Are you looking to create an ideal project management office environment? In this guide, we are going to show you how you can set up a dedicated office with the aim of getting the most from your project management team.A project management office aka PMO is the hub where the project manager and team manage all aspects of projects. It is estimated that globally employers are going to need an additional 87.7 million people to take on project management roles by 2027. Along with this 71% of organisations around the world are creating offices specifically for project management which has increased by 15% since 2007.With this in mind, we are going to show you valuable steps to create the perfect space and how a dedicated office can help.
How a dedicated project management office environment helps
You might be wondering why you should create the ideal project management office environment. Well, there are many reasons, and they include the following:
- Having a dedicated space with project-related services at your fingertips;
- A dedicated office environment reduces pressure and stress;
- It leads to more robust work structures;
- A dedicated office environment is good for morale;
- Shared resources may be managed more efficiently;
- Can help to increase the quality of what you are already doing.
Steps to create the ideal project management office
Now that you know the benefits of creating an ideal project management office environment, let’s look at what is required.
Step one – identifying the objectives of the project management office
Before the creation of the office can begin, you should first identify the value and purpose the office is going to bring. Typically there are three types of PMOs: supportive, controlling and directive.
- A supportive type is administrative, offering support, providing documentation and administration to projects;
- The controlling type is more about setting and enforcing standardisation over projects within the organisation. Generally acting as custodians of the standards of a project, projecting toolsets and reporting standards by which all projects need to adhere to;
- The directive-type project management office is the central source for documentation, tooling, methodologies and management of resources and capacity.
Step two – assigning strong leadership
The next step to creating an ideal project management office environment is to assign strong leadership. This is critical as you will need to choose and assign all the key team members who will work together to manage and execute the plan. These include the project sponsor, project manager and anyone else who is going to be involved with the success of projects.When choosing key team members, check for accreditations, there is a wide range of training courses related to project management, and certification is becoming increasingly important in the industry.
Step three – the creation of the charter
Next is the creation of the charter, where the project manager drafts the charter for the project for the creation of the project management office. The draft includes the scope of the project, high-level requirements, any relevant assumptions and constraints, along with major milestones.
Step four – follow the lifecycle
Once approval has been given for the charter, the creation of the project management office should follow the same lifecycle as any project would. The different phases of the life cycle include initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and closure.
Best practices for effective project management
If simply setting up a project management office was enough for success, every business would create one. The creation of an effective PMO is a challenge in its own right, and this is where a lot of people fail. It takes careful planning if you want to transform your business, and we are sharing with you some of the best practices to manage your project management office effectively.
Senior management and project managers should work closely
Companies where the project managers and senior management work closely side-by-side have more success than those that don’t. Along with this, external stakeholders may also significantly affect the project’s success. So, with this in mind, you should put focus on engaging stakeholders across the board.
Make full use of the latest technology
An ideal project management office environment will make use of the latest technology. By doing so you can offer information that is accurate, timely and relevant, all of which is essential to the key decision-makers.
Standard processes and organised structure
Having standardised processes in place provide project managers with a better assessment of whether the project is on track. While standard processes should be set out, do make sure there is some room for any tailoring of the structure that may be needed. This allows for the requirements of a particular project to be met.
Updating skills
Any good and successful project management office will have the perfect balance of experience and skills. The PMO will need to keep updated constantly with the latest trends, so continuous training is recommended. You may wish to check out the
Agile training courses available at TSG Training to help your business acquire new skills.The key to any successful PMO is to remain relevant over the long term, and this is only possible if you keep up-to-date with the latest trends, technology and training.
The ideal project management office environment
An ideal project management office environment needs to be a happy workplace filled with the relevant qualified people, tools and technology. Project management is one area where there has been an increase in demand for good people and not only this but people who are certified. Contact TSG Training to find out how our courses can help you to create an ideal PMO. Our certified trainers have more than 20 years of experience and 98% of delegates rate us highly for our first-class training.
