How High-Performing PMOs Deliver Measurable Business Value: Real Case Studies from the Field

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

How High-Performing PMOs Deliver Measurable Business Value

In today’s environment, organisations are no longer asking whether they need a PMO—they are asking how to make it deliver real business value.

Yet many PMOs still struggle with:

Limited visibility across portfolios
Reactive decision-making
Fragmented tools and inconsistent reporting

At PMO Solutions, our work across government, utilities, infrastructure, and financial services demonstrates a clear pattern:

High-performing PMOs are not administrative functions; they are decision engines that enable confidence, predictability, and business outcomes.

This article explores real-world case studies and extracts practical lessons on what works.

Our PMO Case Studies Overview

Below is a consolidated view of selected case studies and measurable outcomes:

What These Case Studies Reveal (Practical Insights)

1. Visibility Drives Confidence

Across all engagements, the first transformation is visibility :

Resource visibility (Meisterplan)
Portfolio visibility (Government, Utilities)
Demand visibility (Retail)

When leaders can see the future, decision-making shifts from reactive to proactive.

2. PMO Value Is Measured Through Business Outcomes — Not Activity

The strongest outcomes were not:

Number of reports
Number of meetings

They were:

Reduced cost duplication
Increased forecasting accuracy
Improved bid success rates

This reinforces a critical shift:

PMOs must define value in business language, not delivery language.

3. Standardisation Enables Scale

In large organisations (e.g., Department of Regional NSW), success came from:

Common language
Consistent reporting
Aligned frameworks

Without this, scaling delivery across multiple units becomes impossible.

4. Technology Alone Does Not Solve the Problem

In multiple case studies:

Tools were implemented or optimised
But success came from process + behaviour change + governance

For example:

AP+ implemented Lean Portfolio Management with tools
CPB improved enterprise system usage—not just system deployment

5. Embedded PMOs Outperform Advisory-Only Models

A consistent theme across testimonials:

PMO Solutions worked as part of the client team
Not as external advisors

This resulted in:

Faster adoption
Higher trust
Sustainable outcomes

How to Build a High-Value PMO (Step-by-Step)

Based on these case studies, a practical approach looks like:

Step 1: Establish Visibility

Define portfolio structure
Map demand vs capacity
Introduce simple reporting

Step 2: Standardise

Create a common language
Align reporting and governance
Introduce consistent frameworks

Step 3: Enable Decision-Making

Shift reporting to insights
Focus on forward-looking metrics
Support executives with scenarios

Step 4: Embed Capability

Work within teams
Upskill internal resources
Build sustainable PMO functions

Key Takeaway

The difference between a struggling PMO and a high-performing one is not maturity level or tools.

It is this:

A high-performing PMO enables confident decisions before problems happen.

Rising Complexity, Smarter Delivery: A PMO Look Back at 2025

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:31:23 GMT

10 January 2026

Rising Complexity, Smarter Delivery: A PMO Look Back at 2025

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If one message defined 2025, it was this: The complexity of organisational delivery rose faster than the capability required to manage it.

Across industries, particularly capital intensive and public-sector environments, we saw organisations facing an uncomfortable truth. Their governance frameworks, decision-making processes, and delivery practices were no longer fit to support the scale, pace and strategic pressure of their investment portfolios.

2025 became a year of reckoning. A year where governance and delivery finally collided. A year where aspirational strategies met organisational reality. And for PMOs, it was the year that transformed their purpose.

The Governance–Delivery Reckoning: What Organisations Could No Longer Ignore

Many organisations entered 2025 with delivery challenges they had managed to work around for years, unclear accountabilities, frameworks that looked impressive on paper but weren’t embedded, inconsistent project practices, and governance models that lacked teeth.

But as capital portfolios grew, digital ambitions expanded, regulatory expectations tightened, and resource constraints intensified, the cracks became impossible to ignore. Three patterns stood out:

1. Governance intent did not match operational reality: Many organisations believed they had strong governance simply because they had documentation. In 2025, Executives realised that frameworks without adoption do not create delivery confidence.

2. Portfolio visibility was too shallow to inform real decisions: Most organisations could report project status but could not reliably answer:

What are our constraints?
What are the real risks to our strategy?
What are the trade-offs we must make?

The gap between “activity reporting” and “decision support” became painfully obvious.

3. PMOs were expected to step up, quickly: When Executive teams needed clarity, consistency, and confidence, they turned to the PMO. Not to administer, but to lead.

This marked a turning point for the profession.

Portfolio Tension: Demand Increasing, Capacity Decreasing. The Defining Reality of 2025

In nearly every organisation we worked with, one truth dominated the year:

Demand outstripped delivery capacity.

Teams were inundated with investment ideas, competing priorities, and shifting expectations. Yet headcount, capability, and time remained fixed. This tension forced organisations to confront several misconceptions:

“Prioritisation” is not sequencing.
“Business cases” do not equal strategy alignment.
“More projects” does not mean “more value”.
“We’ll find a way” is not a delivery strategy.

As a result, PMOs became the portfolio conscience of the organisation. Helping navigate trade-offs, introduce evidence-based prioritisation, and challenge the assumption that everything can be delivered simply because it is desirable.

Portfolio governance matured from a theoretical construct into a practical necessity.

What PMOs Learned About Strategy Execution in 2025

If demand versus capacity defined the problem, strategy execution clarity defined the solution.

Organisations learned that strategy cannot simply be cascaded. It must be translated into a structured, governable and measurable portfolio of work. And PMOs often became the translators. 2025 saw a shift away from purely administrative PMOs to strategic enablement functions:

PMOs became connectors: Bridging strategy, business units, finance, and delivery teams. Ensuring everyone understood the why, not just the what.
PMOs became facilitators of organisational focus: Helping leaders make informed decisions about what not to do, not just what to pursue.
PMOs became governance designers: Building fit-for-purpose frameworks, role clarity, stage gates and decision rights that could scale with organisational ambition.
PMOs became capability builders: Coaching teams, uplifting project skills, embedding repeatable ways of working, and strengthening organisational muscle memory.

In short, PMOs finally stepped into their rightful role as strategy execution partners.

The Maturing Buyer: Clients Now Expect Value, Not Frameworks

Perhaps the most significant shift we observed in 2025 was not internal, but market-driven. Clients became more discerning. Less willing to invest in theoretical frameworks. More focused on immediate, tangible value.

Organisations wanted:

Fit-for-purpose governance, not off-the-shelf templates.
Practical tools that people would actually use.
Clarity and alignment before process depth.
Capability uplift, not dependency on consultants.
Partnership over prescription.

This change is reshaping the consulting landscape, favouring providers who are collaborative, adaptive and deeply human-centred. For PMOs, this shift means moving from “methodology custodians” to value creators. Driving early wins, building organisational confidence and demonstrating uplift from the very first engagement.

What 2026 Will Demand of PMOs

As we look ahead, the lessons from 2025 point clearly to what organisations will need in 2026:

Continuous prioritisation, not annual planning: Dynamic portfolios require dynamic trade-offs.
Lean, adaptive governance: Minimum effective control, maximum clarity.
Data foundations before AI ambition: Organisations must build trustworthy information structures before automation or predictive analytics will add value.
PMOs that can navigate people, not just processes: Strategy execution is human work. Facilitation, alignment, influence and leadership will matter more than templates.
Capability uplift as a core part of every PMO model: Sustainable value is created when internal teams grow, not when consultants deliver in isolation.
A clear line of sight from purpose → strategy → portfolio → delivery: PMOs will increasingly act as the guardians of this alignment.

Closing Reflection

2025 reminded us that complexity isn’t the enemy; ambiguity is . Organisations don’t need more process. They need clarity, confidence and the capability to make smarter decisions at speed.

As PMOs continue evolving into strategic partners, their role in shaping the future of organisational delivery has never been more essential.

And if 2025 taught us anything, it’s this: When complexity rises, the answer isn’t more governance. It’s better governance, smarter delivery and a PMO that knows how to bring both together.

