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Questions You Should Ask When Implementing A PMO

You are here: Home / Earned Value Mgmt / Questions You Should Ask When Implementing A PMO

August 27, 2015 By Ten Six

Implementing a Project Management Office (PMO) is often not as simple as it might seem. As noted in this article, politics, organizational dynamics, history, personalities, etc. often come into play. When a client asks us to help “right the ship” of a struggling PMO implementation, one of the first things we want to understand, is both the history and the context of the implementation.

Similar questions are asked to help plan and carry out a new PMO implementation. What follows are some of the questions we often seek answers to – whether starting out or coming in part way through a struggling implementation. It is important to note that these are only a few of the questions, but they are very useful in gaining an understanding of the situation. Typically clients are not be able to answer all of these, thus identifying areas that could help significantly improve the situation and reduce implementation risk.

Background and Context

Background and context questions help us understand the original intent and how things have developed. It’s important to capture and confirm the answers to these questions.

  • What was the business case for implementing the PMO (usually written, but not always)?
  • What were the benefits expected from implementing the PMO?
  • Who is the sponsor for this initiative?
  • Who are/were the stakeholders (sponsors are stakeholders with more “skin in the game”)?
  • What is/has been their role?
  • What processes and system(s) will the PMO implement?
  • What it the timeframe for implementing the PMO?
  • How has the implementation fared relative to the original plan?
  • How has the “people side” of change been planned and managed?
  • What resistance have you encountered putting the PMO in place?
  • Describe how the PMO is (or was intended to be) organized?
  • What is/were the expected service offerings of the PMO to its “customers”?

The PMO artifacts are the tools, systems, processes, procedures, training, etc. that the PMO uses to execute its role(s). When we look at these we are seeking to understand how strong they are as elements of the PMO “infrastructure” and the degree to which they have been integrated and embraced by the PMO contributors and customers.

  • What documentation and tools exist to support these key process groups?
    • Initiating
    • Planning
    • Executing
    • Monitoring & Control
    • Closing
  • To what degree are people following these procedures/processes?
  • What are the current standards that the PMO is putting in place?
  • What scheduling and other templates are to be made available?
  • How many projects will be managed or supported by the PMO?
  • Characterize the type (& numbers/type) of users of the PMO.
  • How is PMO used by these users/contributors?
  • How is knowledge transferred between incoming and outgoing PMO staff?

There are many other questions that are asked in addition to the ones above. However, when we are X-raying a PMO implementation (or planning for a new implementation), these are often a good place to start.

Other Related Articles

What Does a PMO Do?

4 Steps For Introducing A New PMO

What’s Next For Your PMO?

The Changing Role of the PMO Manager

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  • Training
    ▼
    • Primavera P6 Training
    • Deltek Training
    • Microsoft Project Training
    • Project Management Training
    • Earned Value Management Training
    • Open Training Class Dates
    • Customized Video Training Classes
  • Consulting
    ▼
    • Project Management
      ▼
      • Assessments and Health Checks
      • Organizational Change Management
      • Project Governance
      • Project Management Tool Selection
      • Risk Analysis Services
      • Scheduling Services
      • Project Management Staff Augmentation
    • Project Management Office (PMO)
      ▼
      • PMO Pulse Check
      • PMO Implementation Planning
      • PMO Organization Change Management
      • PMO Project Manager Leadership Development
      • PMO Planning Best Practices
      • PMO Scheduling Best Practices
      • PMO Enterprise Tool Training
      • Program Manager Challenges
    • Earned Value Management
      ▼
      • EVMS RFP Support
      • EVMS Assessments
      • Earned Value Management Tool Selection
      • EVMS System Description and Process Development
      • Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) Preparation and Conduct
      • EVM Certification Support
      • Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Health Check
      • Action Plan Development for Progress Assessment Reviews
      • Earned Value Data Analysis and Reporting
      • WBS Guidelines for Government Acquisition Programs (MIL-STD 881D)
      • EVMS Staff Augmentation
    • Risk Management
      ▼
      • Risk Management Support and Consulting
      • Risk Management Maturity Assessment® (RMMA)
      • Risk Management Checkup Services (RMCS®)
      • Risk Management Training and Workshops
    • Portfolio Management
      ▼
      • IT Portfolio Management
      • Corporate Governance Portfolio Management
      • Product Portfolio Management
      • Public Sector Portfolio Management
      • New Product Development Portfolio Management
    • ISO 21500 Assessment
  • Software
    ▼
    • Primavera P6
      ▼
      • Primavera P6 Application Consulting
      • Primavera P6 BI Publisher Services
      • Primavera P6 Technical Consulting
      • Primavera P6 Integration
      • Primavera P6 Knowledge Transfer, Mentoring and Coaching
      • Primavera P6 Staff Augmentation
    • Primavera Unifier
    • Deltek Cobra
      ▼
      • Deltek Cobra Application Consulting
      • Deltek Cobra Knowledge Transfer, Coaching and Mentoring
      • Deltek Cobra Integration
      • Deltek Cobra Staff Augmentation
    • Microsoft Project
      ▼
      • Building an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
      • Integrating Microsoft Project with Deltek Cobra
      • Migrating From Microsoft Project To Oracle Primavera P6
      • Microsoft Project to Primavera P6 Conversion Service
  • Blog
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  • Contact Us