Consider this case study coming from the world of IT (which is often challenged with mega-projects).
It was a complex project -- a new application with lots of data integration challenges, a web front-end, a new DBMS platform, dedicated servers in the data centre, and field-office training during the roll-out, along with all the usual issues of change control, help-desk set-up, and contracting for ongoing support-service SLAs. It looked like half the managers in IT were going to be involved, one way or another.
This project needed world-class teamwork and project management, both in the proposal (feasibility study) phase and then to implement it. The question is, who in IT is good enough to handle it?
Based on past experiences, applications developers didn't seem to be up to the challenge. Sure, they're great engineers and can do their own parochial share of the project. But they don't seem able to pull all the pieces together and manage the entire project. Too often in the past, teams don't form, or don't work well, and IT struggles to deliver large projects like this one.
The PMO as Project Manager:
For a project so complex and important, the CIO felt they needed a "super project manager" for this huge, politically visible, enterprise-wide project. Acting on that believe, he set up a Project Management Office (PMO) which included a pool of project-management experts who would serve as project managers for tough projects.
Henry, an experienced project manager, was asked to lead it. He was well qualified, with both PMI certification and a track record of successes.
The CIO also wanted Henry to establish common project reporting, a dashboard that tracked how everybody's projects were going.
The need for good project management wasn't limited to the one big enterprise-wide project. Henry soon found his tiny staff swamped with additional work, which he took as a sign of the value of his group. But trouble wasn't far behind.
It seemed there were never enough project managers in the PMO to go around. While Henry's staff handled a few big projects, many other projects ran adrift. The proposition of growing the PMO to manage all projects was neither affordable nor politically acceptable.
Meanwhile, relations between Henry and his peers became strained. The other senior managers in IT resented Henry when hot strategic projects were taken away from them and given to him. They resented his control over their resources. They resented his looking over their shoulder, judging their progress, and reporting on them to their boss. And they were offended by the implication that Henry was somehow more competent than them.
On a technical side, this PMO didn't work well either. Henry's
projects didn't fit the technical directions established by the other senior managers. And when his solutions went into production, the other groups were not prepared to support them.
Excellence in project management is essential, but PMOs can do as much harm as good. Let's examine the fundamentals and scope a proper role for a PMO.
Definitions
To sort out what happened, language is very important here. So, first let's define a few terms:
"Project management" is a task people do in order to deliver projects (results). It involves a discipline and a set of methods and tools for planning and controlling project resources. It's a means, not an end in itself.
Consider this case study coming from the world of IT (which is often challenged with mega-projects).
It was a complex project -- a new application with lots of data integration challenges, a web front-end, a new DBMS platform, dedicated servers in the data centre, and field-office training during the roll-out, along with all the usual issues of change control, help-desk set-up, and contracting for ongoing support-service SLAs. It looked like half the managers in IT were going to be involved, one way or another.
This project needed world-class teamwork and project management, both in the proposal (feasibility study) phase and then to implement it. The question is, who in IT is good enough to handle it?
Based on past experiences, applications developers didn't seem to be up to the challenge. Sure, they're great engineers and can do their own parochial share of the project. But they don't seem able to pull all the pieces together and manage the entire project. Too often in the past, teams don't form, or don't work well, and IT struggles to deliver large projects like this one.
The PMO as Project Manager:
For a project so complex and important, the CIO felt they needed a "super project manager" for this huge, politically visible, enterprise-wide project. Acting on that believe, he set up a Project Management Office (PMO) which included a pool of project-management experts who would serve as project managers for tough projects.
Henry, an experienced project manager, was asked to lead it. He was well qualified, with both PMI certification and a track record of successes.
The CIO also wanted Henry to establish common project reporting, a dashboard that tracked how everybody's projects were going.
The need for good project management wasn't limited to the one big enterprise-wide project. Henry soon found his tiny staff swamped with additional work, which he took as a sign of the value of his group. But trouble wasn't far behind.
It seemed there were never enough project managers in the PMO to go around. While Henry's staff handled a few big projects, many other projects ran adrift. The proposition of growing the PMO to manage all projects was neither affordable nor politically acceptable.
Meanwhile, relations between Henry and his peers became strained. The other senior managers in IT resented Henry when hot strategic projects were taken away from them and given to him. They resented his control over their resources. They resented his looking over their shoulder, judging their progress, and reporting on them to their boss. And they were offended by the implication that Henry was somehow more competent than them.
On a technical side, this PMO didn't work well either. Henry's
projects didn't fit the technical directions established by the other senior managers. And when his solutions went into production, the other groups were not prepared to support them.
Excellence in project management is essential, but PMOs can do as much harm as good. Let's examine the fundamentals and scope a proper role for a PMO.
Definitions
To sort out what happened, language is very important here. So, first let's define a few terms:
"Project management" is a task people do in order to deliver projects (results). It involves a discipline and a set of methods and tools for planning and controlling project resources. It's a means, not an end in itself.
Role Analysis: Project Management Officer - How to implement a PMO that helps everyone succeed
by Dean Meyer
PMO -- Project Management Officer... Why does everybody think they need one, and what should a PMO really do?