Read it on PMI Sydney website

A framework for speaking executives language

Tue, 27 May 2025 23:59:17 GMT

27 March 2025

A framework for speaking the executives language

Pervin Rajah

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For PMOs looking to drive strategic impact, mastering executive communication is critical. Studies show that only 58% of organisations fully understand the value of their PMO, and yet when effectively aligned with leadership priorities, PMOs can improve project success rates by up to 38% (PMI, 2023). The challenge isn’t just delivering updates - it’s ensuring that executives see the PMO as a strategic enabler rather than an administrative function. Senior leaders operate in a high-pressure environment where decision-making is rapid, data is abundant, and time is limited. To truly influence outcomes and shape strategic focus areas, PMOs must communicate in a way that is clear, concise, and aligned with business priorities.

Successful communication with executives is about framing PMO activities in terms of business impact, risk mitigation, and value creation. High-performing leaders like Indra Nooyi, Warren Buffett, Mary Barra, and Bob Iger have shown that the most influential messages are those that link operational execution to strategic priorities, provide actionable insights, and present solutions rather than just challenges. Whether securing buy-in for portfolio decisions, advocating for resource allocation, or demonstrating delivery performance, PMO leaders must learn to translate project complexity into executive-level priorities.

At our event in both Sydney and Melbourne in November last year, we set out to understand the key challenges of communicating with impact to senior leaders, with real-world experiences from our diverse and highly experienced attendees, we were able to delve into this critical topic and generated extremely valuable insights.

In our last blog article we uncovered these challenges and gave some practical tips to address each one. Now, let's dive deeper and share a framework every PMO can implement to communicate more effectively with executives.

The ECIF Framework: A Practical Guide to Communicating with Executives

To effectively influence executives and drive strategic focus on PMO activities, it’s essential to use a structured approach that aligns with their priorities. The ECIF Framework (Executive Communication for Influence & Focus) is a simple yet powerful method that ensures PMO professionals communicate in a way that is clear, compelling, and action-oriented. This framework integrates the 7 Cs of communication (Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, Courteous) with high-impact executive communication strategies used by top leaders and the real-world experience of over 100 delivery professionals.

The ECIF Framework Breakdown:

E: Executive Mindset: Speak their language
C: Context & Clarity: Set the stage and focus on what matters
I : Insight & Impact: Use data and storytelling to drive action
F : Framing for Decisions: Guide them toward a strategic outcome

1. E: Executive Mindset: Speak Their Language

“Great leaders are those who can take a business imperative and align it with purpose.” Nooyi

Executives think in terms of business impact, risk, and strategic priorities—not just project details. Instead of reporting status updates, structure your message around:

✅ How it aligns with business goals (e.g., cost efficiency, revenue growth, risk mitigation)

✅ What problem it solves or opportunity it unlocks

✅ The decision or action required from leadership

�� Example: Instead of saying, “We’ve completed 80% of the system implementation,” say:

�� “We are on track to deliver a 15% reduction in operational costs through automation, with final testing expected in two weeks. We need executive sponsorship to ensure user adoption.”

2. C: Context & Clarity: Set the Stage and Focus on What Matters

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Buffet

Executives don’t need a deep dive into project mechanics—they need concise, outcome-driven information that helps them make informed decisions. Structure your updates using the What-So What-Now What approach:

�� What? – The key issue, project update, or opportunity

�� So What? – Why it matters to business strategy and executive priorities

�� Now What? – The next steps or decision required

�� Example: Instead of saying, “The project is facing delays due to resource constraints,” say:

�� “A two-week delay due to resource constraints will impact our go-live date and extend costs by $500K. To mitigate this, we propose reallocating resources from a lower-priority initiative. Can we obtain your endorsement to proceed?”

3. I : Insight & Impact: Use Data and Storytelling to Drive Action

“Facts matter, but stories inspire action.” Iger

Executives rely on data-driven insights but are also influenced by compelling narratives. Strengthen your message by:

✅ Providing key metrics and trends (not overwhelming with excessive detail)

✅ Using real-world examples to illustrate impact

✅ Framing the message with a balance of logic and emotion

�� Example: Instead of saying, “Project X will enhance customer experience,” say:

�� “Project X will reduce customer wait times from 10 minutes to under 3 minutes, improving satisfaction scores by 25% and increasing retention.”

4. F : Framing for Decisions: Guide Them Toward a Strategic Outcome

“I love when someone challenges the status quo with smart, data-backed thinking.” Barra

Executives don’t just want problems—they want clear recommendations with actionable solutions. When presenting an issue, always offer:

✔ Two to three solution options with trade-offs

✔ A recommended course of action

✔ The risk or opportunity of inaction

�� Example: Instead of saying, “We need more budget to meet the deadline,” say:

�� “To meet the deadline, we have three options: (1) Increase budget by 10% to accelerate vendor support, (2) Extend the timeline by four weeks with no cost impact, or (3) Reduce scope by deprioritising non-critical features. We recommend Option 1, as it ensures delivery without impacting strategic objectives.”

How to Apply the ECIF Framework Today

✅ Before your next executive interaction, structure your message using ECIF:

E : Executive Mindset: Frame it around business value
C : Context & Clarity: Use the What-So What-Now What model
I : Insight & Impact: Strengthen your case with data and narrative
F : Framing for Decisions: Offer clear solutions and recommendations

By using the ECIF Framework, PMO leaders can transform their communication, gain executive buy-in, and drive strategic impact.

Complete the PMO Solutions 3 minute survey to find your Strategy Partner Score: here

Book a complimentary half an hour call with us to shape your Executive Conversation Strategy and learn how you can use the framework in practice.

Speaking the Executive Language: How PMOs Can Bridge the Gap

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 02:34:14 GMT

27 March 2025

Speaking the Executive Language: How PMOs Can Bridge the Gap

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For Project Management Offices (PMOs), effective communication with executives is critical. Yet, many PMOs struggle to make their voices heard.

At our event in both Sydney and Melbourne in November 2024, we set out to understand why this was and start to develop solutions to bridge the gap between the PMO and the Executive.

When surveying the room, attendees who were from different part of the business cited the following reasons for struggling to have their voices heard: they often get lost in project details, risk logs, and execution-level complexities, making it difficult for executives to grasp the bigger picture.

When we draw on our own experience with Executives, we know they think in terms of strategy, business outcomes, and financial impact.

If the PMO fails to tailor its messaging accordingly, it risks losing executive buy-in. To truly bridge the communication gap, PMOs must master the art of hearing, listening, acting, and responding in a way that aligns with executive priorities.

Step 1: Hearing – Understanding What Executives Need to Know

Before PMOs can communicate effectively, they must first understand executive priorities. This means actively hearing—not just listening—for cues on what matters most to leadership. Key strategies include:

Identifying Stakeholder Priorities: Are executives focused on growth, cost reduction, or risk management? Tailor updates accordingly.
Aligning to Business Strategy: Ensure that PMO reporting links project progress to broader company goals.
Observing Executive Language: Take note of the terminology and key metrics executives frequently use and incorporate them into PMO communication. The references can be their meetings, the town halls and just chats over coffee break or lunch!

Why not try this...

After an executive meeting, summarise the key points discussed and ask for confirmation to ensure alignment. This might be a great time to incorporate an AI notetaker to assist you in the meeting. If you meet via Microsoft Teams or zoom you can record the meeting and leverage the transcription to create your summary using the Executives own words. Alternatively if you meet in-person, a service such as Otter.ai to notetake.

If you are unable to meet with the executive, listen to your recent company update recordings or read your company's annual reports and line up three main objectives they emphasise for the future. Understand your executives top three priorities and tailor reporting to reflect those.

Step 2: Listening – Engaging in Meaningful Dialogue and take action

Listening goes beyond just hearing what executives say; it requires active engagement. PMOs should:

Ask the Right Questions: Instead of providing excessive details, ask executives what success looks like for them.
Encourage Two-Way Communication: Allow for dialogue rather than one-sided reporting.
Interpret Concerns Beyond Words: Executives may not explicitly state what they need; PMOs must read between the lines.

By truly listening, PMOs can ensure their communications remain relevant and impactful.

Why not try this...

Connect your services or what you do to the three priorities you found during the listening step. For example: if their priority is to enter a new market, and one of your services is "resource management" align and demonstrate how 'resource management' can support the business to enter the new market. This might be by assigning capable resources to the new market product line, prioritising and utilising resources capabilities to the new market engagement initiatives.

