This document lists the need and best practices that is required for a PMO to be successful in an organization

1. Project
Management
Office
BEST PRACTICES
- Sudhanva Ramesh

2. Project Management Office –
Need in a Nut shell
• Need for a centralized department to make sure all projects are managed
efficiently and effectively from concept to completion.
• Higher rate of project failures
• Need of the organization to complete projects faster, cheaper and better
 PMOs are particularly important to businesses that have a continuous flow of
multiple, overlapping projects sharing operations, technology and human
resources.
 PMO should be looked as a unit that adds value to an enterprise instead of
looking it as another department up the ladder. The number of various domains,
possess a great challenge to a company that it is increasingly the need of the
hour to have a Project Management Office.

3. Best Practices
• Running a PMO like a project – Charter the need of a PMO, scope of the PMO, WBS, Metrics to
measure its performance, communications and Risk Assessment Plans
• Set aside time to meet with the management/stakeholders often to communicate progress to
ensure the purpose and added value of the PMO
• Define the roles of every team member in a PMO. Ensure every team member is listed on an
organization chart and disseminated across the organization.
• Implement PMO Services in line with business drivers and project issues. House the best practices,
tools and techniques
• Foster Project Management by conducting regular assessments, audits to help identify strengths,
weaknesses and areas of improvement.

4. Best Practices
• Find the right tool to manage PMO. Skillset, Staffing should support the tool and
the tool should serve as a means to the end to successfully and efficiently
manage Projects, Portfolios and PMO.
• Continuously train the project managers(Formal Program) to a standard set of
parameters(set company wide) to manage the projects. Ensure written
procedures to ensure consistency.
• Assign a budget to a project and make managers accountable for every
component of the budget.
• Root Cause Analysis, SOP’s form the back bone of the technical skill set. This
helps the process, technology, delivery and the management.
• Ensure Internal/Customer Oriented schedules are met, tracked and presented
to the senior management.

5. • Audit your process with the best practices in addition to Metrics
(continuously improved depending on the industry and market needs) –
• Identify the need to always make significant changes to maximize
process.
• Fine tune even if you have a “Almost” perfect PM Process.
• Periodically Update for Continuous Improvement.
Motto –
Increase client/customer profitability by focusing on continuous results
Best Practices

6. Thank you