Building PMOs

Looking back on five years of guiding the development of PMOs, a lot has changed. And yet much is still the same. Where have PMOs evolved to, and what still remains to be accomplished?

Building a PMO that truly delivers value to the organization seems to be a tall order. While the services may very, there are common attributes that go along way to ensuring success.

PMOs have become a hot topic. There are any number of opinions and perspectives on what they are, what they should do and how they should be established. But what is actually being done in practice today in organizations, and what sort of impact is it having?

Defining the role of the PMO is an on-going question. PMOs continue to strive to demonstrate their relevance and value. But what if we took the time to ask project managers what they really wanted from a PMO?

For many PMOs, the role has been about monitoring and communicating project status. By accident or design, many are becoming the accounting departments of the project management universe. The role of the PMO isn’t about reporting, however; it’s about delivering real, lasting value and change.

The PMO has rapidly become the ‘go to’ solution for organizations looking to improve their project management. Is this a positive move? Or are organizations jumping to their preferred solution, before they really understand the underlying problem?