APM announced that discussions had begun for a proposal for an APMPMO SIG back in April, where PMOSIG Committee Chairman Chris Walters outlined the key benefits of merging with APM in a PMOSIG newsletter.

The new PMOSIG are keen to interact with other APM groups and members and we can be contacted by emailing pmosig@apm.org.uk or by joining the PMOSIG here on this website, which will be migrated across to The Groups on APM’s community page later this year. Specific Interest Groups discuss particular aspects of project management to further understanding and good practice. The PMOSIG is open to anyone employed or interested in the management and support of portfolios, programmes and projects in any industry.

The PMOSIG have already announced our inaugural event as an APM SIG, which is entitled The Business of PMO – Tuning the PMO to drive business benefits, which is a unique opportunity to gain understanding and practical knowledge on the real business of PMOs – bridging the gap between projects and business. The conference kicks off on the evening of the 14th September at the Hilton Hotel, Watford with round table discussions led by volunteer members on tried and tested tools and techniques, plus an opportunity to combine learning and networking over dinner with your fellow PMO professionals. Sessions include: resource management, using sharepoint and project prioritisation. The conference concludes at 5pm on the 15th of September. Visit the event’s page over on the APM website for further details of the conference.

Take a look at the newsletter:

>> Read the June 2011 Newsletter

As a servant-leader in the PMO domain, Mr. Perry hosts the “The PMO Podcast,” having produced 200 episodes, authors the blog “PMO Setup T3,” and is a distinguished contributor at gantthead.com. He is also the author of the book, “Business Driven PMO Setup; Practical Insights, Techniques, and Case Examples for Ensuring Success” and the book on “Business Driven Project Portfolio Management – Conquering the Top 10 Risks that Threaten Success”.

Mark Price Perry is hosting the September 2011 conference alongside Mark Duddy

Mark has a raft of successful senior management experience in project, program and portfolio consultancy and delivery gained over a 25 year career working within the Telecoms, IT and Media sectors in and across Europe. Mark started his career as a business analyst / project manager with IT companies such ICL, Datapoint and DEC progressing to Program Director with overall responsibility for the design and delivery of transactional based systems using structured methodologies such as SSADM for public sector customers.

In 1990 Mark founded Dialnet Plc, a pioneer in the development of electronic data interchange (EDI) services for the UK public sector and one of first ISPs in the UK. He was also involved in establishing ISPA the UK industry body for ISPs and served as Director of that organization.  At Dialnet Mark was responsible for the deliver of a number major government projects using the PRINCE(2) methodology including the first public sector ‘League Tables’, the introduction of GCSE examinations  and the National Grid for Learning.

In 2000 Mark became a Director at Redstone Telecom, a pioneer of local loop unbundling (LLU) in the UK and was heavily involved in the delivery of national DSL broadband services to residential and business customers across the UK.  In 2006 joined UPC Broadband, a pan-european cable operator, with responsibility for delivering a number of major change initiatives including the launch of new Digital TV services, the integration of acquired cable operators across Europe and establishing / managing PMOs in a number of different countries.

In 2010 Mark established PMOworks, a knowledge based company based in Dublin, whose aim is to provide PMO best practice to organizations across Europe. PMOworks provides on-going mentoring, coaching, advice, guidance and practical assistance in establishing and re-invigorating PMOs. PMOworks uses OGC methodologies such as P3O for the design of Project, Program and Portfolio offices and P3M3 to undertake organizational maturity assessments. It also offers PMO content through the BOT Process-on-Demand solutions.

Mark will be hosting the September 2011 conference alongside Mark Price Perry

Dublin Convention Center

from three speakers based out of Saudi Arabia. To be clear, the presentation was to cover the establishment of a PMO using Agile – not running a PMO using Agile. The presentation was also carried out by “PMO Consultants” – those hired in by an organisation to establish a PMO and then leave when implementation is complete.

