Establishing the Project Management Office (PMO) is just half the work done because the proof of the pudding lies in eating!
Implementing the PMO is the true test of its efficiency as a central coordinating body for all planned and ongoing projects within the organization. Upon establishing the processes and procedures required for its smooth functioning, the PMO is all set to work.
Setting Off The Implementation Process: At this stage, it helps to have on board key sponsors who stand behind the PMO giving it the right credibility and authority to execute the projects. The PMO implementation process has actually begun when you laid out the map for its scope during the initiation phase. What would be the tasks of the PMO, the roles and responsibilities and the resources were all chalked out during the earlier phases. What is needed now is the actual transfer of projects to the PMO so that they can be handled through it. Based on the clearly charted plan for communication, execution and governance, the PMO starts handling the pilot projects. Once you start with the actual work, new things get added to the existing roles and responsibilities. Resource allocation also gains momentum and the PMO understands its optimal utilization. At this point, the PMO needs rapid execution and gaining feedback.
Have Strong Supporters
The PMO always needs strong supporters, advocates and sponsors to rally behind it for it to become fully functional and useful at that. Make sure that all key stakeholders are kept in the loop because their support proves crucial at all stages. Keeping them all on the same page ensures that everyone understands the objectives and shares the definition of success equally. Maintaining relations with key influencers across the organization, including those at the top as well at the middle management level, ensures full support for the PMO. It is exactly for this very reason that the PMO staff must have excellent soft skills like communication, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution and persuasion abilities.
Identify Pilot Projects
The PMO always begins with a few pilot projects. These are the ones which require minimal intervention from the PMO so that you get a clear understanding of how things roll out during the course of a project.
Once the PMO is confident that it can pitch in to streamline project roll out and execution, it can take over other complex and long duration projects as well. Pilot projects also work out well when the PMO flounders because mistakes don’t escalate in a small project and can be corrected in time.
The lessons learned during the pilot implementation must be documented. They serve for a guidebook to refer about what not to do during project management. Mistakes or pitfalls provide a lesson in what went wrong and for what reasons. Not repeating the same mistake is the logical first step towards rectifying them. The PMO may have started quickly, but the time taken to learn from the mistakes and rectifying them must be short enough to not impact the outcome of the project. Evolve as quickly as you started so that the momentum is not hampered. As the PMO team gets more confidence, it can now handle more complex projects with ease.
Implementing Communication Plan
Continuous communication with all stakeholders is a given for the PMO. Keep everyone informed about the progress, the methods implemented and the outcome at every level. Also don’t fail to communicate if things don’t go as planned and then tag it with corrective measures taken. That shows the earnestness of the PMO in getting things on track quickly.
Gaining timely and regular feedback is also crucial to the success of the PMO. Invite feedback at all levels and take it seriously. Members of the management, senior and middle level managers, field workers and project managers, customers and others concerned with the project share their feedback which is the key source of how things are moving on a continuous basis.
Make your notes.
Hold discussions with people involved and draft corrective measures.
Keep channels of communication open with the key sponsors so that they know what’s happening with the new PMO. Read more...
