The PMO: Trending Towards Agility
It's your lucky day ... if you want a more agile PMO
In our most recent research study, The Adaptive Organization 2024: A Benchmark of Changing Approaches to Project Management, we looked at how the increasing adoption of hybrid methods is affecting projects and project managers from multiple angles. One such angle involves the role of the PMO in promoting agility and managing strategic projects using adaptive and hybrid approaches.
Across the board, organizations in the study reported that PMOs used adaptive and hybrid practices far more today than they did in our previous studies in 2018 and 2020. Back in 2020, when I presented on this topic for the PMI Virtual Experience, I identified the top, most-used practices of PMOs as "The Lucky 13." Today, we've released an update of that list: check it out here.
One addition to the list: the use of PMaaS. While less common than the other practices, this strategy, of having an outside vendor manage the PMO as a Service (PMOaaS? soon there will be an anacroym for everything!). How does this contribute to agility? By bringing in experienced staff to create or improve a PMO, organizations are able to quickly turn the ship to promote new approaches, teach new ways of working, or turn around struggling projects. It's long been clear from our research that the most successful companies are quick to reach out for outside help when needed. PMaaS is just a new name ... and perhaps a more focused and organized version of this access to contracted resources.
How does our "Lucky 13" list of practices compare to what your PMO is doing today? Use it as a checklist or roadmap for improvement. You're welcome!
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About the Author
Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin
Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin is editor-in-chief for PM Solutions Research, and the author, co-author and editor of over twenty books on project management, including the 2007 PMI Literature Award winner, The AMA Handbook of Project Management, Second Edition.
View Posts by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin
Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin
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