To ensure that each step of a project will be executed according to a company's best practices, there is a significant element that can be crucial for project managers to achieve their expected objectives: the project management office (PMO). But what does this mean in practice? And what are the differences from a project manager? That's what we're going to find out in this article!
What is a PMO?
According to the 6th edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), a project management office is "a management structure that standardizes governance processes related to the project and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques."
Given the diversity of projects that can be executed simultaneously within a company, it is common for some project managers to struggle to achieve success in certain aspects, such as time or resources. This is where the PMO can be helpful, ensuring that initiatives are executed within the stipulated time frame and with the available resources.
In practice, a PMO ensures that project management guidelines are consistently executed. Responsibilities can vary depending on the degree of control and influence over the company's projects.
Besides supporting project managers, these are some other responsibilities of a PMO:
- Managing shared resources among all managed projects
- Identifying and implementing best practices for project management
- Developing, monitoring, and ensuring compliance with standards, policies, guidelines, and project management models through audits
- Coordinating communication between projects
What is the difference between a PMO and a project manager?
Also known as a PM, a project manager is the person responsible for coordinating a team, leading an initiative, and adjusting the execution of processes according to the stipulated roadmap, the technical capabilities, the interests of stakeholders, and the designated resources.
On the other hand, a PMO is a structure that can incorporate multiple projects and their respective managers. It aims to unify management best practices and established guidelines within the organization, to ensure that projects are executed in accordance with pre-established standards.
How can a PMO help in project management?
Although a PMO has well-defined responsibilities, the way it supports and ensures the success of ongoing projects can vary depending on the company's industry and the scope of the initiatives. Here are some types of PMO involvement, according to the 6th edition of the PMBOK:
Supportive
The PMO provides help if needed: It can offer models, best practices, training, access to information, and insights from previous projects. It acts like a project repository, and its level of control is considered low.
Controlling
In this case, in addition to providing support, the PMO may also require the adoption of structures or methods for project management, the use of specific tools, forms, and templates, and compliance with governance frameworks. In this case, PMO control over the project is medium.
Directive
In this mode, the PMO assumes direct project management, resulting in a high level of control. Here, project managers are assigned and report to the PMO.
What are the advantages of implementing a PMO for your company?
With a structure that can ensure uniformity of execution across different types of projects, a company can achieve benefits ranging from an increase in the team’s productivity to project managers more focused on activities that are part of their role.
Check out some of the other advantages:
Increased team productivity
By complying with processes, the PMO helps raise awareness among employees about maintaining best practices. And by improving processes, it is consequently possible to increase team productivity, enabling goals to be achieved more quickly and effectively.
Increased chances of project success and profitability
There is no mystery around this: If goals are reached in an easier way, it is easier for projects to become more profitable and make numbers grow within the organization.
A more precise definition of project manager roles
With a structure that seeks to control resources and ensure execution following best practices, the project manager can focus on issues more directly related to project execution. This optimization of their role scope increases their productivity as professionals.
How to implement the PMO structure effectively
The advantages are appealing, but before implementing a PMO in your company, it is important to consider some key points: How do you develop good project execution practices that align with the company's profile? What are the responsibilities of the PMO, and how far do they extend? In what ways can the PMO and project managers work together to ensure synergy and avoid working in silos?
The questions may seem endless, but the answers for a simple and efficient implementation are outlined here:
Identify the current stage of project management in the company
Before implementing any new practices to enhance project execution and management, it is important to understand the company's maturity level in this aspect. Find the most common bottlenecks among teams and the strengths of the teams regarding their deliverables. This assessment is crucial to understanding what can be improved and the best ways to implement these enhancements.
Define the PMO's role
After the analysis phase, it's time to determine the areas where processes can be improved. Structuring the PMO and defining the methodology to be used, as well as the indicators that will measure performance and determine the success of initiatives, are essential in this part. At this stage, the experience of project managers is a valuable asset, as it allows taking into account their expertise to build a structure that aligns with and optimizes existing practices.
Ensure that the new plan will be communicated
Internal communication failures within a company can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary duplicated efforts. There's nothing worse than trying to fix a mistake by making more mistakes, right? That's why it's important to keep the team informed that the PMO will be implemented and how project execution will be optimized. This way, all teams involved, directly or indirectly, can align their expectations and work towards a common goal.
Consider possible adjustments after implementation
After implementing the PMO, it's important to keep an eye out and identify if the recommended best practices truly make sense for the teams. During this mission, having a workflow that provides high visibility of each step of the process is extremely helpful, as it becomes easier to identify areas for improvement—and Qntrl can be a great ally in this process.
With technology working in your favor, finding bottlenecks becomes easier; and identifying them is the first step towards resolving them, making teams more efficient.
Regardless of the industry, the methodologies implemented and managed by a PMO can bring various benefits to your team. By adopting and maintaining best practices, you can increase the chances of project success. With project management software providing reports and important metrics, complicated work can become much simpler.
GUEST WRITER: Marina Meireles
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