Project Management Office

No matter what one calls it, a central office to manage projects across an organization, or part of an organization, is becoming a more common occurrence. Some organizations call it as Program Office, Program Management Office, Project Office, Project Management Office, Project Control Centre, Project and several other variations. People have their own interpretation for each but in the end, their role is to make projects more efficient.
Project Office Role
It is essential for the success of a new Project Office that there is clear understanding before establishment, as to the role of the office, and the interaction between the office and the individual projects.
The key to successfully establish a Project Office or Programme Office is to gain agreement at the start of the process, as to the responsibilities. A useful and speedy technique is to workshop the possible activities with the key players, and gain consensus as to what the office is intended to do. The starting point is to create a list of possible activities, then hold a workshop to evaluate the responsibility of the office, for each activity. It is likely in some cases there will be no activity, and in other cases, the activities will need to be split down further. It is also useful if the office is not to have responsibility, to identify who does have the responsibility.
Attached is a list in no particular order or particular industry. The list is not definitive. It is intended to form the basis of a review of the role. Each organization will have specific activities that may, or may not be included in the role of a Project Office.
• Uninvolved - The Project Office has no responsibility for the activities done by the project
• Monitor - Essentially they are aware of the activity and pass on information related to it to concerned stakeholders
• Influence - Whilst the Project Office is not responsible for the activity, there is a responsibility for the project team and the Project Office to work together on the particular activity
• Control - The Project Office is fully responsible for the control of activity
Role of PMO
IT Strategic Plan - Creation of a plan for the whole organization
IT Annual Operational Plan - Define the next level of detail focusing on the projects to be undertaken in the next year
Project Establishment - All projects need to be logged into some central source
Project Sizing - Create a first cut size estimate
Project Charter - The plan for the project covering all aspects objective, scope, constraints, organization and staffing etc.
Budget
• Setting the initial budget
• Performance against budget
• Budget changes
Scope
• Setting the initial scope (including exclusions)
• Scope variations (Process for managing and management of)
Staffing
• Project organisational structure
• Assigning staff
• Staff movements
• Staff personnel management
• Skills matrix and identification of gaps
• Resourcing contract maintenance & negotiation
• Staff training
• Project roles and responsibilities
• Project team terms and conditions (allowances, rates etc.)
• Timesheet and payment
• Exit management
Methodology & Processes
• Selection of a methodology
• Maintenance of a methodology
• Training
• Maintenance and customisation of procedures
• Maintenance of templates
• Compliance with methodology
• Creation of processes and procedures
• Approval of processes and procedures
• Standardisation and rationalisation of processes and procedures
• Training of processes and procedures
• Review of new methodologies
Tools
• Selection of tools
• Purchase of tools
• Exemptions from using tools
• Availability to teams
• Training
• Review of new tools
Funding
• Approval of expenditure
• Getting approvals
Standards
• Use of external standards
• Creation of internal standards
• QA services to project teams
• QA approvals
Admin Support
• Assist teams with logistics
• Produce regular reporting
• Provide facilitators to workshops
• HR issues
• Materials
Planning
• Compile plans
• Approve plans
Risk Management
• Risk assessment and logging
• Risk monitoring
• Provide risk logging facilities
Issue Mgmt
• Creation of issue log
• Management of issue log
Dependencies
• Identification of dependencies
• Monitoring of dependencies
• Identification of new dependencies
• Liaison with other teams
Communication
• External to project team
• Inter project team
Change Management
• Creation of a strategy and plan
• Implementation of plan
• Monitoring expectations
Problem Escalation
• Create a mechanism to escalate project issues
• Facilitate problem escalation
Library
• Maintain standard documents
• Maintain example documents
• Set project documentation standards
• Maintain project library
• Maintain checklists for project activities
• Create and maintain a glossary
Benefits
• Identify benefits from the project
• Quantify the benefits
• Track benefit delivery after the project
• Prepare cost benefit analysis
• Produce business case
Constraints
• Identify project constraints
Reporting
• Project status
• Budget vs Expenditure
• Scope changes
• Project overview
• Staffing
• Projections
• Gantt charts
• Earned value
Integration
• Compliance with IT architecture
• Integration with other systems
• Compliance with IT Policy
Audit
• Compliance with organisational standards
• Ad hoc audits of projects to ensure company policy is being adhered to
Post Implementation Review
• Carry out post implementation review
• Generate action items from PIR
• Carry out recommendations of PIR
Acceptance & Conformance
• Set conditions for acceptance of deliverables
• Accept deliverables
• Authorise exemptions to acceptance standards
Configuration Management
• Setting up Configuration Management
• Managing software migration
• Version control
Mentoring
• Formal mentoring programs
• Support roles in projects (e.g. supplying an experienced resource on a part time basis)
• Special Interest Groups
Business Interaction
• Carry out Business Process Re engineering
• User documentation
• User training