Get feedback on your first priority to services alignment to make sure you listened correctly and make any necessary adjustments.

Step 3: Acting – Delivering Value Through Actionable Insights

Once PMOs understand executive expectations, they must act on them. This involves:

Focusing on Business Outcomes: Instead of project updates, highlight how initiatives contribute to strategic goals.
Simplifying Reporting: Use executive-friendly dashboards with concise summaries instead of lengthy reports which addressing the top three priorities, not the projects status !
Providing Solutions, Not Just Problems: If a project faces challenges, present potential solutions rather than just flagging risks according to the top priorities.

Executives don’t just want status updates; they want clear, relevant, strategic insights that help them make informed decisions.

Why not try this...

Revise your project reporting template to include a "Key Business Impact" section that highlights outcomes rather than just progress and the key business impacts are the top three priorities.

Have monthly PMO stats reporting connected to the top three priorities, use language such as: 'by managing resources we will impact entering the new market for 40% as we save recruiting and retention resource cost by 20%.

Your measurement doesn't need to be complicated, it needs to be consistent.

Step 4: Responding Back – Refining the Message for Maximum Impact

Communication is a cycle. After hearing, listening, and acting, PMOs must close the loop by responding back in a way that resonates.

Tailor Messaging to Stakeholders: CFOs care about cost savings, while CEOs focus on long-term vision. Adapt communication accordingly.
Be Clear and Concise: Every executive interaction is an opportunity to reinforce PMO value—get to the point quickly.
Follow Up with Actionable Next Steps: Ensure executives know what to expect next and how they can support.

Why not try this...

End executive presentations with a clear, one-slide summary of key takeaways and next steps, ensuring they align back to Step #1's Top 3 priorities. Minimise the use of words in your slides. Signpost your points by using the traditional colour palette, Red (risky, needs actions, urgent attention), Amber (need action but not urgent) and Green (all good).

Setting the Right Tone for Success

Successful PMO communication isn’t about providing more information—it’s about providing the right information in the right way, at the right time with simplicity. Your message must take only 2 minutes to receive and digest! This is what makes a PMOs stand out and be valued by the executive. PMOs must set the tone based on the stakeholder, knowing what to say and when to say it.

By mastering the principles of hearing, listening, acting, and responding back, PMOs can bridge the gap between strategy and execution, ensuring they remain an indispensable part of the executive decision-making process.

Book a complimentary half an hour call with us to shape your Executive Conversation Strategy.

EMBER approach, wise twist in choosing a right PPM tool

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 23:54:54 GMT

24 June 2024

EMBER approach, wise twist in choosing a right PPM tool

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Selecting the ideal (Portfolio, programs and Project Management) PPM tool is a well-trodden topic, replete with reviews, lessons learned, and strategies. As we navigate the digital age, various PPM tools and configurations emerge. Amidst this vibrant market, making the right choice becomes increasingly challenging. We aim to offer a fresh perspective that enhances existing guidelines and methods. We aim to deepen your appreciation of your current environment, enabling you to integrate a new PPM tool or feature into it seamlessly.

PMO professionals, PMO advisors, and PMO consultants often serve as the primary catalysts for PPM tool implementation. Employing the EMBER approach ensures your business case aligns closely with reality.

E: E mpower, M: M aximise, B: B alance, E: E ducate and R: R ecognise

1. The Imperative Balance: Effort vs. Accuracy

In the intricate dance of project and portfolio management (PPM), the spotlight often shines on the quest for the most sophisticated tools. When asked if advanced PPM tools are necessary for effective management and clear visibility into portfolios, a resounding' yes' echoes through the halls of businesses. Yet beneath this surface-level query lies a more nuanced consideration: the delicate interplay between effort and accuracy.

Answering the question: "For how much accuracy, how much effort is required?"

Achieving high accuracy often demands considerable effort. Precision typically escalates with increased diligence and resources. However, diminishing returns may occur. It's crucial to balance the two for optimal results.

Balancing accuracy and effort is crucial:

It helps the budget calculation for your PPM tool for populating the tool business case.
It outlines necessary stakeholder involvement and actions for successful PPM tool deployment.
It sets realistic expectations, clarifying that the new tool isn't an instant fix.

2. Maximizing Potential: It's Not Always About the New

Frequently, the allure of the new and shiny can distract from the untapped potential of existing resources. Rather than leaping to procure the latest PPM tool, one should first examine how to harness the capabilities at hand fully. Consistency and user engagement are the twin pillars upon which the success of any tool rests. Before you set your sights on a new solution, pause and reflect on the willingness of your team to commit to the meticulous of data management process. The crux of the matter isn't so much the tool change itself but rather the sustainable effort users are prepared to invest.

Adopt a pragmatic approach by balancing the accuracy-effort ratio, ensuring users are prepared to exert the necessary effort with the new tool. Confirm that your existing technology infrastructure, despite being fully utilised, falls short of meeting your needs.

3. Beyond Features: Understanding Business Capability

The true power of a PPM tool is not encapsulated solely by its features but also by understanding the specific business needs it serves. Pinpointing the level of effort required to utilise a tool effectively is crucial. An advanced PPM tool, while impressive, only reaches its full potential when there is robust user engagement and trust. Thus, before diving into the investment of a new tool, take a step back to evaluate your business environment and the capability of your users. This strategic approach ensures that the tool aligns with both project management methodologies and the broader objectives it is intended to facilitate.

Ultimately, the triumph of a new PPM tool hinges on user proficiency. Success blooms when users embrace it willingly, fuelled by confidence in their skills, comprehensive training, and a clear understanding of its purpose.

4. Analysing Your Audience: Customers and Users

When considering a PPM tool, it's vital to study two main groups:

The PPM Tool Customers: These are the decision-makers who will ultimately fund the acquisition. Understand their expectations, the precision they seek, and their readiness to embrace the organisational transformation that comes with a new tool.
The PPM Tool Users: This group encompasses project managers, program managers, and teams who will be hands-on with the tool daily. Gauge their capacity to engage with the system and their ability to address critical "So-What" questions that arise from the data.

5. Empowerment Through Understanding

PPM tools transcend technical details, focusing on meeting business needs, enabling teams to make smart decisions, and setting realistic expectations for workload and data accuracy.

Conducting workshops with varied techniques is key to empowering users and customers and maximising PPM tool benefits. Organize these sessions considering the trade-off between accuracy and effort, appoint champions and leaders to collaborate with PMO, and drive change throughout the organization.

6. Striking the Right Chord: Finding the Balance

Therefore, as you navigate the complex terrain of PPM tools, aim to find that sweet spot. Choose a tool that not only boasts advanced features but also resonates with the specific needs, capability and capacity of your business and the people who will interact with it daily.

Empower your projects by choosing wisely and balancing the scales of effort and accuracy.

Questions to Ponder:

Question: How can PMO Directors ensure that the PPM tool they choose aligns with both the business needs and the team's ability to use it effectively?

Answer: By calculating and communicating the effort vs accuracy ratio

Questions: What methods can PMO managers employ to maximise user engagement with their current PPM tools?

Answers: Champions, Customer-centric and design thinking

Questions: In what ways can project managers contribute to the decision-making process when selecting a new PPM tool?

Answers: by understanding the change fatigue, business capability and capacity level and setting the plan based on the business readiness. Then, engage Project managers in the journey from the beginning with a robust and consistent change management approach.

The Vital Role of PMO in Navigating Community Engagement for successful project and program delivery

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 02:54:01 GMT

23 April 2024

The Vital Role of PMO in Navigating Community Engagement for successful project and program delivery

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Last week Wednesday 17th April, Artful Argument event , spearheaded by Elemental Projects, unveiled a rich tapestry of dialogue centred on the pivotal theme of collaborative conversations and tackling challenges head-on. The spotlight shone brightly on community engagement and the complex process of obtaining social license that often presents a challenging barrier to the transition towards renewable projects. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Kestrel Stone for orchestrating such an enlightening opportunity.

Insights from the Frontline: The Social Licensing Challenge

Margaret Harvie from PlanCom graced the event with her profound insights into the world of social licensing. Her experience is currently shaping a training program designed to empower renewal project and construction managers with the skills necessary to engage communities effectively and steer projects to success. She emphasized the challenges of social licensing but also pointed out the positive impact of effective community engagement.

