2. Info-Tech Research Group | 2
Table of
Contents 4 Analyst Perspective
5 Executive Summary
10 Blueprint Overview
18 Phase 1: Define the Right Kind of PMO
47 Phase 2: Staff Your PMO for Resilience
76 Phase 3: Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
112 Summary of Accomplishments
114 Additional Support
118 Bibliography
3. Prepare an Actionable
Roadmap for Your PMO
Turn planning into action with a realistic
PMO timeline.
E X E C U T I V E B R I E F
4. Info-Tech Research Group | 4
Analyst
Perspective
Prepare an actionable
roadmap for your PMO.
Ugbad Farah, PMP
Senior Research Analyst, PPM
Info-Tech Research Group
We all have junk drawers somewhere in our homes, and we probably try not to think about what’s
going on in there. We’re just happy that they close and that the contents are concealed from anyone
living in or passing through the house.
What goes in these junk drawers? Things that don’t have a home, things you don’t know what to do
with, and things you don’t have the time or desire to deal with. Eventually, the drawer gets full, and it
doesn’t serve you anymore because you can’t add anything else to it. Instead of cleaning the drawer
and keeping the things you need, you throw everything away in one sweep. One day you will start
the process again.
The junk drawer is like your project management office (PMO). The PMO is given projects that are
barely scoped, projects that don’t have clear sponsors, and ad hoc administrative tasks you don’t
have the time or desire to deal with. Inevitably, your PMO is out of capacity. This happens rather
quickly, since it’s understaffed. You question its purpose because you made it a junk drawer. You
even think about closing it. One day you will start the process again.
Use this blueprint to stop the madness. Learn how to properly define, staff, and plan a roadmap of a
PMO that will actually serve your organization.
5. Info-Tech Research Group | 5
Info-Tech Research Group | 5
Info-Tech Research Group | 5
Your challenge
This research is designed to help organizations
that are facing these challenges:
• No visibility into projects
• The organization views the PMO as unnecessary overhead
• The PMO is not properly staffed to support the organization’s needs
• Project managers/staff aren’t providing information or following
processes
• Leadership and sponsors are disengaged
IT Time Allocation by
Area
PMOs can’t do everything and be all things to all people. Define limits with a strong mandate and
effective staffing. Make sure you have the skills and capacity to support required PMO functions.
IT is responsible for many different business
services. The data from Info-Tech’s IT Staffing
diagnostic shows that 11.5% of staff time is spent
on projects and project portfolio management.
Source: Info-Tech IT Staffing Benchmark Report
6. Info-Tech Research Group | 6
PMOs get pulled into the
day-to-day project and
resourcing issues, making it
difficult to focus on running
a portfolio:
Project
management
chaos
1 Teammates seem unphased by overdue tasks and missed milestones.
2 Fire drills may happen more often than planned projects.
3 Resources are allocated and then redirected to something more urgent.
4 Communication that’s stuck in silos, leading to confusion about priorities.
5 Due dates mysteriously shift without explanation.
6 Project teams are more focused on the due date than adoption and outcomes.
7. Info-Tech Research Group | 7
Common obstacles
• Many people see the PMO as nothing more than the
“project document police,” i.e. a source of red tape rather
than a helpful support system. This impacts staffing and
hiring.
• The PMO is often misunderstood as a center for project
management governance, when it also needs to facilitate
the communication of project data from project teams to
decision makers to ensure that appropriate decisions get
made around resourcing, approval of new projects, etc.
• Accountability is something that is not clearly defined for
many activities that flow through the PMO. Business
leaders, project workers, and project managers are rarely
as aligned as they need to be.
68%
Sixty-eight percent of stakeholders
see their PMOs as sources of
unnecessary bureaucratic red tape.
Source: KeyedIn, 2014
50%
IT and PMO leaders face several
challenges.
The Reality
Fifty percent of PMOs close within
the first three years due to such
things as poorly defined mandates
and poor leadership.
Source: KeyedIn, 2014
8. Info-Tech Research Group | 8
Info-Tech Research Group | 8
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
Info-Tech’s approach
1. Get a departmental job description first.
Defining your PMO may not be as simple as
it seems. Explore the boundaries of portfolio,
project, resource, and organizational change
management before jumping ahead with
processes and tools.
2. The staffing plan should come before your
long-term plan. Get buy-in around your
definition of the roles needed to run your
PMO before articulating a long-term plan.
Too often, plans have been accepted without
the commensurate level of staffing. Our
approach gives you a chance to put hiring on
the roadmap as a predecessor to
accountability.
3. Keep your eye on the ball. Build your PMO
around the operational imperative to
recognize completed projects as an early
milestone in broader changes. In other
words, projects exist to create change.
