Five Basics of a PMO Implementation Plan

By
Mario Trentim, PMI-RMP, PMP
on February 6, 2014 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I often say that establishing a project management office (PMO) is not for the faint of heart. It is a very
difficult endeavor -- not just because it involves advanced knowledge, but also because it challenges
status quo in the organization.
In my previous post, we discussed The Must-Haves of Establishing a PMO. Now we are going one step
further by laying out an implementation plan. Implementing a PMO involves five basic -- but essential -sets of decisions:
1. Current State Assessment

How many projects do we have today, and how are they being managed?
WE have around 24 projects, they are manage on adhoc basis ( individual updates no consolidated
approach )

Are their results satisfactory?

Yes, They are satisfied, but could not monitor the schedule, progress or forecast

What type of PMO?

2. Future State Vision

What functions will be performed by the PMO?

What results do we expect from the implementation?

3. Gap Analysis

What do we have right now in terms of project governance, methodology, infrastructure, human
resources and software?
What do we need to implement a PMO that delivers the expected results?
How are we going to handle change management, stakeholder expectations and cultural
aspects?
4. Implementation Strategy

What is the scope of the implementation?

What are the barriers, enablers and risks of this implementation, and how are we going to deal
with them?
Are we going to hire a consultancy?
Do we start a small pilot and grow it through quick wins? Or do we set up for global, companywide implementation?
What are the implementation's critical success factors?

5. Implementation Plan

What is our roadmap for implementation?

What are the implementation's phases and key milestones?

How many resources do we need?

How much will the implementation cost?

How do we guarantee the PMO's sustainability? How are we going to measure its performance
and improve it?
Not following these steps can result in serious problems. For example, if we don't conduct a gap analysis,
we will probably end up with an unfeasible plan, disconnected from reality.
I once participated in a PMO implementation that was doomed to fail under the original plan. The future
state vision was nearly impossible to reach, considering the current state of the organization. While
conducting the gap analysis, it became clear that we should lower our expectations to implement that
PMO. In that particular case, it was necessary to implement a rudimentary PMO to kick-start a cultural
change to embrace project management. That was the chosen implementation strategy, which led to a
feasible implementation plan supported by key stakeholders.
In my next post, we'll dive deeper into these five steps with best practices and examples on how to carry
them out.
What other questions do you think are helpful to ask of your organization when building a PMO
implementation plan?