You can get access to her training from here .

PMO as the Catalyst for Strategic Community Engagement

In my capacity as a PMO professional, tasked with the critical mission of facilitating business in achieving its strategic objectives, I pondered deeply on how PMOs could enhance community engagement and stakeholder management. The role of the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) and PMO in this arena is multifaceted, encompassing the facilitation of strategic objective delivery while ensuring the business customers—essentially the community—are the primary beneficiaries.

Integrating community engagement processes within delivery frameworks or program designs is not merely an option; it's becoming a necessity. PMO services are instrumental in supporting project teams to execute stakeholder management plans by guaranteeing comprehensive manager support in navigating community engagement throughout whole project.

Diverse Perspectives on Community Engagement and Social Licensing

The event discussions encompassed a variety of perspectives, with participants sharing their varied experiences with community engagement processes and methods. While some argued that social licensing transcends beyond renewable projects, affecting infrastructure, urban planning, and construction, others contended that it isn't a significant obstacle in project delivery. However, amidst these debates, one thing was crystal clear: the need for well-defined guidelines and robust community engagement plans to tackle misinformation and bureaucratic inertia.

PMO Services: Steering Stakeholder Management and Community Engagement

The importance of proper stakeholder management cannot be overstated, especially given the concerns over ad hoc responses to community feedback. Herein lies the golden opportunity for PMOs to provide indispensable services that support businesses in executing effective stakeholder management and community engagement strategies. Moreover, the influence of social media on public opinion introduces a risk variable that PMOs must account for in their risk assessment frameworks, ensuring all projects consider the impact of public sentiment.

From Opposition to Opportunity: Real-Life Lessons and Proactive Solutions

Real-life examples highlighted during the event showcased how perceived community impacts could lead to firm opposition. To address this, participants proposed solutions such as establishing an independent impact assessment body and advocating for transparent government decision-making. These initiatives are crucial in balancing community needs with project goals and aligning them with the overarching business strategy.

PMO's Strategic Partnership: Understanding Customers and Communities

As PMOs evolve into strategic partners within businesses, their support becomes invaluable in understanding and analysing customer bases and the communities served. Public education and credible information sources should emerge as key elements in securing social license for variety of industries including renewable energy ventures. Discussions also touched upon social media's dual role in stakeholder engagement, underscoring the necessity for authentic voices to navigate communication challenges.

Achieving Social License: Leadership, Vision, and Early Engagement is important and complex

The critical elements for securing social license encompassed: refining operational processes, demonstrating effective leadership, establishing a clear vision, initiating early community engagement, and enhancing measurement standards. However, the central point of focus remained the maintenance of a delicate equilibrium between community participation and the advancement of projects, particularly within the confines of regulatory frameworks.

As business models and environmental benchmarks evolve, sustaining this balance between project progression and management, alongside social involvement, represents an ongoing challenge in leadership and facilitation. It is imperative to consistently integrate this consideration into all facets of program or project execution.

Collaborative Pathways to Responsible Infrastructure Development

The ongoing challenges of effective stakeholder relationship management across various industries should be recognised. This recognition fosters collaboration opportunities to drive responsible infrastructure development that aligns with societal progress. This collective effort underscores the significance of PMO's role in guiding and supporting these endeavours.

In conclusion, the Artful Argument event illuminated the complex interplay between community engagement, social licensing, and the successful delivery of renewable projects. As PMOs continue to serve as strategic partners, their involvement in shaping community engagement and stakeholder management will prove to be a cornerstone of sustainable progress and business success.

Questions to Ponder:

How can PMOs integrate community engagement more deeply into project delivery frameworks?
What measures can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by social media on public opinion regarding projects?
How can PMOs facilitate the establishment of independent bodies for impact assessments to ensure transparency and credibility?

Action to Take:

Discover the essential actions for PMOs to drive success: Learn how to position your business delivery team for outstanding achievements by integrating community engagement processes into your strategic initiatives. Download it from here now and transform your approach to business strategy execution.

The Rise of PMOs as Strategic Influencers in 5 years

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 08:40:50 GMT

26 September 2023

The Rise of PMOs as Strategic Influencers in 5 years

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During our tenure as a judging committee member for PMO Global Awards from 2018 to 2023, we observed a substantial transformation in the PMO landscape. In the past, PMOs were viewed as mere administrative units within organizations. However, PMOs play a pivotal role in shaping strategic decisions and influencing the overall direction of businesses. They no longer solely provide support functions but actively contribute to ensuring successful project outcomes. PMOs guarantee that every initiative is aligned with business goals and contributes to the organization's success.

1. Defining the enterprise portfolio management Office (EPMO) Function

The Enterprise PMO (EPMO) concept has gained traction in recent years. This new breed of PMOs focuses on defining and implementing lean project and portfolio management practices. By streamlining and simplifying the entire project, program, and portfolio management function, EPMOs enable businesses to be agile and adaptable in the face of ever-changing market dynamics. The EPMO takes a holistic approach to managing projects, ensuring maximum efficiency and effectiveness across the organization.

The Project, Program or Portfolio Management Office (PMO) and Enterprise Portfolio Management Office (EPMO) have undergone significant development recently. This evolution involves integrating change management and business analysis into the competency framework of both offices. By doing so, PMOs can promote collaboration between PMO solutions and service providers across various business units, resulting in a more practical approach.

Setting up PMOs or EPMOs has become a common practice among most businesses. These central functions help orchestrate the business and ensure that they deliver projects efficiently, regardless of whether they are enterprise or small boutique service providers.

2. Adding Value through Business Strategy Alignment

PMOs have become crucial contributors to organizational success by possessing the critical strength of aligning project initiatives with the broader business strategies of an organization. Through effective resource allocation and prioritization of projects, PMOs ensure that every effort supports achieving the organization's strategic goals, which in turn significantly enhances project success rates and increases the overall value delivered by the PMO. As a result, PMOs are no longer seen as cost centers but as playing a strategic role in the organization.

It's great to witness PMO service providers advancing innovation by designing roles and actions that cater to unique business needs and objectives. Some providers have introduced new types of communities of practice, while others have established new roles like PMO ambassadors to enhance the function's benefits. This demonstrates that innovation extends beyond technological advancements and encompasses various aspects of PMO services.

PMOs have begun to play an essential enabler role within enterprise and engineering businesses where project controls are imperative in delivering projects. In successful cases, the EPMO function includes the project control function, and they both collaborate closely to ensure business success.

3. No More Project Management Methodology Basis

PMOs are evolving beyond defining project management methodology and setting up offices based on specific approaches. It is wonderful progress to witness how PMOs are moving away from project management methodology and instead establishing standards and approaches adapted to each situation. This means that regardless of how projects are managed, PMOs can provide the necessary oversight and alignment crucial for the success of projects and programs.

4. The Benefits of Lean Project and Portfolio Management

Enterprises encounter frequent interruptions and swift transformations in the current dynamic business landscape. To outperform their rivals, it has become crucial for EPMOs to embrace efficient project and portfolio management methodologies. Implementing lean principles enables organizations to eradicate redundant practices, optimise workflows, and execute projects proficiently. EPMOs can promptly adapt to changing business requirements by simplifying the project management process. The triumphant adoption of lean frameworks in PMO scenarios and top-performing global PMOs illustrates the advanced expertise of PMO professionals who exhibit innovation and exceed expectations.

5. Stay connected and work with external expertise

As organizations grow and mature, establishing an internal Project Management Office (PMO) and partnering with proficient PMO consultants or global knowledge sources becomes imperative. This presents an excellent opportunity for the business, in-house PMO personnel, and external consultants to blend the company's growth trajectory, internal drive, and external expertise to succeed.

Successful PMO Global Awards cases have shown that connecting to the professional world is crucial. Working with consultants or global PMO professionals and joining professional networks such as PMO Global Alliance can greatly support internal PMO or EPMO practitioners. This enables them to improve the function and become a better business partner faster, more efficiently and smarter.

