“This is an excellent article on PMO viability, even though I don’t necessarily agree with all points. For example, I do believe PMO directors should also play some part in the actual delivery of projects. Otherwise, he/she would lose credibility with the project management team as someone sitting in the “ivory tower”. But more importantly, I would add a fifth step to PMO Viability, and this is to make sure the PMO is not seen as an overhead. I believe the single biggest reason why even successful PMOs do not survive for very long is because they tend to be perceived (and in many cases, this perception is real) to be overhead. This requires more than executive management support as executives change. PMO just operate like any business constantly justifying its existence and its value to the organization.”
– Te Wu’s comments on the article 4 Steps to PMO Viability written by Brad Egeland for CIO magazine (see below)
4 Steps to PMO Viability | Brad Egeland for CIO writes: These four concepts can help ensure the viability of your project management office. Behind every good project manager is a strong project management office (PMO), right? Well, not exactly. In a perfect world, yes. But many organizations are still winging it without a viable project management office or solid PM infrastructure in place to support their projects, their project managers and the career growth of those PMs.
Why is this happening? My assumptions are lack of support and/or interest from above. Lack of funding. Lack of real PM need. I personally believe the others, but would have a real hard time convincing myself of that last one
- Executive management support. I’ve seen project management offices start up, fail, start up again and fail again. And the underlying problem in more than one organization was the lack of executive management support. Projects are everywhere. The CEO comes up with them. Outside clients come to us with a need for projects. Internal business units need apps developed, websites designed, etc.
Projects are everywhere in the typical organization. When you have executives who don’t support the project management office, where do their projects go? Not through the PMO director or standard process to the PM infrastructure that is setup in the company. No, they go to some pet project leader and special team to execute. Eventually the PMO becomes second rate or obsolete in some of those organizations. At best they become a unit competing with other units for the good project resources. That can’t happen. Senior management must buy-in to the PMO concept or scrap it.
Snip, the article continues @ CIO, click here to continue reading….