It’s time for another “Trends to Watch” edition! We asked our experts in the office what developments in the world of project management and PMO management were top of mind for them as we go into the new year, and the big takeaway is that we’ve moved from emerging trends to operational reality.
Many of the 2025 “Trends to Watch” we talked about last year, like the rise of AI and sustainability, no longer qualify as ‘trends’. They are business as usual for the modern PMO. This year will be focused on evidencing the impact of the business shifts, along with the pressure to demonstrate confidence, not optimism – so that means governance and value realization.
1. AI: Governance over experimentation
Two-thirds of project managers now use AI tools to support delivery work, a number which is growing year-on-year. From generative AI summarizing meeting minutes and drafting documents, to robotic processing and AI workflows built into your enterprise tools, we embraced AI as a profession last year.
2026 will see even more of that, as more teams embrace what Copilot and other tools can do. Gartner talks about AI-native development platforms as a strategic technology trend, and advances in this area have certainly made it easier for PMO teams to build workflows and wrangle data.
We predict that this year, PMO teams will invest more time in defining what AI-empowered projects look like. Standalone tools will be replaced by AI features embedded in enterprise platforms, and we’ll see increased executive concern about data security, bias and auditability.
The good news is that some organizations are now measuring the time saved by AI, and the results are good. There’s a competitive advantage to be had (at the moment) if you can ensure AI is implemented in a strategic way.
2. Platform fatigue
So many software tools… If you’re anything like us, you have a tool for everything. It’s worse when you work with clients and have to use their tools as well.
Our experts predict that we’ll see a consolidation of enterprise tools and more organizations pushing back against ‘tool sprawl’. We think there will be pressure to rationalise PPM, finance and delivery systems and increased scrutiny of licence costs versus realized value. Because software is becoming very expensive.
The impact for PMO teams is that they are increasingly expected to own the platform strategy, not just administration and user accounts. We’ll be expected to justify license costs with measurable outcomes, and be the ‘platform owners’. Yet another role for the PMO team to get comfortable with!
3. Fewer reports
Yes, we’re really predicting that executives will want fewer reports in 2026! If you’ve ever scrolled through a huge list of available reports and not really known what you’re looking at, then you are not alone.
Whether your reports come from Primavera dashboards, the data warehouse or somewhere else, the new focus is on making sure reporting provides confidence and is actionable. We’re noticing growing interest in predictive indicators and scenario views, where reports are to provide the assurance that moving the project on is the right thing to do.
Predictive analytics are hugely useful for keeping your portfolio stable, and we all know that poor data is linked to poor decision-making.
Interesting, we’re also noticing a renewed interest in Earned Value Management because the tools to do the reporting are better than ever before. Perhaps this will be the year you take another look at the value EV can bring?
4. Design for decisions
Last year, we reported that data visualization tools for statistical presentations would be a growth area, and we still think that’s important. However, aligned to the trend above, it’s all about designing for decisions.
We’re seeing that ‘pretty’ slide decks are losing ground towards clean, decision-led reporting. That’s because executives have more time constraints than ever before and the cognitive load on people in those jobs is a huge burden. Let’s make it easier for them by standardizing visuals across portfolios.
In particular, we think execs will want better visualizations around uncertainty. Point estimates have always caused problems where there is uncertainty in the schedule, and now software gives us the tools to better represent variation, so we should be using it.
5. Change saturation
We know many of you will be juggling multiple projects (we are too). And those projects deliver change for communities, colleagues and clients. The problem is that there is so much change and so many things to take into account.
Add to that increased staff churn, which affects continuity and organizational knowledge. At this time of year, we like to take stock of what we achieved, and we’re not going to lie – it’s a lot. The pace of change for all organizations is not letting up, and AI raises the bar for productivity even higher.
The impact on your teams is the risk of burnout. Psychological safety is now recognized as a delivery risk. Managers are expected to stabilize teams to new ways of working while delivering the next batch of transformation projects.
We don’t have an easy solution for this one, but make sure it’s on your risk log and that you’ve got plans to prioritize projects. Aim to deliver at a pace that makes sense for your team’s capacity and that of your customers.
6. Evidencing sustainability
Last year when we talked about trends to watch, we talked about the rise of sustainability, but this year the focus is on assurance and evidence. This trend is no longer about doing the right thing for the environment but proving that you are in a way that builds confidence.
Investors and the public have expectations that sustainability claims will be measurable and auditable (and why wouldn’t they?). However, we are noticing a tension between speed, cost and sustainability trade-offs. Organizations are balancing the needs of a sluggish economy with their sustainability efforts. And sometimes sustainability doesn’t come out on top.
The impact for PMO teams is that we’ll be asked to evidence sustainability assumptions and benefits. It’s no longer good enough to talk about aspirations in this area.
What to focus on in 2026
We think you should be focusing on building delivery confidence and credibility, and right-sizing governance. PMOs should be looking at assurance and governance maturity, for example, lighter but more frequent internal assurance reviews, embedded into delivery cycles. We’re hoping for fewer ‘pet projects,’ and more data-led trade-off decisions.
Where you have capability gaps (especially in the senior project leadership team and the sponsor community), think about how those can be addressed. Consider how to support busy executives with better decision-support information, and cut back on the status updates that just report what people already know or don’t care about.
No doubt 2026 will also see lots of technical advancement alongside the inevitable economic pressures for some organizations. We’re living in interesting times, and we can’t wait to see what the year will bring!