The Info-Tech difference:
See next slide for full size image.
10. Info-Tech Research Group | 10
Info-Tech’s methodology for Preparing an
Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
1. Define the PMO 2. Staff the PMO
3. Prepare a
Roadmap
Phase Steps
1. Get a Common Understanding of Your PMO
Options
2. Determine Where You Are and Engage
Leadership
1. Identify Organizational Design
2. Build Job Descriptions
1. Create Roadmap
2. Governance and OCM
Phase Outcomes
A clear vision for your PMO and an
articulated reason for establishing it.
An understanding of your PMO goals and
which challenges it sets to address.
An analysis of staffing requirements of your
PMO that aligns with your mandate from
phase 1. Job descriptions help to fill the
necessary roles.
An actionable roadmap that can be
presented to leadership and
implemented. An introduction to the
concept of governance and tools for a
change impact analysis.
11. Info-Tech Research Group | 11
Insight
summary
Overarching insight
There is a gap in the perception of the actual role of the PMO in many organizations by different stakeholder groups.
Many people see the PMO police that produce red tape rather than a helpful support system. Those that need to present a
coherent plan to leadership championing the need for a PMO often have an uphill battle.
Phase 1 insight
Determine the PMO’s role and needs
and then determine your staff needs
based on that PMO.
PMO leaders are all too often set up
to fail, left to make successes out of
PMOs that:
a) have poorly defined
mandates;
b) lack the proper resourcing
to support the services the
organization requires; or
c) lack executive leadership,
vision, and backing.
Phase 2 insight
Staff the PMO according to its actual
role and needs. Don’t rush to the
assumption that PMO staff starts
with accomplished project
managers.
Many organizations have PMOs of
one person, and it is simply not a
long-term recipe for success. People
in this situation have a lot of weight
on their shoulders and feel like they
are being set up to fail. It is very
challenging for anyone to run a PMO
alone without support or
administrative help.
Phase 3 insight
The difference in a winning PMO is
determined by a roadmap or plan
created at the beginning.
When you are determining what your
PMO will provide in the future, it is
important to align the ambition of the
PMO with the maturity of the
business. Too often, a lot of effort is
spent trying to convince businesses
of the value of a PMO.
12. Info-Tech Research Group | 12
Each step of this blueprint is accompanied by supporting
deliverables to help you accomplish your goals:
Blueprint deliverables
PMO Role
Definition Tool
PMO Project
Charter
Blank Job
Description
Template
PMO Job
Description Builder
Workbook
Sample Job
Descriptions
13. Info-Tech Research Group | 13
Blueprint
deliverables
Blueprint
deliverables
Each step of this blueprint is accompanied by supporting
deliverables to help you accomplish your goals:
PMO Strategic Plan Organizational Change
Impact Analysis Tool
PMO MS Project
Plan Sample
14. Info-Tech Research Group | 14
Benefits
IT Benefits Business Benefits
• Determine how you can fill gaps and not duplicate efforts to
bring value to your organization.
• Ensure that key PMO capabilities like portfolio management,
project management, and organizational change
management are in balance.
• Staffing is purpose-driven. Avoid putting good people in the
wrong role.
• Intake and governance have a primary focus and are not merely
afterthoughts of someone primarily focused on project
management methodology.
• Avoid unrealistic commitments by ensuring better upfront
analysis of ability to execute.
• Ensure appropriately mandated sponsor management.
15. Info-Tech Research Group | 15
Diagnostics and consistent frameworks are used throughout all four options.
DIY Toolkit
“Our team has already made this
critical project a priority, and we
have the time and capability, but
some guidance along the way
would be helpful.”
Guided
Implementation
“Our team knows that we need to fix
a process, but we need assistance
to determine where to focus. Some
check-ins along the way would help
keep us on track.”
Workshop
“We need to hit the ground
running and get this project
kicked off immediately. Our team
has the ability to take this over
once we get a framework and
strategy in place.”
Consulting
“Our team does not have the time or
the knowledge to take this project
on. We need assistance through the
entirety of this project.”
Info-Tech offers various levels of
support to best suit your needs
16. Info-Tech Research Group | 16
Info-Tech Research Group | 16
Guided Implementation
What does a typical GI on this topic look like?
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Call #1: Scope
requirements,
objectives, and
your specific
challenges.
Call #2: Assess
current state
and determine
PMO role/type.
Call #3:
Complete job
description
survey.
Call #4: Analyze
survey results
and complete
FTE analysis.
Call #5:
Discuss
necessary
roles and
create job
descriptions.
Call #6: Discuss
business goals
and priorities.
Call #7:
Identify and
prioritize
initiatives on
roadmap.
Call #8: Discuss
governance and
organizational
change
management.