The establishment of a PMO was initially defined as ” a logical movement to support widespread knowledge and practices of project management” and the speakers – Alsadeq, Akel and Hamamo felt that establishing PMOs as a”regular and repeated project” would be the equivalent of wadding about in concrete boots.

So what was their proposed alternative?

Clients’ differences, project management best practices update, new project management systems, and the interactions between these factors, make the establishment of each PMO  a unique project that should be tackled in a special way, much like developing a new software program to address the specific requirements for each client.
If the agile software development is a group of software development methodologies based on iterative and incremental development, in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, and cross-functional teams, using the same approach for PMO establishment would solve many of the problems we face and save the time and effort of consultants.

The traditional approach to establishing a PMO (in the Middle East) normally starts with a documenting of the current status, then work moves on to understand what the desired state would be (what will the PMO do when established). There would be a gap analysis performed and then finally a plan to reach the desired state. All pretty straightforward and logical you might think. The issues start when the delivery of the first stage – documenting of the current state – appears two months later when actually the expectations of the business are that you’ve been doing something of worth,  starting to deliver value ASAP, rather than producing pretty pictures and documents. At the end of the day, all that has been delivered at this stage is a current status report.

The need for a new approach was specifically driven by some experiences from the speakers, the first; the issue of there not being enough information available at the start-up of establishing a PMO. The documenting of the current status (AS-IS) was flawed through inaccurate data and personal views of key players. The second; that PMO is still a relatively new concept that organisations still believe is the Holy Grail and that much can be delivered from a PMO that will solve all the organisation’s ills – false expectations?. The final point; recognising that the PMO is a change management tool because “it helps organizations in launching, managing, and linking initiatives that lead to change” and because change is a “live process” here is the argument that establishing a PMO should be done using a “non-fixed” approach.

So the “non-fixed” approach leads us to the Agile approach. So how can a non-fixed establishment of a PMO work and not be reduced to chaos?

The agile approach requires minimal planning, maximum collaboration, and provides the ultimate benefits. We need to analyze, while working in parallel, moving one step at a time, and being able to smoothly change directions.

1. Start with end solution orientation: Start with the final solution prototype to get a good impression from the client and to ensure the directions will go through.
2. Skip some steps: Skip the sophisticated analysis and reports and don’t seek approvals for every step. The client will give the approval when the benefits are realized.
3. Empower people first: Start with ongoing training and mentoring for all teams from day one, and as you go along, and make sure to set up a PMO process help desk.
4. Expose the environment: Form mixed teams (from your side and the client’s side) and start working; be very transparent with everyone to ensure you receive the same level of transparency in return, and conduct regular face-to-face meetings.
5. Apply and change as you go:
   1. Changes are welcomed throughout the project, according to continued evaluation, and plans will be done through continuous iterations and will be client-driven by focusing on benefits.
   2. Develop a simple project management process and apply it; evaluate and move on to the next step
   3. Evaluate the progress after each iteration (based on time, not requirement)
6. Client involvement:
   1. Make sure the client is involved in selecting the steps based on priority and added value. This will help to provide full support of the client’s team.
   2. Client will be committed to providing feedback after each step.

I can’t help thinking that the steps proposed may be different if an external consultant was not establishing the PMO but rather a permanent employee brought in to create and manage the PMO and I would be interested in any thoughts from current practitioners from both these viewpoints.

The aim of using an agile approach is to essentially ensure quick wins can be delivered; allow greater degrees of flexibility in the set up process; gain faster buy-in to the PMO (assumption based on quick wins) and interestingly the belief that it is a “business driven PMO” that is created in the end. Why business driven?

We normally choose the PMO model based on the picture we have about the business after studying the current status, but problem start to appear when details come. As you progress you find out more about the business-related details that are not covered in the PMO setup. Developing the PMO methodology using the agile approach helps in tailoring the PMO to suit the business’ exact needs.

