Tom,

On a search of the internet, I was able to quickly find these two articles. Both of them contain a wealth of information.

1) From pmforum: http://pmforum.org/library/papers/2005/PMOCVPWhitePaper.pdf

“The nature of the role and the purpose of the PMO can vary significantly. By knowing the reason for our PMO, we are in a much better position to define what the role and purpose should be, and the services that are critical to be focused on and delivered immediately. When developing a Project Management Office, one of the greatest struggles is the identification of a model that can be adopted as a framework for development activities. Research into how companies have implemented PMO’s and experience of both setting up and working with PMO’s has led to the realization that there are several archetypes or scenarios that define the majority of PMO frameworks. Success in choosing the appropriate model, therefore, is determined by our ability to select an archetype that reflects our chosen outcomes and to stay true to this model as we face the tests of responding to specific scenarios.”

2) Also, there is a tremendous amount of information on PMO structure and effectiveness in the PMI White Paper: http://www.pmi.org/PDF/PMO%20Whitepaper.pdf

I am very interested in working in the PMO. Please let me know if you need assistance.

Regards,

Richard E.

Tom,

I am embarking on a similar project in the new year.
I am looking at a s/w company out of California as my base capital project and property mgt tools.

Regards:

Ron G.

Tom,

I have several templates and an action plan I could share.
Please drop me a message and we can talk about the right steps.

JD

Hi Tom,
One of the approaches that I have used is to determine the governance model for the PMO.  As you know, there is no consistency in the way that organizations define a PMO (Project or Program Management Office).  The authority of PMO’s can range from reporting on project activities with no direct responsibility for project performance to having full control of projects.

For example, I define PMO’s as existing in four levels.  The levels are based on an organization’s needs.

Level 1, the Enterprise PMO, is a newly emerging entity that addresses the need for organizations to transform strategy into actionable pieces.  Levels 2, 3, and 4 express the Project Management view of project governance.

Level 1 (Enterprise PMO)
- Provides enterprise support for strategy development
- Governs the Program Management Offices
- Provides methodology, estimating, organization, and prioritization skills to executive management in defining actionable items that flow from a strategy
- Maintains close communication and coordination with executive management
- Assists in aligning projects and programs with business and IT strategy objectives (i.e., manages the application portfolio)
- Assists in eliminating duplication of effort and conflicting projects or programs
- Identifies potential opportunities for cross-functional sharing of technology or applications to maximize benefit
- Assists executive management in developing and administering performance metrics that drive alignment of organizational effectiveness with strategic objectives
Level 2
- Provides analysis and reporting on project activity, such as status reporting and issues management
- Provides executive dashboard reporting to management and customers across projects
- Acts as an information brokerage across projects and programs
Level 3
- Audits projects and programs for conformity with standards and procedures
- Determines and publishes the methodology to be followed
- Determines and provides the tools for project and program management
Level 4
- Has project and program managers assigned to it
- Supports project and program managers with guidance and expertise in project and program management practices
- Provides mentoring and coaching to project and program managers
- Opens lines of communication between project and program managers, subject matter experts, team members, and the organization

I hope that this helps in starting your approach to evaluating an existing PMO.

Best Regards,
Charles
chgo, 98-01

P.S.  The citation for this information is: Moone, C, (2002), “Program Management Offices: Enabling Corporate Strategy and 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance”, Taratec Development Corporation, NJ
Charles M

Very useful, Charles, thank you. I’ll use your info and other info I’ve gathered to put together a checklist to :
1) facilitate with the customer what is important to them and
2) assess their level of readiness on each aspect.
TG

Tom,

My friend Arun Nithyanandam (http://www.squidoo.com/arunsays) has setup PMOs for several multi-million dollar projects.

I am happy to connect him with you if you wish to talk to him.

Best,

Raj