Call #9:
Summarize
results in
strategic plan
and discuss
next steps.
A Guided
Implementation
(GI) is a series
of calls with an
Info-Tech analyst
to help implement
our best practices
in your
organization.
A typical GI is 8 to
12 calls over the
course of 4 to 6
months.
17. Info-Tech Research Group | 17
Workshop Overview
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Activities
Define Staff Plan Change Next Steps and
Wrap-Up (offsite)
1.1 Review PPM Current State
Scorecard Results
1.2 Get a Common Understanding
of Your PMO Options
1.3 Conduct SWOT Analysis
1.4 Current State and Leadership
Engagement
1.5 PMO Mandate and Vision
2.1 Identify Organizational Design
2.2 Right, Wrong, Missing,
Confusing
2.3 PMO Function, Roles, and
Responsibilities
2.4 Job Descriptions
3.1 Roadmap Top-Level Hierarchy
3.2 Roadmap Second-Level
Hierarchy
3.2 Staffing and Sizing
3.3 Reconcile and Finalize
Roadmap
3.4 Governance and Authority
4.1 Importance of OCM
4.2 Sponsorship
4.3 Analyze the Impact of the
Change Across Multiple
Dimensions and Stakeholder
Groups
5.1 Complete in-progress
deliverables from previous
four days.
5.2 Set up review time for
workshop deliverables and to
discuss next steps.
Deliverables
1. PPM Current State Scorecard
2. SWOT Results
3. PMO Role Development Tool
4. PMO Charter
1. Right, Wrong, Missing,
Confusing Results
2. Job Description Survey Tool
3. Job Description Templates
1. PMO Roadmap Draft
2. Governance and Authority
Activity
1. Organizational Change
Impact Analysis Tool
2. Sponsor Template
1. Completed PMO Roadmap
draft
2. PMO Strategic Plan draft
Contact your account representative for more
information.
workshops@infotech.com 1-888-670-8889
18. Info-Tech Research Group | 18
Info-Tech Research Group | 18
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
Phase 1
1.1 Get a Common
Understanding of Your PMO
Options
1.2 Determine Where You Are
and Engage Your Leadership
Phase 2
2.1 Identify Organizational
Design
2.2. Build Job Descriptions
Phase 3
3.1 Create Roadmap
3.2 Governance and OCM
Phase 1
Define the Right Kind of PMO
19. Info-Tech Research Group | 19
Frederick Taylor introduces
the PMO with the
implementation of the
scientific management
method and the increase in
the number and complexity of
projects.
The US Air Corps creates a
Project Office function to
monitor aircraft development
(probably the first record of
the term being used).
The US military starts
developing complex missile
systems. Each weapon
system was composed of
several sub-projects grouped
together in system program
offices (SPOs). This built the
structures underlying the
traditional PMO.
The Project Office concept
exported to construction and IT.
The PMO gains a lot of
momentum with professional
associations and project
management certifications
becoming recognized industry
standards.
1915 1930s 1950s 1980s 1990s
A PMO may not simply be an office of project managers
Project management offices are evolving and taking on
activities that differ from company to company.
20. Info-Tech Research Group | 20
PMBOK
The responsibilities of a PMO can range from
providing project management support
functions to the direct management of one or
more projects. The PMO is an organizational
body assigned with various responsibilities
related to the centralized and coordinated
management of those projects under its
domain.
The PMO may play a role in supporting
strategic alignment and delivering
organizational value, integrating data and
information for organizational strategic
projects, and evaluating how higher-level
strategic objectives are being fulfilled.
COBIT
The PMO can be responsible for portfolio
maintenance, setting a standard approach for
project and program and portfolio
management.
OPM
The PMO is an organizational body assigned
with various responsibilities related to the
centralized and coordinated management of
those projects under its domain.
Organizations are confused about
what a PMO is, whether they should
have one, and what it should do
In an effort to set a standard, the governance
frameworks have over complicated it for
most of us.
21. Info-Tech Research Group | 21
PMO
Services
PMO Mandate
Organizational Needs
Hierarchy of PMO Needs
Info-Tech Insight
Consider the principles of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which view
the lower tiers of the hierarchy as fundamentally required to validate
the pursuit of the higher tiers.
Use Info-Tech’s framework to create the PMO
that works for your organization
Ensure Organizational Needs Are Being Met
Before you can decide on what your PMO
will do, find out who’s doing what in your
organization so you can fill gaps instead of
duplicating efforts.
Establish Your PMO’s Mandate
Figure out the purpose of your PMO and write it down
so it’s clear to your leadership. Align your mandate to
the organization’s needs.
Manage your PMO services in alignment with your
mandate and your organization’s needs.