6. Successful PMOs are digital and technology minded

Over the course of the last five years, PMOs have made significant strides in their innovation approach. Notably, successful PMOs are marked by their innovative use of technology, coupled with a creative and systematic approach to their work. In particular, they have distinguished themselves as digital leaders by adopting adaptive strategies for gathering stakeholder expectations, delivering training, engaging customers, and communicating with various business units.

It is imperative to note that innovation and technology are not limited to using Project Portfolio Management (PPM) tools or creating visually appealing dashboards. Rather, the true impact of these technologies is realized through adaptive strategies that enable PMOs to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. By adopting adaptive and forward-thinking strategies, PMOs can leverage these technologies to enhance their overall efficiency and effectiveness and ultimately drive organizational success.

Conclusion

The evolution of PMOs from support functions to strategic influencers is a testament to their growing importance in today's business landscape. PMOs have come a long way, and their contribution to decision-making, project success, and business value cannot be overlooked. With the rise of EPMOs and the adoption of lean project and portfolio management practices, organizations are better equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern business world. It's an exciting time for PMO Managers, Chief Project Officers, and PMO leads as they witness the transformation of their roles and the increasing recognition of their contributions.

Questions and Answers

What is the role of PMOs in today's business environment?

PMOs play a pivotal role in shaping strategic decisions and influencing the overall direction of businesses. They align project objectives with business goals and contribute to delivering successful project outcomes.

How do EPMOs contribute to organizational agility?

EPMOs focus on implementing lean project and portfolio management practices, enabling businesses to be agile and adaptable in the face of ever-changing market dynamics. They streamline and simplify the project management function, ensuring maximum organisational efficiency and effectiveness.

Why is lean project and portfolio management gaining popularity among PMOs?

Lean project and portfolio management practices help organizations eliminate waste, optimize processes, and deliver projects faster and more efficiently. In a rapidly changing business landscape, these practices enable PMOs to respond swiftly to changing business needs and stay ahead of the competition.

7 Key Issues That Can Hinder Business growth and quick fixes that PMO can implement

Sat, 06 May 2023 04:45:08 GMT

10 June 2017

7 Key Issues That Can Hinder Business growth and quick fixes that PMO can implement

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Whether a company is new, well-established, or rapidly growing, they can all get caught up in complex systems and processes when delivering a project. Unfortunately, these convoluted systems often lead to isolated project management methodologies, processes, and tools.

As a result, seven primary issues arise that ultimately hinder business growth. These include:

If you require assistance with implementing any of these speedy solutions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

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How to set up a PgMO from below zero:

Sat, 06 May 2023 02:07:23 GMT

25 July 2017

How to Set up a Program Management Office From Below Zero

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Setting up a PgMO is a challenge and finding out the start point is bigger challenge! develop and maintain PgMO success.

It was our great pleasure speaking in Sydney PMO meet up , session sponsoring by EPM-Partners , and sharing our experience in setting up a program management office for a below zero environment.

Below zero situations:

Below zero, means your hands, head and body are cold and frozen. You want to stick to your heater and love to have a hot drink or soup. You don’t like to move and there is not much sun.

Why is our case study in a below zero environment? Our case study was below zero as there was no clear visibility , no accountability and decision making was ad-hoc . In this situation project managers were fire fighters and the client was frustrated; nobody wanted to communicate. The main problem was making change was almost impossible. It seemed no one wanted to listen or follow any process, even those processes which the senior management team support.

We got the chance of setting up a Program management office for a below zero environment. We observed some opportunities and challenges in the first one or two weeks. For example, the organisation is a young organisation which makes it both challenge and opportunity.

Our journey:

Our 12 month journey can be broken in different phases:

First interview
First months
New team member
Mid journey crises
New troops
Today!

Where To Start

The right start point and focus area, are the main key success in setting up the PgMO, especially for a frozen environment. It costs time and money to set up the structure and solutions that are not addressing the business main pain points and objectives. Our journey started from our first interview with program management team with a question of why do you need a PgMO and why PgMO? Simple answer, we want a PgMO to make our life easier, this is the sign of painful areas. Second answer: we think PgMO can connect different part of the business together, this shows the management feel the cold and believe PgMO can warm it up and create connections between different parts of the business.

The First Months

In theory, the first months should be all about understanding the As-is situation. We added two steps before step one as steps -1 and 0 as:

Step -1: knowing ourselves, we did a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Threat and Opportunity) analysis on ourselves and the high level understanding of the business. We set our target to deliver our service based on our strength.

Step 0: picture your team within the environment. The culture, team’s needs and required resources. One of the main things in below zero situations is to manage your pace with the environment temperature. Don’t rush in your process. You need to tune your pace with your customer’s pace at the beginning. When you get the buy in and the trust you can speed it up.

Then the step 1 is to analyse the as-is situation and finding out the main pain points, business requirements and stakeholders.

To do so, we used the PMO Solution Blueprint which helps to start the journey in a structure and proposing solution.

The must dos:

Simple, sound and achievable solutions
Program Management Office (PgMO) vision
PgMO short-term and long term objectives
Solution roadmap
PgMO values
Expected benefits list
And the baseline

To implement the integrated solution, it’s important to use the right framework which is simple and versatile. The benefits of using the PMO Solutions framework are:

A good reference in communicating with different stakeholders
It covers all aspects of the business
It is adaptable and can support different needs of the business

In first months of our journey we used our PMO Solutions framework to set up the foundations and structure.

New Resources:

A new, young, active and savvy PgMO expert is gold. Our new resource joined our team with expertise which complement the function. Getting the right resource, who can add more to your strength and mitigate your weakness is vital. Our new resource helped us to increase the temperature and helped us to engage our sponsors and stakeholders.

Mid Journey Crises:

Christmas mood, changes in structure and big change in client’s requirements structure were our mid journey crises.

Our lesson learnt:

Consistency is the key: Although changes happened and we needed to review our strategy, we learnt how to be consistent in our structure and framework.
“we” is stronger than “I”: PgMO should lead the team and make them believe their capabilities. There should be no individual credit.
You are the role model of your solution
Let them make mistakes: If there is no mistake there is no success
Show the ugly face: PgMO should be honest on supporting decision makers. If your sponsors don’t have visibility on the right picture, they won’t be engaged.

Our win cards:

Assessment : we had a very good self-assessment strategy in place which helped us manage new changes and our strategy aligned with the business requirements.
Education and training
Being transparent
Art, colour and fun : we use art, colour and fun in any of processes. We believe people should enjoy working with us first.
We didn’t give up
Best use of Technology

New Troops:

Due to the changes, the new roles introduced to the business in managing projects as “Portfolio manager”. They are responsible and accountable for managing projects in different portfolios. Through this change, PgMO plays the enabler role rather than deliverer. Our main role changed to supporting and leading the Portfolio Managers to manage their projects aligned with program benefits and outcomes.

Our lesson learnt:

Let the framework manage your scope
Being transparent on your objectives
Just motivate - motivating portfolio managers and strong support from PgMO made them to be our best friends along the journey.
Don’t assume anything. No assumption in any case. PgMO should be clear and open to keep the trust and engagement.
Develop, Teach, Repeat, Refresh (DTRR). If you develop any process, you run the training, do not forget to keep repeating and refreshing it.

Our win cards:

Good team work! Especially PgMO and portfolio managers
Clear, to the point communication, PMO Solutions framework makes it much easier

Today:

Now a days we are looking forward to implementing an enterprise project management tool. We completed the proof of concept phase and planning for our next challenge of production phase. We selected project online and work very closely with EPM-Partners implementing an efficient system benefiting business.

As outcomes of the first 12 months, we received great feedbacks of client and our stakeholders. We see the project management maturity improved from the time we started. We get our words from different tellers which shows us we have improved.

Conclusion:

Setting up a program management office is a challenge especially when you need to start everything from below zero. To succeed our recommendations are:

First steps -1, 0, 1 are important
Define your values and be a role model of your standards
Complexity is your enemy
Requirement management, business analysis and Agile techniques are the win cards
Everything with makeup is prettier
What was DTRR ? (Develop, Teach, repeat, refresh)

Book your time with us to explore how we can work with you to implement a warm and cosy PMO :)

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How Philosophy Can Help You Be An Effective Manager

Sat, 06 May 2023 01:56:11 GMT

25 Sept 2017

How Philosophy Can Help You Be An Effective Manager

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Our workplace culture, employee skillset and PMO practices are changing in ways we have not witnessed since the early 19th century. To be a future-ready manager, we need to learn the necessary management skills to adapt to these changes.

