In our previous blogs ‘What is a PMO and do you need it? ’ and ‘PMOs Influence and Position’ it was highlighted that every PMO is a unique journey and that they are key areas to focus on to reach your end goal of a successful PMO.
Having a project management office (PMO) can be a big challenge and it takes a lot of experience to set it up optimally. With the right implementation, companies can achieve long-term success!
Prioritising
So before deciding what we want in our PMO, we need to understand the scale of our undertaking.
A PMO can be a large body of work. And sometimes we can bite off more than we can chew by trying to do everything all at the same time. So, we recommend that you focus on the key items that will give the best value to the right people at the right time in your organisation. To do this, you need to look at the full list of potential services that a PMO can offer and prioritise them so that you deliver what best suits your organisation’s needs.
There is no need to boil the ocean. This prioritisation should be collaborative. Following this, you can then build a sustainable and achievable PMO roadmap than can deliver real value.
Our PMO People
Let’s talk about potential PMO People services. It is essential that the people, who work in our PMO or receive services from our PMO, are supported and understand its value. Some key areas, that we can focus on to ensure this, are the following:
- Defined Project and PMO Training;
- Clear Job and Role Descriptions;
- Learning & Development Structures;
- Mentoring and Coaching Support;
- Communities of Practice;
- Career Development.
Our PMO Processes
When we talk about the Process side of how we operate a PMO, its success is measured by how well the processes work, how well they are embedded, and how well they bring value to the people in our organisation. To do this we can focus on key processes:
- Project Management Methodology & Process;
- Project Governance;
- Project Portfolio Management;
- Project Ideation;
- Project Estimation & Scheduling;
- Project Resource Supply and Demand;
- Project Cost Control;
- Project Benefits Management;
- Project Change Control;
- Project Reviews & Audits.
As in most areas of project management, there is no “one size fits all”. We at Aspira understand that each organisation will have a unique PMO service. So please reach out and contact us to discuss which of our many PMO services suits your organisation.
Damien Kearns - Head of Advisory
Damien is the Head and Principal Consultant for developing the Advisory line of business and leading the team for the delivery and execution of consultancy engagements. Advisory Services include PMO Audits, PMO Set up and Governance, Project Audits, Project Initiation, Project Maturity Assessment, Project Mentoring, Project Recovery and Project Scheduling.
