You have been asked by elderly operator to set up a Project Management Office( PMO) to manage one or further systems or programmes. So what do you do first?
The whole process of designing and establishing a PMO( especially where a PMO doesn't live and is a new concept or where you haven't had experience of setting up or working in a PMO) can appear to be a veritably big, indeed unachievable, task.
Now for some good news. It doesn't have to be hard or complex and this composition helps by breaking the process down into simple ways.
Below are 7 ways that will help you to define and apply a PMO into your organization.
Step 1 – Define the ideal( s) of the PMO
Be clear on the objects for the PMO
There are 3 different types of PMO( Administrative,Proactive and Mongrel). It's important to have a clear understanding of the compass and objects of the PMO as what needs to be established for a reporting PMO is a lot lower than for apro-active PMO.
It's important that you're clear on the objects so that the PMO you apply is aligned to the prospects of the guarantor. If not you may invest a lot of time and trouble and the end result doesn't meet the objectives. This will affect an unhappy guarantor( and presumably not good for career progression.
Aim to capture the ideals of the PMO in a number of small pellets that make it easy to articulate and agree with guarantors and stakeholders. You may want to suppose about landing these in a clear vision and charge statement. The statement should easily articulate what the PMO aims to achieve so that it's easy for everyone to understand. As this is reviewed with stakeholders, make adaptations until you reach the asked position on agreement.
This is a good exercise as it also helps to easily define what needs to be achieved.
Step 2 – Backing
PMO guarantor is vital for success
This step is an absolute ‘ must have ’. Without elderly/ superintendent backing calling the demand of a PMO, you'll find it veritably delicate, indeed insolvable, to apply. Without this accreditation, you'll find that design directors and brigades will repel. The reason being that a PMO will give translucency of design progress, including where systems aren't going well. Some design directors will be uncomfortable with this as they lose some control over controlling the communication inflow on design status.
You should capture the objects of the PMO as defined in step 1 and also agree with the PMO guarantor. You should also get the PMO guarantor to communicate that a PMO is going to be formed, the objects of the PMO and to confirm that you have the accreditation to set up the PMO. This communication should at a minimum be in the form of a clear and tersee-mail to all applicable coffers. Indeed better is if the guarantor provides the accreditation in applicable meetings, city halls,etc.
This step will help remove a lot of walls and push back, which in turn will save time.
Step 3 – Define PMO tools and processes
Grounded on the agreed objects, list the functions that the PMO will need to support. Again to make it easy, consider what high position functions are needed, and also go into further detail at lower situations within function, where necessary.
The Project Management Institute Book of Knowledge( PMBOK) provides a veritably good base for the needed functions. These are general and should be part of every PMO.
Planning( mileposts)
fiscal planning( budget)
RAID operation( pitfalls, hypotheticals, Issues, Dependences)
Reporting( report types, reporting journal)
Quality assurance
Change control( compass, costs, schedule, benefits)
Resourcing( org design, reclamation, resource planning)
Communication
Procurement
Design document storehouse
All of these are part of design methodology and tools processes( including supporting software).
Step 4 – PMO organization
After you have worked out what tools and processes need to be established, you can also suppose how numerous and what type( chops) of coffers you need for the PMO.
Again it's important that you make a PMO that will be suitable to deliver the objects of the PMO. This step can be veritably tricky as, until the value has been demonstrated, elderly operations are reluctant to invest in coffers.
It's a good exercise to collude out the PMO organization in an organization illustration. This will help you to suppose through the structure and how it'll support engagement with stakeholders. It also will give a veritably useful document that you can partake with design brigades, etc when they ask how the PMO supports and engages within the organization.
To overcome this hedge, it's worth reminding the guarantor that the purpose of the PMO is to give translucency through accurate reporting allowing the early identification of issues and pitfalls that will impact successful delivery. The outspoken cost saves an advanced long term cost when dates are missed, benefits fail to materialize,etc.
Step 5 – Engage and communicate
This is a veritably important step. You need to identify the crucial stakeholders to the PMO, especially those responsible for managing the systems and programmes. Make sure they understand what you're aiming to do, what's anticipated from them and most important, how you're going to help them. Flash back, communication is 2 way, just because you have delivered a communication it doesn't mean it has been entered, understood or accepted. Make sure you gain positive evidence.
A good way to do this is by following up with stakeholders by asking if they've any questions and if they would like any further information. This has the added benefit that it allows you to engage and make working connections.
Tip If the information inflow is one way with the PMO demanding information( generally by trouble of naming and smirching), you won't get the required position of engagement and you'll fail.
The most successful PMO’s that I've erected is where a PMO provides support to the design directors, becoming a mate fostering a terrain of trust. In this situation the design directors will be honest, tell you about the problems and also you can work with them to help them break them. This means further systems stay on track and everyone is happy( especially you as leader of the PMO as you can demonstrate the value of the service).
Step 6 – Yearly PMO routines
Snappily apply the PMO routines
Each month or further constantly, the PMO will be anticipated to give a status of the systems and programmes. Thus, it's important to get these routines over and running as snappily as possible. Indeed if you haven't erected out all the tools and processes, you should aim to get the reporting routine over and running as snappily as possible. This is a quick palm and will give elderly operators confidence that you have everything under control.
Make sure that the routines are proved and communicated to all applicable parties. This will help ensure that design brigades know what's anticipated and by when. This allows them to manage their time and will ensure that the regular requests aren't seen as “ fire drills ”. design directors can get veritably agitated with what they suppose are last nanosecond requests and they will be veritably oral to their own design guarantors.
It's imperative that formerly you have set out schedules and routines that you cleave to them.However, affect further fire drills and send the communication that meeting dates aren't really important. If you do n’t it'll frustrate the stakeholders as they won't know what's going on.
Step 7 – PMO Duty
Way 1 – 6 covers a lot of information. Thus, it's a good idea to capture these crucial rudiments in a design duty. A good design duty will cover all of these points in a way to easily articulate
PMO objects
What the PMO will/ wo n’t do
Organizational model( including places & liabilities)
Tools and processes
Yearly reporting conditions
crucial connections
Conclusion
Defining and setting up a PMO doesn't have to be complex and take a long time. If you follow these ways you'll snappily be suitable to design and make a PMO.
Define the objects of the PMO – clear statement what the PMO will achieve
Backing – insure guarantor provides PMO with accreditation and intimately communicates
PMO tools and processes – what functions services will the PMO give
PMO organization – places and liabilities, engagement models, etc
Engage and communicate – make sure stakeholders know what's going on and that there's a 2 way inflow of information
Regular routines – get the reporting up and running as a precedence to demonstrate progress and to start furnishing value
PMO duty – prisoner all of the crucial points in a duty that can be participated
Flash back, you don't have to have it all perfect and ready on day 1. You can apply in phases. This is a good approach as it'll give incremental value and will help stop guarantors getting nervous if the investment will give value.
A good approach is to have the day 1 plan, the week 1 plan and month 1 plan. You can lay this out in a simple road chart so everyone knows what to anticipate.
Another tip to help accelerate the PMO setup is to consider buying professional PMO templates,especially if you don't have any templates you can exercise. The small cost far outweighs the time to design and develop your own.