I have participated in the process of building new Project Management Offices, both scenarios of building, either a PMO´s new to the company or building a new team that re-builds a PMO. How do I this? Well, it requires a lot of strategic thinking and learning about the company, the process, the technology and the people. I build from the roots of a strategy. I always, without a doubt, apply a personal strategic vision that I developed, and that is to see the PMO as a Platform and as a Pipeline. As a Platform, means to consolidate the PMO as a value enabler, a platform where Project/Program/Portfolio Managers can bring value through discussions about lessons learned, communities of practice, project quality boards, project financial boards, etc. As a Pipeline, means to be the owner of the assets that are created for project control. Now, by "project control" I don´t mean to say "project police", but more like "project leading". The PMO should create assets to help Project/Program/Portfolio Managers deliver better/faster/easier/and more in control kind of projects. If a PMO needs to be Supportive, Directive or Controlling ("that is the 'project police' I just mentioned), that is part of a second level of consolidation, but first, I go to the roots, I define what activities are value enablers and which ones will help create assets (reports, dashboards, KPIs) . This has helped me define which activities create assets that at the same time will help create value, or which value enabler activities will help us identify assets needed that will help improve our process & project delivery. Then the level of control (Supportive, Directive, Controlling). And for all, tools and techniques for giving visibility. (I will explain more about Engagement, Team Building, Data Science for PMO´s, and other topics of PMOs in the following days)
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