While the project/program management office (PMO) has been a growing trend in recent years, the reality of the turbulent business environment is posing new challenges for implementing PMOs. The pressure to deliver more with less and reduce overhead has created a need to find innovative approaches.

Whether you are building a PMO to support and enhance project management capabilities or to focus on strategic aspects of portfolio management, you may encounter implementation challenges and mixed results.

While the PMO can offer tremendous benefits and have strategic impact, the challenge is in the focus of the PMO and the way it is implemented and sustained.

This seminar is designed to anticipate and answer the questions associated with the creation and implementation of a PMO and portfolio management proficiency. Besides the traditional elements of a PMO, this seminar will outline the steps necessary to establish or enhance a next-generation PMO focusing on both tactical and strategic aspects.

The seminar will also focus on creating the right environment for portfolio management by providing a framework for project selection, prioritization, oversight and governance. Each organization is unique, and this seminar will provide a framework that will help you to assess your organizational environment and culture and craft a customized PMO and portfolio management plan.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) areas covered: Integration Management, Scope Management, Time Management, Cost Management, Human Resource Management, Communications Management, and Risk Management.

Who should attend?

- Project managers

- Project office staff

- Management and consultants with an understanding of project management concepts interested in setting up or enhancing project offices

- Senior managers who want to standardize project management processes and methodologies

- Executives or consultants interested in establishing project management practices or advancing project management capabilities.

What will my seminar experience cover?

- Building a PMO: Design a PMO structure that is appropriate for your needs.

- Portfolio management: Review and customize a process that will work for your organization. Promote organization-wide consistency with regard to portfolio management objectives, processes, roles and responsibilities.

- PMO-in-a-box: Evaluate a project and process management framework for your organization.

- Implementing new and unconventional management techniques: Integrate and enhance project management by Marrying the concepts and practices of knowledge management that enhance project management practices and foster a projectized culture.

- Measuring results and demonstrating PMO value: Develop a PMO scorecard and project dashboard approach to measure results and demonstrate ROI.

- Tools & technology: Review the latest categories of project and portfolio management systems, and real-world examples of pros and cons of implementing enterprise project management tools and technology.

- Charting an action plan: Craft a blueprint and develop a PMO and portfolio management plan tailored to your organization’s needs.

How will I benefit?

Develop and enhance the contributions you make to your organization by learning to:

- Identify the key elements necessary for a successful PMO

- Determine the appropriate PMO strategy, tactics and operations for your environment and apply the PMO life cycle and the next-generation PMO framework to your organization

- Assess your organization’s level on the PMO continuum based on maturity models

- Develop a PMO project plan tailored to your organization’s needs

- Apply the concepts of portfolio management and plan the evolution and linkage to the PMO. Outline portfolio management objectives, processes, roles and responsibilities

- Review models for weighing the tradeoffs to balance and optimize the project portfolio against opportunities, risks and resources

- Implement contemporary approaches to lessons learned, best practices and project knowledge management

- Create project management communities for ongoing PMO development and fostering a knowledge-sharing and collaborative project culture

- Apply contemporary approaches in communications, change management, cultural and political strategies for a successful PMO

- Implement PMO Scorecard based on metrics & measurement criteria that demonstrate strategic value and PMO ROI

- Apply success strategies and avoid pitfalls to implement and sustain the PMO and portfolio management.

 What instructional materials will be used?

Interactive discussions, case study analysis, group work, hands-on exercises, tools demonstration, Web integration and accelerated learning techniques.