Q I've been invited to transfer to a project management office (PMO) being created by my organization. What is a PMO exactly? What do the best ones look like?
What is a PMO? That question seems simple enough, but a closer inspection suggests otherwise.
Project managers don't even agree on what the acronym stands for. In a study by Brian Hobbs, PMP, and Monique Aubry, 59 percent of respondents said PMO means project management office and 12 percent believe it to mean program management office.
Regardless of semantics, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) defines the PMO concept as “an organizational unit to centralize and coordinate the management of projects under its domain.” It permits both interpretations and even suggests other equivalent terms, structures and levels of authority: “A PMO oversees the management of projects, programs or a combination of both.”
The different interpretations go beyond obvious linguistic differences. Overall, Mr. Hobbs and Ms. Aubry only identified two common PMO characteristics: Most were recently created and most have small staffs. Otherwise, the study showed that great variation is the norm, not the exception. “Organizations establish a great variety of different PMOs to deal with their reality,” according to the study. “The population of PMOs shows considerable variation of not just a few, but of many characteristics, thus creating a myriad of possible forms that PMOs can and do take on.”
History Lesson
The structures underlying today's PMO have existed for nearly a half-century, dating back to the U.S. military's development of complex missile systems in the 1950s. Each weapon system was composed of a myriad of sub-projects grouped together in system program offices (SPOs). They oversaw not only entire project systems—e.g., the missile—but also its warhead, support equipment, launcher, and training and logistics support.
The term PMO was popularized more than 10 years ago. Since then a great number of books and articles have addressed its various aspects. But unlike the term SPO, which is clearly understood within the military and industrial world, no such meeting of the minds exists over the term PMO.
At a recent gathering of high-level project professionals, I decided to pose an intentionally naive question just as the talk turned to PMOs. Fifteen minutes into the conversation, I asked, “Excuse me, but what is a PMO?”
The room fell silent. I saw an open-mouthed stare. Was my question too naive? But once the answers began, it was clear that everyone had a different meaning in mind. Some defined a PMO as a home office where all projects within an organization were managed. The PMO is expected to roll on in perpetuity as old projects close and new ones begin. Others described a much more limited scope—managing projects focused on functions such as IT or construction. Still others envisioned umbrella-like structures reminiscent of military SPOs, where the program comprises the smaller projects beneath it. In such a structure, the PMO's life is intentionally finite. When the deliverable is complete, the PMO closes shop.
So the answer turns out to be not so simple. It all depends on how the term is defined in your particular organization. As for the second question about what the best PMOs look like, check my column in the September issue of PM Network. PM