An assessment has been made on three famous philosophers’ approach to leading and the subsequent PMO solutions that are required in a workplace to achieve business goals. Drawing on these philosophies can guides managers to reach their leadership aspirations.

For a hero manager, the only way to establish his status is through his performance as a hero in combat on the battlefield. Hero Managers are constantly in fear of disgrace and they fear the judgement of their community

PMO within the Homeric management style

In a Homeric organisation, obtaining PMO solutions and its scope of influence within this hierarchy is often limited. PMO services and efficient office management is a double edge sword in this management style.

Are you a heroic leader?

Do you like to swoop-in and save the day?
Do you see yourself as the leader who can solve any problem or challenge?
Do you believe on top-down reporting line hierarchy?
Do you believe that “If you want it done right, do it by yourself”?
Do you believe that you can do everything better that anyone else?

If you answered ‘yes’, your management philosophy is Homeric. To position yourself favourably for future success you may need to alter your management approach to:

Focus on two-way communication,
Meet and respond to questions and engage with challenges / conflicts,
Viewing these as opportunities to learn from.

PMO within Plato’s philosophy of FORM style

A vital task as a PMO manager is to educate and assist people to achieve their strategic objectives. . Training and mentoring should be one of the PMO strengths in your organisation and PMO solutions should be delivered with adequate training and performance measurements.

Are you a Plato-based leader?

Do you believe in peak performance?
Do you consider the knowledge as a virtue?
Do you believe in education so that it may be a better way to discover the truth?
Do you see yourself as committed true role model?
Do you believe in reasoning?

If you answered ‘yes’, your PMO leadership approach is emerging in Plato’s Idealist theory. To be successful in this position:

You must obtain the charismatic ability to influence people,
Be a good listener,
Be patient and have passion to educate people while designing PMO Solutions and Services.

PMO within Hume philosophy management style

An organisation with Hume philosophy management supports PMO in developing solutions and services by engaging different SMEs across the business. To be successful with this type of management philosophy PMO needs to be a role model of facilitation, requirements management and stakeholder management skills and competency.

Am I a leader with Hume philosophy?

Do you consider truth based on observation?
Do you sympathise with people and their circumstances?
Do you consider probabilities?
Are you open to others' experiences?
Do you trust people's thoughts and impressions?
Do you involve people in making decisions?

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, as a leader you will need to

Set clear goals and objectives,
Monitor the time it takes more for group decisions to be made,
Evaluate solutions and can clarify peoples roles.

This philosophy provides an effective way to generate new ideas, but without proper management, it can also lead to improper solutions.

Conclusion:

PMO’s main role is leading a team and people to achieve business objectives so all these three different philosophies can shape a PMOs vision. To help PMO establish an effective relationship with people, facilitate the right decisions and strengthen team’s ability to deal with dilemmas, a variety of management philosophies need to be factored. There is not a one path solution for all PMO office practices. To take the right approach we need to:

Discuss out of the box solutions
Remain loyal and stand by business commitments - Be a fighter
Have the ability to influence people when necessary
Educate and encourage people to learn and seek for truth by reason – Plato
There is no justification that the future will be like the past
Avoid judgement based on habit and past experiences
Be open to other people ideas with an appropriate management style
Trust and delegate our team to promote team accountability
Believe in your organisation values

These cannot be achieved unless we as leaders educate and evaluate ourselves constantly and be a leader that people follow because of who we are and what we represent.

Do you know we can help you to establish a fit-for-purpose PMO leadership style for your organisation? Book a time with us to learn more.

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Insights on Digital Transformation and PMO

Sat, 06 May 2023 01:48:27 GMT

07 March 2018

Insights on Digital Transformation and PMO

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The Digital Transformation session's principal objective was to highlight five areas which are not commonly discussed, let alone challenged when embarking on a Digital Transformation journey.

One of the key objectives of Project Management Office (PMO) is to provide PMO solutions and services that help businesses grow and meet their strategical objectives. In this evolving digital world, PMOs need to be future-ready, identifying the big picture and able to propose the best solutions.

Your PMO might already be involved in technological transformations or support the business in moving forward with digital solutions. In any situation, however, there are some vital elements one needs to be aware of regarding PMOs role in facilitating the change in a business.

In February PMO Sydney Meet up session, organised by PMO Sydney Meet up organising team and sponsored by EPM Partners, Ralf Finchett Jnr presented the five main challenges commonly encountered in the digital transformation journey, suggesting the following actions:New Paragraph

What Is Digital

And what is the difference between User Experience or new Service Design?

Today the meaning of 'digital' is more than taking a paper-based transaction and placing them online. As a PMO advisor, it is necessary to define digitalisation in the business and propose a value-add solution to the business to improve efficiency and effectiveness' . This is an essential component of PMO encountering Digital Transformation.

Defining the Transformation has to come from the very top, does the Executive Leadership truly understand what transformation means to their organisation and their customers? Has a team been empowered to ensure the customer is at the centre of the new user experience?

Does the organisation's leadership understand the various channels of support (Omni channel) and the ways the organisation needs to evolve to give the most appropriate support for digital transactions?

Delivery Approach

More than just Agile!

Agile is predominantly a team-based approach for iterative design and development of usable products (use cases). Agile works best when operating within a defined outcome. Using a Delivery Approach such as the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) or Government Digital Services (GDS-UK) helps to set expectations of what outcome will be derived from the sprints in an Agile approach.

Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live is such an approach whereby the sprints can fit within the lifecycle phases.

Not everything should be delivered with an Agile approach. Sometimes making an informed decision upfront can save pain later down the line. Asking yourself such questions up front:

How complex is the legacy platform?
Is the desired outcome fixed or flexible with its design?
Is the environment complex? What are the dependencies? Are there too many to handle?
Can the outputs/products be iterated or thrown away to be restarted?

Not everything suits an Agile Delivery method, and not all organisations are Spotify, Facebook or Uber. These 'poster' examples of Agile tend to have one or two channels, one product, and new(ish) systems. Many organisations have multiple channels, aging legacy systems, highly legislative environments, and complex use cases. Be an Agile realist, not an Agile evangelist.

One of the primary roles of the PMO is to create an interactive environment, define the reason for the change and the methods of delivery . It suggests agile or waterfall and accommodates in a way that best suits the corporate environment, which in turn allows a sufficient creation of the production line.

'Understand the different pace of change and delivery across policy / legal areas, new user interfaces and integrations/change into legacy systems. Try and break these dependencies to ensure efficient delivery.

Decision Making

To efficiently implement the change, PMO needs to provide analytical data and due diligence to decision makers. The data presented here will be a reliable and referable guide to the business, particularly for enterprise companies who have large amounts of historical data.

The next step is to prioritise this data through volumetrics and value-metrics. to enable the decision making regarding the prioritisation, sequencing and development of the user journeys or transactions.

The PMO can also be best placed to ensure that decisions, especially design decisions are made on data and information. Design can be subjective but capturing the right metrics to prove if the new digital experience is superior to other designs can be critical in driving the model which brings the most value.

PMO must be transparent to show the reliability metrics for early decision-making steps. In digital transformation, the reactive firefighting approach is not the right approach!

One of the digital transformation challenges is how to present the transactions which can deliver the highest value or ROI from day one, especially for non-IT industries. The problems here surround showing the value and advising on the journey. This is not a straightforward discussion!

Skills And Knowledge

Technology and skills move quickly. PMO as the centre of excellence and the business enabler must continuously be looking to the future and identify skills required. With the current trend of AI (artificial intelligence), Block Chain, Voice Activation, the skills necessary for delivering digital often fall behind the current requirement.

Improving your PMO's competencies to be agile learners and integrated mentors will help to support the Digital Transformation.

Digitalisation is a mind shift for some people and change management helps to up-skill and implement these new skills.

