Project management offices (PMOs) often face the difficulty of having no real, objective way to measure the performance of their project managers. Harmony is not alone in experiencing this challenge but has succeeded in streamlining its performance management information gathering process, while also providing clearer direction for its project managers and administrators.
Martin Parlett, Head of the PMO for the government of Montserrat, a Caribbean island, recently shared his ‘Lessons in Focus’ for project management offices (PMOs), highlighting that, wherever they may be based, and whatever they may be trying to achieve, the challenges for PMOs across the globe are common.
The world of the project management office (PMO) has changed dramatically, shifting away from the PMO having an administrative or support role only towards adding real business value. This evolution has been similarly reflected in the career opportunities available within the PMO space.
Up until 2019, PPO approached project portfolio management (PPM) software implementations in a typically waterfall approach. We would spend full days with our clients meticulously taking down requirements and then carefully crafting the best solution to meet those requirements – and it worked well – so why did we change our ways? Well, let’s think of the typical issues PPM software implementations face using a waterfall approach.
Unexpected project delays have always been a source of concern for project environments. There are lots of reasons for these delays, ineffective project planning and scheduling, late procurement of materials, poor design, design changes and the list goes on. But the one cause that is understated and within the project management office’s (PMO) mandate to address, is the delay in approving project and product deliverables. I’m sure you can recall more than one occasion where a key deliverable wasn’t approved on time.
It is good practice for organisations to regularly think strategically about where they want to be, what they want the organisation to look like, and how they need to go about getting there. Traditionally, this process happened on an annual basis and was largely integrated with the annual financial planning process.
Mediclinic Southern Africa operates a range of multi-disciplinary acute care private hospitals in South Africa and Namibia. The company chose to work with Project Portfolio Office (PPO) to assist in the positive transformation of its enterprise project office (EPO) and infrastructure project management capability (IPMC), using PPO’s secure, cloud-based PPM tool.
Project portfolio management (PPM) solution provider, Project Portfolio Office, offers a PPM maturity assessment service, aimed at benchmarking an organisation’s current project management competency, and then providing a practical roadmap that will allow both the business and its Project Management Office (PMO) to deliver on strategic objectives, reduce costs, and increase success rates.
An organisation’s Project Management Office (PMO) should play a vital role in delivering on the business’ strategy. However, gaining an understanding of this action plan – and the company’s maturity to execute its declared strategy – is a necessary first step in unlocking a PMO’s value. A clear view of stakeholders’ needs and expectations is also key to this process.
