A lot is written and spoken about PMOs, but why is it that there are still PMOs that do not function properly? To find out, you have to go back to the question: when does a PMO work well? Discover the added value of a PMO.

A PMO must provide immediate value

A PMO can be found at several levels in an organisation. A PMO can support a single project, support an entire program or even be set up at enterprise level to support all portfolios, programs and projects. In this blog we take a PMO as an example that supports multiple projects. A PMO only functions well if it adds value. That value consists mainly of 15 important value aspects:

1. Standardization ensures consistent quality

Optimizing the start-up and closing of projects by adding standardization and quality-enhancing measures. The way a project is started or closed can be made less dependent on the Project Manager assigned to the project. This guarantees a constant quality that is crucial for the success of a project.

2. Integral planning for a dynamic project organization

Provided with integral planning and estimation across all projects. Projects are almost never static after the start. A scope changes, resources change, planning needs to be adjusted. By making the coherence between all projects clear, the impact on other projects becomes clear when projects start to shift. This is essential within programmes and portfolios.

3. Stakeholder management and communication support

Improve structured stakeholder management and support in drawing up high-quality communication plans. Again, every Project Manager should be a great stakeholder manager and communicator. Practice shows that not every Project Manager is equally good at this, so projects show varying results. The PMO can provide the necessary support and provide the organisation with a standard.

4. Actual follow-up of a business case (also during the project)

The business case of a project, that's what we do it for at the end of the day. So why is it often only drawn up at the beginning of the project and not managed afterwards? Who monitors the benefits once the project has been completed and the benefits often only need to be realised in the line organisation?

5. Integral and centrally organised resource and capacity management

An important phenomenon in organisations that carry out many projects in parallel is the lack of insight into which resources, when and for how long work on which projects. A good PMO assists in providing insights into the utilization of resources and helps to solve bottlenecks.

6. Optimize, standardize, manage and distribute insightful dashboards

Nowadays every organisation has templates of progress reports, but filling them out often leaves much to be desired. The PMO can support this and then integrate them at portfolio or programme level into clear management dashboards.

7. Support with central issue management

What are the most important issues in a programme? Who ensures that the alarm bells go off in time if the issues are not adequately or timely resolved? The PMO can facilitate this by setting up central issue management. These issues can then also be used at portfolio/program level to enable high-level issue management.

8. Financial Management (by individual and cross-project)

Budget monitoring can be standardized by the PMO so that a standard budget structure is created across all projects and the costs per project can also be reported on this basis.

9. Standardisation and support for information and configuration management

A PMO can offer standardisation in the storage of important project documentation by, for example, creating a standard sharepoint repository for each project with a standard project structure. Pre-agreed naming and configuration management guidelines ensure that these documents are properly managed during the project.

10. Facility and secretarial support for the project organisation

Secretarial support is an important support that is often set up first. Organising meetings, taking care of agendas, minutes, requests for access passes, authorizations, etc. Unfortunately, many PMO's get stuck on this aspect because the PMO is often only seen as supportive and this is the most obvious (and easy to organise) support.

11. Central risk assessment

Supporting central risk management. By triggering the project manager at set times to perform or update his risk inventory (and providing support in doing so), the PMO can add quality to the active management of the project risks. These risks (like the issues) can then also be used at portfolio/programme level to facilitate high-level risk management.

12. Manage changes centrally

Support central change management. Just like for issues and risks, it is valuable to monitor the changes across projects centrally. In this way, the PMO promotes the importance of active change management.

13. Ensuring the quality of projects

Quality Assurance. The PMO can support Quality Assurance issues in the projects. Depending on the staffing of a PMO, one can even go so far as to carry out audits from the PMO to ensure quality within the projects.

14. Support in transferring projects to the line organisation

Transition Management is sometimes forgotten in the project. The PMO supports the project in transferring the project to the line organisation. Think about organizing knowledge transfer sessions or keeping track of documentation to be delivered.

15. Mastering and adding knowledge to a project organisation  

Knowledge management, the PMO is the central knowledge management contact point for the organisation in the field of project management. Lessons learned, project management methodology knowledge, offering training, providing examples of similar projects are just a few examples where the PMO in the field of project management knowledge can add to the projects.

Transition Management is sometimes forgotten in the project. The PMO supports the project in transferring the project to the line organisation. Think about organizing knowledge transfer sessions or keeping track of documentation to be delivered.

Customization of MOJEO: the 15 building blocks

In practice, you don't quickly come across PMOs that have implemented the 15 value aspects mentioned above. The implementation of these aspects sees MOJEO as a project that is prepared, executed and concluded. MOJEO has a modular method that can organise these 15 value aspects in 15 independent building blocks. More information can be found in the article "Customization with the PMO building blocks" that you can read here.

MOJEO inventories, analyses and improves PMOs

MOJEO even helps the organization with the selection of the building blocks so that value can be added in the short term. In addition, MOJEO can also conduct a PMO Maturity scan to give the organization insight into their own progress and, based on this, make a plan to make the PMO add even more value by taking it to the next level. Are you curious about the current status of your PMO? Do the free MOJEO PMO Maturity Scan Lite here or plan a non-binding consultation with our project specialists here!