Procurement

Procurement is almost the forgotten piece of digital transformation puzzle, especially at the beginning of the journey, yet the right procurement approach can help Digital Transformation success, and the wrong path could bring the whole transformation to a close. The integrated PMO Solution engages commercial and procurements from the outset, looking to avoid fixed price contracts when the early design and iterative development require flexibility with suppliers, partners, contractors and vendors.

The value add PMO in digital transformation understands that 'Change is a Constant ' and helps planning with Value and Outcomes, but most importantly, helps create a new environment which creates new products, propose the right and suitable solutions and support business to deliver the services both effectively and also efficiently.

Book us a session to learn how our technology team is embeded to our PMO profesisonal and knowledge. We can accelerate your success with our integrated skill set, no doubt, let's meet !

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PMO Value Ring launch in Australia - June 2018

Sat, 06 May 2023 01:37:03 GMT

13 August 2018

PMO Value Ring launch in Australia - June 2018

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First of all we would like to thank each of you who attended our inaugural road show conference and launch of The PMO Value Ring in Australia June 2018. We had three fantastic events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, our amazing hosts “Tesla”, one of the most innovative companies in the world, proved to be the perfect venue for networking and inspiring conversations. It was great to see old friends and make new ones.

PMO Value Ring the most practical and convenient way to successfully drive and highlight the activities of an adding value PMO . Going forward, The PMO Value Ring certification training is anticipated to be held every month in different places, training PMO professional to learn how to set up, manage and lead an efficient and value adding PMO.

True to the event’s name, we added further value to the PMO community by establishing a partnership with PMO Global Alliance, one of the worldwide leaders in PMO practices. The affiliation provides PMO Solutions with greater credibility, exposure to recognised PMO training courses and certification programs - allowing us to better service our customers and up skill PMO professionals. Our varied event topics and scope means it addresses companies’ different project management maturity levels and improvement requirements.

PMO Solutions’ choice of alignment with the auto-industry leader, Tesla, emphasises the focus on a perpetual model of innovation, detailed customer focus and a progressive forward thinking attitude. Tesla’s cars are designed to benefit their customers, environments and make people’s life easier. Similarly, our training and services are designed around the customer and how to make their business life easier and successful.

Showcasing the PMO training courses to leading professional members, consultants and businesses highlights how innovative PMO services can add value to their businesses. A key focus was centred on the introduction of our set of PMO training courses, exclusively designed to improve each of their PMO services and processes in order to be future ready.

The PMO training courses centred on the following:

PMO Value Ring practitioner certification training
Facilitation, Communication and Presentation Skills for PMO
Requirement Management and problem-solving techniques for PMO

The launch evening consisted of speakers and training plus the innovative introduction to the sharing of knowledge through interactive comic story-telling to promote the importance of visual communications in PMO services and solutions.

As PMO surfaces in any business and affects any decision makers of a company, the roadshow welcomed people from various industries. We wanted to share our latest PMO solutions with all groups and spread the message that PMO is a part of ALL businesses. Just like our comic book story we shared, PMO affects several stakeholders, we just need to learn the right tools to tailor solutions for them.

For more information about our training programs, any subjects discussed or discount cards and promotional codes received at the event please visit

We want to share with you the moments we captured during the events.

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Themes in PMO on 2019

Sat, 06 May 2023 01:36:30 GMT

01 September 2019

Themes in PMO on 2019

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In August 2019, the 8th PMO Leadership Summit was held in Sydney, Australia. This annual event is a fantastic opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences. The key themes that consistently featured in the presentations, workshops and discussions were Communication, PMO Integration with Business and Agile.

Communication

Communication is the key to setting expectations and therefore successful business outcomes, yet it is often a challenge to deliver the messages in a way that everybody understands

Collaboration… and the gruesome end of a kangaroo (stuffed toy!)

The most memorable technique to illustrate collaboration and competing priorities was shared by Michael Artiles , and it effectively showed that if competing priorities (departments, incentives) are present, in trying to achieve their own, each will pull the resources (company, “kangaroo”) in opposing directions; this demonstrated in a very visceral way that unless the team is aligned on the priorities, it’s going to be a mess…

During the actual event each of the senior leadership team members was asked to hold a part of a kangaroo (stuffed toy!), representing their priority. The result of having different deliverable was that they ended up ‘quartering and drawing’ the poor kangaroo!

Storytelling and Adaptability

Another common thread is that the PMO needs to find the right message and delivery method to communicate; people are tired of changes. The message must be simple and highlight the benefits that will result from the change for the organisation, department and individuals.

Telling a story is memorable, as it describes a journey, from where we are to where we need to go; why are we doing this, and when are we seeing the benefits? If presented well, this roadmap is a guide that sets expectations of when agreed benefits will be available. Employ creative resources to tell the story of change and deliverables to start feedback and conversations. Then incorporate the feedback to adjust the services, update the roadmap and communicate these changes transparently.

In the modern business environment agile is not a technique, it is a mindset: we need to share our plans, assumptions and expectations; ask for and listen to feedback from all stakeholders;

PMO Integration with the Business

A second theme was clearly that the PMO must be a strategic partner in the business. This can mean being responsible for investment and portfolio prioritisation, or being the ‘conscience’ of the business and making sure that the current portfolio is still delivering on the strategy.

A key requirement for a PMO to be taken serious as a business partner, is that we need to speak the language of business. A key financial metric that shows the value that the PMO delivers is “ROI” or Return On Investment. Translation: how much does the PMO save for the business.

Business Contributor: ROI

The method presented is based on ‘crowd insights’: data collected by the PMO Global Alliance and integrated into the PMO Value Ring cloud-based tool. When using the ROI module , the tool will estimate the total savings based on a combination of parameters.

To calculate the PMO’s contribution to the bottom line, the main parameters to consider are: the portfolio value ($/year); probably of portfolio loss (%, based on distribution of observed problems and estimated losses); PMO cost ($/year); services maturity in current cycle (%); PMO competency indicator (%).

Strategic Business Partner

Research has shown that “organisations that can implement strategic initiatives effectively perform well above average financially”; to do so, successful management of projects and programs is critical. To support this, the PMO must be involved in the full investment & planning cycle to be able to focus on outcomes and ensure that value is delivered. The PMO must evolve to a strategic and transformation office mindset to help shape the strategy that they are tasked to deliver.

Agile Organisations

As more organisations adopt agile practices, it is important to think about how to effect such a cultural change: top-down, or bottom-up. We heard about both approaches: the executive team at ANZ decided to roll out new ways-of-working (agile) throughout the whole organisation. The opposite happens when agile approaches are implemented by small teams, and their success is adapted across other teams and departments.

Schedules for Agile Projects

As was emphasised during the first day’s panel, from a governance and planning point of view, Agile organisations still need a schedule for each project. They are essential: it is difficult to hold teams accountable for on-time delivery without a schedule. Other reasons include: setting client delivery expectations; accounting for team members’ time and departmental budgets; inclusion in portfolio-level metrics.

Design Thinking: Agile in Action

A key agile concept is to ‘fail-fast’ by implementing frequent feedback based on a short iterations (sprints) to ensure that the end product meets the client’s needs. Design thinking includes similar stages of prototyping and testing; Sarah Foxe presented how her PMO applied design thinking tools and techniques to redefine the PMO as a key business partner and contributor. This process focuses on: working with the stakeholders, and really listening to their issues, which results in people feeling safe to open up and helps in defining the real questions to answer. The ‘double diamond’ process delivers insights that are unlikely to be discovered by other means.

In Closing

I look forward to continue learning, collaborating and most importantly hope that these shared insights are remembered, adapted and implemented in our organisations. They support the development, influence the direction of our futures and are key to deliver PMO services.

PMO Solutions was a main sponsor of this conference: we are very active in the PMO community, including as co-organisers of the monthly PMO Sydney Meetup. We specialise in supporting and training practitioners in the PMO space, promoting and sharing best practices and good ideas. Specifically, we are passionate about the PMO delivering value in a creative way.

Book your time with us if you want to learn more about what we can do to help your business.

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Governance, systems, Processes, Methodology, Productivity, Integrated Systems, Project Governance, Project Management Methodologies, Program Governance

Digital PMO and Mindset

analytics@sydneydigitalmarketing.com.au (SDM Admin) — Sat, 06 May 2023 00:56:19 GMT

31 March 2020

Digital PMO and Mindset

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Introduction

DM Roads - Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is a business that provides a range of services in road network management, including traffic signals, electronic messaging signs and in-road sensors. This business is managed as a project, because the asset owner awards the contract for a fixed period.

