Many organizations are turning to a Program Management Office (PMO) structure as a way to improve resource management and efficiency. Like other business changes, the introduction of enterprise or portfolio project management brings with it both opportunity and risk. On the opportunity side of the equation, there is the chance to increase consistency, improve quality, reduce costs, improve productivity, and better prioritize how finite resources should be applied to the numerous projects and initiatives going on across the enterprise. On the risk side, organizations should recognize that this change will also cause business disruption and will require behavior change and adoption to be successful. Attending to the human side of this implementation through the application of the
Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) significantly increases the speed and potential for Return on Investment.
A PMO is a Cultural Change
Companies that are establishing PMO’s are looking at a new organizational structure, new processes and often, new technology as cornerstones of the change. All of these are important elements of a successful PMO. At the same time, however, organizations are adding disruption at both the organizational and individual level to the mix. The introduction of a PMO is most certainly a cultural change, creating resistance and other potentially unintended negative consequences.
It’s also important to recognize that the PMO will impact project teams, project managers, and business leaders alike. For example, if new technology is part of the PMO toolkit, there will be reports to be read and analyzed and used as the source for decision-making. Business leaders may be asked to “give up” some level of control over resources and prioritization.
Success Factors for Sustainability
In an
online survey conducted by Business Improvement Architects, organizations identified several key success factors required for success. Not surprisingly, these include the same critical success factors addressed through application of
AIM, including:
- The need for Sponsorship. Successful PMOs depend on Sponsors who not only consistently articulate the benefits of a PMO, but also model and reinforce the the value of the PMO to the organization. Organizations with strong Sponsorship were far more likely to be successful.
- Reinforcement. Survey results indicated that fewer than half of the participating organizations had reward and recognition programs in place that reinforced the new culture.
- Alignment. The successful PMO must consistently ensure that there is alignment with the business needs of the organization.
How AIM Helps Drive Speed, Adoption and Return on Investment
Even if your organization has best practices processes, state of the art technology, and top talent in the PMO, the fact remains that the introduction of a PMO is a cultural change. The organization can implement the new structure much more quickly, and with much less pain, if you apply a structured process to the implementation. If you define the human and behavioral outcomes up front, focus on them as a critical part of the PMO implementation, and align reinforcements to sustain adoption and behavior change your chances of long-term success will be significantly greater.
Improved efficiency, greater productivity, and better quality project outcomes are admirable goals, and AIM can make them happen.
