project Office
Project Office Functions
Project Support Software Support –
Documentation Software Tools
Change Control Processes, Standards and
Project Repository
Methodologies
Training
Tracking and Reporting
Consulting and Mentoring
Risk Management
Resource Repository
Cost Tracking
Meet the Players
Roles
The Executive Role
Identifying the Executive Sponsor
Management Participation – Project Office Steering
Committee
The Strategic Project Office Director
Staffing of Project Office
Project Office Planning,
Preparation, and Strategy
Project Office Strategy
Determine the philosophy of the PMO
Oversight
Review
Advisory
Mentoring
Planning
Objectives and Milestones
Specific
Measurable
Realistic
Time-Constrained
Implementation Strategy
Phase I – Establish the Foundation
Phase II – Startup with Short-Term Initiatives
Phase III – Rollout with Long-Term Solutions
Phase IV – Support and Improvement
Ten Keys to Successful Deployment of
PMO
1. Keep it Simple
2. Communicate
3. Make Sure Expectations and Goals are Shared
4. Focus on Value
5. Support Project Managers
6. Take Time to Understand the Organizational Problems from
Various Point of View
7. Conduct Pilot Tests
8. Establish Incremental Goals
9. Involve the Right People Up Front
10. Plan
Five Ways to Fail
1. Forget Key Stakeholders
2. Demand Before Providing
3. Do It All at Once
4. Procrastinate
5. Work in a Vacuum
Why Does Strategic PMO Sometime
Fail
Lack of CEO Endorsement – Any type of strategic PMO
must originate with Senior Management
Failure to Reexamine – Strategic PMO is not a one-shot
process, it’s dynamic
Being Blinded by Success – Simply because a few projects are
completed successfully does not mean the methodology is
correct
Over responsiveness to information – Too many changes in
too short of time
Why Does Strategic PMO Sometime
Fail
Failure to Educate – People cannot implement and
repetitively a methodology they do not understand
Failure of organizational acceptance – Company-wide
acceptance of the methodology is essential
Failure to Keep the Methodology Simple – Simple
methodology based on guidelines are ideal
Blaming Failures on the Methodology – Project failures are
not always the result of poor methodology
Failure to Prioritize – Serious differences can exist in the
importance from different functional areas
Establishing a Project Management
Methodology
Five Steps to Establishing a
Methodology
1. Map
2. Benchmark
3. Define the Processes
4. Document
5. Release and Refine
Changing the Organizational
Culture
Steps to Creating Project Culture
1. Assess the Need for Change
2. Ensure the Organization is Prepared for Major Change
3. Is the Proposed Change Consistent with Existing
Organizational Climate and Culture
4. Plan the Change in as Much Detail as Possible
5. Ensure the Reward System is Structures to Motivate
Employees to Focus on Implementating PM Methodology
6. Allocate Resources to Maintaining New System
7. Monitor the Process and Effectiveness of the Change
Last
Remember This Is Just a Very Important Project
So Use Good Project Management Principles
THANKS