Motivation

The contract for which ITS maintains and improves infrastructure assets states that the internal processes and procedures must be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect practice and ensure compliance with the contract and specifications.

The asset owner's quality systems require that service providers are inspected regularly; an audit for ITS was overdue. A sister department had recently been audited, and that resulted in a list of NCRs. ITS were determined to learn from that experience by preparing well. The aim was to be fully compliant, or know about gaps and be able to discuss a plan to remedy the situation.

The Digital Audit (Internal)

A major constraint was that there was only 5 weeks to prepare: reviewing and updating all management plans and using these to get ready for the audit. ITS asked PMO Solutions to help them prepare for passing the audit with confidence.

Mindset

We discussed and decided on the following approach which would provide the best chance of success: creating a shared scoreboard and giving the team the tools and opportunities to keep improving the score. To implement this, we used the inputs of the relevant management plan / specialist processes to design an integrated digital internal audit module. Key features are transparency and accessibility of the results for the whole team.

Starting Point

The contract had already been active for several years, and the relevant documents were initially adapted from aforementioned sister organisation. However, these documents had not been regularly reviewed or updated and needed a lot of attention.

The Approach

We proposed to: (1) review and update all 30 management plans; (2) use insights from other audits to focus preparation efforts on the "big 5": environmental, safety, quality, communications & stakeholders and traffic management; (3) create the digital audit module to transparently share our current compliance scores.

The Digital Audit Module

The audit module was built on the documentation inputs; the outputs were designed to visually indicate gaps between requirements and current practice, in real-time.

The time pressure and competitive impulse to achieve the highest possible score resulted in strong engagement with all the teams.

Feedback from the ITS Team

The valuable feedback we received is that the digital audit module created awareness of what functions are performed, while also highlighting how well practice aligns with the contractual obligations.

They also mentioned our exercise helped them to consider Management Plans and Processes while they do their work and keep them actively updated along the way.

Benefits

A range of benefits was delivered through this collaboration:

A digital audit module which is always accessible; a single source of the truth matched to a simple yet comprehensive dashboard.
The preparation helped create checklists for the audit: it also triggered the creation of a list of documents to be maintained (registers, logs).
All management plans were reviewed against the contract and specifications, updated, and can now be maintained.
Created awareness around compliance with contract and specifications.
Established need for improved record keeping and digitisation of project data, creating transparency and ensuring accessibility to this information.
Visibility of project management challenges, and acted as a trigger to standardise project management requirements across the teams.
Renewed focus on collaboration with contractors, and specifically how to manage their compliance quality and documentation requirements.

Audit Result

The best possible outcome: the audit resulted in ZERO Non-Conformance Reports (NCR) for DM Roads ITS! That is a huge accomplishment; a direct result of both the work described here, and the ITS team hustling to locate and organize all the documents identified.

Why choose PMO Solutions?

PMO Solutions is a specialist consultancy with focus on helping businesses deliver on their strategies through managing the achievement of benefits. Our approach is to always collaborate and our solutions are based on our experience and lessons shared by the global PMO community. We have an agile mindset and adapt to your requirements and (time) constraints.

Our team includes technology and data specialists, which allows for quick prototyping and pilot implementations; a modern PMO advocates, implements and uses technology to improve compliance and productivity. We also believe that the use of creative and artistic tools and techniques provides more visual and 'fun' communications, which results in better reception and retention of the key messages.

Having worked with DM Roads | ITS on other projects as well before this engagement, we received the following feedback:

For a confidential conversation about how we at PMO Solutions can help you lift your PMO and business performance book us a time.

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Governance, systems, Processes, Methodology, Productivity, Integrated Systems, Project Governance, Project Management Methodologies, Program Governance

How a PMO Can Create Integrated Solutions?

Sat, 06 May 2023 00:55:51 GMT

10 February 2023

How a PMO can create Integrated Solutions?

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Does your PMO provide services and solutions to your business’ problems? How do you define your PMO’s services? What is your approach to recognise any PMO domain problems and how do you then provide PMO Solutions which are quantifiable, efficient and effective?

To answer these questions, you need to have a clear understanding of what the role of the PMO in the business really is. A very simple definition to start with is that your PMO is a service provider to the business as a whole. The PMO depends on a thorough understanding of the business requirements, problems and objectives, which then allows the PMO to define its services and identify effective delivery approaches to deliver solutions to the business’ needs. The clear need then is to identify how to define PMO Solutions and services in an integrated and meaningful context. Conceptually, there are five core pillars to each and every business to examine when assessing the PMO needs.

Business Services:

Your PMO’s primary service delivery focus is the business which is derived through an in-depth understanding of the relationship between your business’ defined services and your business’s deliverables. As a service provider to the business, if your service doesn’t support any business operations then your service is redundant and should be changed or archived. For example, if the business service to its clients is an online marketplace then all PMO services should be defined to support developing, maintaining and expanding the online market portal and operations. This approach helps PMOs to define and measure the specific values a PMO service returns. The PMO solutions framework helps you to consider all aspects of business operations to identify any the gaps between current processes and business needs to then define and deliver PMO solutions and services.

Business Processes:

When considering business processes you certainly start with the steps of how your business delivers its services but it is also essential to look beyond the details of a specific delivery model to develop an understanding of the broader purposes and the definitions of the service globally across your organisation. To define your PMO services you must be able to see the big picture as the only effective method to be able to develop a fundamental understanding of how PMO services impact other business processes. For example: are there any other services within the business that currently provide the same outcome or outputs in the business? What are the other business processes that drive inputs to the PMO or, alternatively, receive outputs from PMO service? It is crucial to remember that services are not binary! A service may simultaneously receive from and drive to your PMO. Complex inter-relations and interactions are the norms! If there is no connection between the PMO service and other business processes in the business, you need to think carefully: “is this service required”? Deployment of this analytic framework proves to help PMOs to understand the value that their service provides and to create collaboration across diverse business units. Further, thinking globally allows your PMO to become de-centralised and redefine its core functionality from an isolated and siloed existence to an integrated and holistic collaborative driver of value.

Methodology:

Methodology for a PMO is way beyond classical “Project Management Methodologies” in which you would normally consider structures such as waterfall, agile or similar. Instead, methodology is about how we work and therefore covers parameters across the business including how we manage our projects; how we work together as a business; how we communicate; how we meet, support and manage. Therefore, to provide PMO solutions effectively and efficiently you need to clearly understand and consider your business’ delivery methodologies. The service or the solution must be aligned with your methods of working. For example: with distributed teams with a high proportion of road warriors, a local solution won’t be effective against a collaboration strategy designed to overcome the tyranny of distance.

Systems:

Systems are a set of interrelated and interdependent components of an organised structure that combine to solve a given set of problem(s) in which individual parts can include tools, processes or people. When defining PMO services or providing PMO solutions related systems elements and the logic between them to deliver the service is crucial. For example, if PMO designs a resource management service then the complex relations between HR, Resource Management and project management tools and processes must be considered. The flow between the tools, the data level integration and process integration should be defined and prototyped to deliver a valuable service.

In most cases, there is a significant gap between systems and methodology in PMO solutions and services. PMOs define the system but if the system is not aligned with the methodology and doesn’t reflect the method of working in the business failure is assured.

Tools:

Tool are defined as an item for a specific purpose within a system, for example using Microsoft Excel for project cost management. Implementing the right tool to support PMO solutions and service delivery is one of the main responsibilities of a PMO. Therefore, developing a tool which can meet the business’ present and future requirements is the key factor in delivering value. Considering tools and their relationship between systems, methodology, business processes and business services requires a robust business requirements analysis and management.

Big Picture:

Finally, after a thorough analysis of the PMO solutions or service across each core pillar an effective PMO must analyse the service gaps identified between the core pillars. Only by filling these identified gaps can your PMO develop and design integrated solutions to your business’ problems in order to drive measurable value.

Download the BluePrint to learn how to use the framework for your services. You can book a time with us to discuss more.

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