The Project Management Office (PMO) is a centralized function within an organization that defines and maintains project management standards, tools, and best practices. It supports project teams through governance, resource management, training, and performance monitoring to ensure consistent and successful project delivery. A PMO enhances alignment between projects and business strategy, improves efficiency, and drives organizational maturity in project execution.
If you’ve ever tried to roll out PDCA in a real project environment, you know the theory is the easy part. The hard part is getting teams to consistently follow through—especially in a PMO where multiple projects are moving, stakeholders are impatient, and quality control competes with delivery deadlines. Over the years, I’ve distilled PDCA […]
PDCA Implementation Checklist for PMOs Read More »
Every PMO I’ve ever run has had to deal with them. They don’t moan, they don’t bite, but they will quietly eat your budget alive. I’m talking about zombie projects—initiatives that shuffle along, never really dying, never really delivering, but consuming resources as if they were headed for glory. They show up on portfolio reports
Killing the Zombie Projects – How PMOs Can Identify and Stop Work That Delivers No Value Read More »
I’ve delivered PMOs in high-pressure environments—mergers, government programs, billion-dollar infrastructure builds—and I can tell you this: you can have the slickest reporting dashboards, the tightest processes, and the most polished templates in the world, but if your stakeholders don’t trust you, none of it matters. Trust isn’t a “soft” KPI. It’s the KPI. Without it, the PMO
If you’ve been reading the headlines (or my last column), you might think the PMO is headed for extinction. Agile has changed the rules. Technology has automated the reporting. Decision-making is moving closer to the teams. But before we start carving the PMO’s headstone, let me tell you something from decades in the field: every
The PMO Isn’t Dead—But It’s Evolving Fast Read More »
I’ve been around long enough to see project management trends come and go. The PMO—Project Management Office—was once the shiny new tool everyone wanted in their organization. It promised discipline, consistency, and a clear line of sight into every project’s health. For years, it delivered. But if you’ve been paying attention lately, you’ve probably noticed
The PMO: Fading Out or Already Gone? Read More »
Establishing a Project Management Office (PMO) can dramatically improve project execution, alignment with strategic goals, and organizational maturity. However, these benefits come with a cost—primarily in the form of skilled personnel. Understanding the full cost of maintaining a PMO is crucial for budgeting, ROI analysis, and executive buy-in. This article analyzes the average salaries of
The Cost of Owning a Project Management Office Read More »
Hiring a Head of the Project Management Office (PMO) is a high-stakes decision. This role is responsible for aligning project execution with business strategy, overseeing project delivery, and cultivating a culture of governance, accountability, and continuous improvement. To help you assess candidates effectively, here are 10 essential interview questions—each followed by examples of good and bad answers based
10 Questions to Ask the Head of PMO in an Interview Read More »
The Head of the Project Management Office (PMO) holds one of the most cross-functional and strategically influential roles in modern organizations. Tasked with aligning projects to business strategy, overseeing delivery performance, and institutionalizing project governance, this role requires far more than technical expertise. But what exactly makes someone the ideal Head of PMO? Does such a person
The Ideal Profile of the Head of PMO Read More »
A well-run Project Management Office (PMO) can become the engine that drives strategic execution, improves delivery performance, and enables enterprise-wide transformation. But many PMOs struggle to achieve their full potential due to avoidable and often critical mistakes in their setup and management. In this article, we analyze the top 5 critical mistakes in managing a PMO,
Top 5 Critical Mistakes in Managing a PMO — And How to Avoid Them Read More »
A Project Management Office (PMO) plays a central role in ensuring that projects align with an organization’s strategic goals, are executed consistently, and deliver expected outcomes. As defined by the PMI PMBOK Guide, a PMO is a management structure that standardizes the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques. To
Organisational Structure of a Project Management Office Read More »