A valid point I think; especially when it is easy to get bogged down in process, standards,  methods, tools, techniques and a whole host of other deliverables which the senior managers are interested in but ultimately not as much as bottom line results. In other words the PMO has to be created for the business and ultimately the formation of the PMO has to be driven by the organisation’s needs and expectations. The question remains of course, is an Agile approach the answer because the final part of the presentation in Dublin fell flat for me when the presenters revealed that they had not yet seen if this approach does actually deliver a successful PMO; it’s still work in progress or should that be an iteration?

Take a look at the newsletter:

>> Read the May 2011 Newsletter

Take a look at the newsletter and the latest message from the Chairman, Chris Walters

>> Read the April 2011 newsletter

The next London PMOSIG meeting will be held on the 2nd June 2011

The People Challenges for the PMO

Thursday 2^nd June 2011

PMOSIG London Group is pleased to present an evening devoted to examining the people skills and competencies PMO professionals exhibit in influencing their stakeholder environment. An opportunity to network with other PMO professionals in this iconic venue on the Thames.

Where :   Shell U.K. Limited, Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA

When:      3.30pm to 6.30pm (the presentation will commence at 4pm; refreshments will be available from 3.30pm).

Cost:        Free

The agenda for the meeting is as follows;

4.00-4:30          Registration Tea/Coffee

4:30 – 4:40        Welcome and setting the context

4:40- 5:40           Session I – Andy Taylor of People Deliver Projects

This session will take the form of a debate by the group i.e. not a presentation. We would avoid: Tools, methods, structures etc, and instead look at people and relationships.  The eventual outcome would be a recommended ‘spec’ for the development needs for PMO professionals, but the main thrust of the debate would be to identify:

• The most important and challenging relationships for PMO members

• The behaviours that are encountered and need to be dealt with

• The people skills that the best PMO members exhibit

And it would be interesting to ask the overall key questions:

• How important is this need? And
• How well satisfied is this need right now?

To add some interest and robustness there would be an on-line survey which brings some parametrics to the table.

5:40- 6:40          Session II –Donnie MacNicol of Team Animation

PMO/EPMO/SEO – it’s not what you call it, its you do with it that matters

• Who is a PMO for? What value can a PMO add to them? How does business perceive and measure value? How well do we understand executives and what drives them?
• If a PMO is for the business leaders, how do you identify what is important to them and then maximise the value – objective and subjective?
• How do you design a PMO to fit the context and culture of an organisation? How do you engage the business and sustain that engagement?
• What skills are therefore required, as discussed in the earlier session from those who lead and manage the PMO?

6:40 – 7.00 PMOSIG Final Session

An opportunity to decamp to a local bar or pub for further networking after the meeting – depending on who is up for it!

Want to share this event with others? >> Download the flyer now

cforms contact form by delicious:days

All projects and programmes use tools in some way, shape or form, and these tools ‘Pimp Up’ the PMO for reporting by collating information. Sometimes this helps or it could hinder; and sometimes it just looks good and doesn’t do the job.

PMO Planet are conducting some research on the types of tools and software used for Project and Programme Management. The research intends to understand if these tools are of any help, or are they something that ‘gets in the way’.

It doesn’t matter if you’re using Excel with a ‘bad ass’ macro and PowerPoint racing stripes, or a suped up Enterprise Tool… let us know your views… 0-25 Multiple Choice Questions in under 5 minutes.

Each fully completed survey will be placed into a prize draw for a £50 GBP Amazon.co.uk voucher, and all who complete a survey will also get access to a copy of the results.

Click here for the survey

Quick links to the Spring 2011 materials and presentations

1. Agenda – Raising the Bar 
2. How to Eat an Elephant – Setting a Portfolio Office – Ralf Finchett Jnr
3. How to Eat an Elephant – PDF
4. Portfolio Management – Stephen Jenner
5. Raising the Bar – (presentation) - Stuart Dixon
6. Raising the Bar – Exercise 1
7. Raising the Bar – Exercise 2
8. PMOs in an Agile Environment – Adrian Quinney
9. PMOs in an Agile Environment – PDF
10. Overview: new Portfolio Mgmt. Qualification – Eileen Roden