Principles For Creating A Successful PMO

Recently, a reader of HowToPassThePMexam.com inquired about how to start a PMO. Here’s a great quote from Wikipedia.com “The Project Management Office (PMO) in a business or professional enterprise is the department or group that defines and maintains the standards of process, generally related to project management, within the organization. The PMO strives to standardize and introduce economies of repetition in the execution of projects. The PMO is the source of documentation, guidance and metrics on the practice of project management and execution.” I think this is definitely a good starting point for a PMO. However, I have seen some principles or the lack of certain principles that are definitely worth mentioning. Although, I haven’t been directly involved in the creation of a project management office, I have been involved in the early stage development for one. So, I do have some observations from this experience that I can offer you to maximize your potential for success in the creation of one. Here are my suggestions/tips: 

1. Create a Road Map that governs the development of that PMO. 2. Create and standardized project management language and documentation for things like project schedule templates, meeting minutes, WBS, budget estimations, and etc.3. Create processes that actual empower those who will use it by enabling them to be more effective. 4. Keep continuous improvement a focus and revisit the past initiatives, processes, and standards to see if what you have put in places is still working. 5. Take heed to the feedback you receive about what works and doesn’t. Keep what does and cut out what doesn’t. 6. Don’t apply what other organizations do unless it fits your need and resolves a problem. 7. Each organization’s PMO will have it’s own culture and perceptions ensure to craft a culture that is supportive and creates bridges of communication in the PMO at all organization levels. 8. Ensure that you foster a culture within project management that allows the project managers to lead and make decisions. 9. A PMO should ensure that departments which interface with project managers are seamless. Project managers should have some understanding of what all interfacing departments/teams do. This is essential to the success of their projects and can reduce the duration of projects generating profit quicker. 10. A PMO should be there to govern project standards and processes, guide project management development, and facilitate ethical project management, but not actually run projects. These entities are best kept secret to create clear lines of responsibility. This is my opinion of 10 principles that would help to create a successful PMO. These principles alone won’t transform your project management office over night, but will help to prompt the right questions. Questions that would ensure you stay on track toward the desired outcome chosen at the start of the PMO. Help to form the personality and culture of the project management organization you are trying to form or shape. One of the most important things a PMO should never forget is the people managing the projects that it will govern.