Many large and even medium-sized organizations have created a department to oversee and support projects throughout the organization. This is an attempt to reduce the high numbers of failed projects (see the Project Management Overview chapter.) These offices are usually called the project management office or PMO.
The PMO may be the home of all the project managers in an organization, or it may simply be a resource for all project managers, who report to their line areas.
Typical objectives of a PMO are:
- Help ensure that projects are aligned with organizational objectives
- Provide templates and procedures for use by project managers
- Provide training and mentorship
- Provide facilitation
- Stay abreast of the latest trends in project management
- Serve as a repository for project reports and lessons learned
The existence and role of PMOs tends to be somewhat fluid. If a PMO is created, and greater success is not experienced in organizational projects, the PMO is at risk of being disbanded as a cost-saving measure. If an organization in which you are a project manager or a project team member has a PMO, try to make good use of the resources available. If you are employed as a resource person in a PMO, remember that your role is not to get in the way and create red tape, but to enable and enhance the success of project managers and projects within the organization.
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