Here are seven tips for maximizing the performance and effectiveness of your PMO:
1. Ensure all projects have a Project Dashboard, displaying a comprehensive and standard set of project metrics
- This standard set should include at least Project Schedule Performance, Project Cost Performance, Client Satisfaction, Team Satisfaction and Project Resourcing metrics.
- These metrics should all be in the form of indices, to allow a better and more meaningful comparison between all projects.
- Every Project Dashboard should be made visible to all (excluding any financial or other confidential information).
2. Aggregate the above key Project Data and display as a PMO Dashboard
- Each of the project metrics should be averaged across all projects and the results displayed on a monthly trending chart, to show improvement (or not) in the performance of projects in each area measured.
- The PMO Dashboard should also be made visible to all.
3. Ensure your projects are aligned with the strategic goals and objectives of your organization (and that of your clients, if in different organizations)
4. Foster an organization culture that will facilitate the success of your PMO
- Foster a supportive, collaborative and co-operative culture with project and PMO executive and client management, project managers and all other key stakeholders, to facilitate the successful achievement of project and PMO goals and objectives.
5. Focus on project results, not project management methodologies and processes
- With the project and PMO dashboards in place, and a focus on getting the best performance and results for each project, better decisions are going to be made regarding the appropriate project management methodologies, processes, tools and templates needed to achieve these results.
6. Facilitate the successful initiation and support of all projects.
- Establish a core group of experienced project managers, made available as needed, to ensure the successful initiation of all projects. (This group can be staffed within the PMO, or borrowed from project teams on a scheduled and prearranged basis, as appropriate).
- Provide ongoing oversight and support through this group, as needed to maintain project success.
7. Foster continuous improvement in project performance and results
- Make the training and development of project managers and their project teams a committed and measurable objective.
- Ensure skilled resources are provided as and when needed for each project.
- Synthesize, disseminate and act on Lessons Learned from all projects.
Are there any other tips you would like to add?
If you would like to learn how these and many other useful tips and techniques can be applied to benefit your PMO, contact us to arrange a four hour PMO Workshop that can be held on-site or via our web conferencing facilities.