Determine the Services Your PMO Will Provide
22. Info-Tech Research Group | 22
Info-Tech Research Group | 22
Step 1.1
Get a Common Understanding of Your
PMO Options
This step will walk you through the following
activities:
• Review Info-Tech’s PMO Types
• Complete a Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats Analysis
This step involves the following
participants:
• PMO director and/or portfolio manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
Activities
Outcomes of this step
• Current state analysis
Define the Right Kind of PMO
1.1.1 Review PMO Types
1.1.2 SWOT Analysis
Step 1.1 Step 1.2
23. Info-Tech Research Group | 23
Info-Tech Research Group | 23
Info-Tech Research Group | 23
People mistake the PMO as only
an office with project managers
It sounded simple enough, but no one
could really explain what it meant.
PMOs are often born out of necessity or desperation. A traumatic event
happens, and leadership decides that it wouldn’t have happened had there
been a “Project Management Office.” The phrase itself is often quite
reassuring and offers the hope of some sort of sanity and order.
People may not really be able to explain what a PMO is, but they do have a
common understanding that it should solve all project management
issues. But simply prescribing the “PMO” as a remedy for every
organizational alignment is not going to be sufficient. There are different
types of PMOs and more importantly there are different types of
organizations.
Google and the Google logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
24. Info-Tech Research Group | 24
But what should it do?
• Supportive: Provides a consultative role to projects by supplying templates, best
practices, training, access to information, and lessons learned from previous projects.
• Controlling: Provides support and requires compliance through various means.
• Directive: Takes control of the projects by directly executing them.
The PMI described three types of PMOs. These three types are well known in the industry, but
they are essentially characteristics and do little to help people understand the functions and
services of a PMO. There continue to be questions about the role a PMO should play in an
organization and how it’s supposed to add value.
The PMI does not have a
standard for PMOs like it
does for things like
project, program, and
portfolio management.
Its PMO definitions
should be used as more
of a reference point than
a best practice.
The PMI has described
what a PMO could be
25. Info-Tech Research Group | 25
Managing
Manages the work in projects and
programs.
Enterprise PMO
Provides PMO services to the
organization.
Center of Excellence
Creates the standard and
methodologies and provides tools.
Managerial
Manages the project and program
managers, and eventually, other
project resources.
Delivery
Manages the project and
programs.
Consulting
Serves as an experience-based
consultative body to project
managers.
Project Repository
Repository of previous project
documentation, lessons learned, etc.
1 2 3
7
6
5
4
Thousands of practitioners came together at the 2012 PMI
Symposium and expanded upon PMBOK’s PMO types
26. Info-Tech Research Group | 26
Enterprise Project/Program Change Excellence
IT
Highest level PMO,
typically responsible to
align project and program
work to strategy-
significant projects or
programs for the entire
organization. Could
include both IT and
business units.
IT PMOs provide project-
related support for IT
project portfolios. For
many organizations PMOs
originate in IT departments
because of the structure
required for technology-
related projects.
Provides project-related
tactical service as an
entity to support a
specific project or
program. Can be
dismantled when program
is done.
These centers differ in
size and mode of
organization, depending
on their subject and
scope. They support
project work by providing
the organizations with
standard methodologies
and tools.
Change management
offices (CMO) help build
change management
capabilities and enable
change readiness in
organizations.
1.1.1 Leverage Info-Tech’s PMO types to anchor yourself
We have narrowed it down to five types of PMOs.
ePMO PMO CMO CoE
IT PMO
27. PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
PPM
RM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
Reporting for enterprise portfolio and the financial/human resources needed to deliver them
Finance for project/portfolio capital and expense
Customer Management – the customers, sponsors of the project
Strategy Management – projects and programs relate to corporate
Program Management – related projects in the portfolio
Time Accounting
Business Relationship Management (BRM)
Project Information System (PMIS) – organization of project information
Administrative Support – general assistance with Portfolio
Record Keeping – Enterprise Information
Forecasting
Quality Assurance
Procurement and Vendor Management
Project Status Reporting
PM Services
Training
PM SOP
x
ePMO IT PMO PMO CMO CoE
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
OCM
OCM
OCM
Adoption
Benefits Attainment
Change Management
OCM Forecast Benefits
OCM
GOV
GOV
Track Benefits
Governance
Intake
GOV Reporting
x
x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x
What is your definition of a PMO?
Use this model to clearly show what is in and out of scope.
28. Info-Tech Research Group | 28
Use Info-Tech’s PMO function matrix to help provide role
definitions for your PMO
Portfolio Management
Resource
Management
Project Management
Organizational
Change
Management
PMO Governance
Recordkeeping and
bookkeeping
Strategy management Assessment of available
supply of people and their
time
Project status
reporting
PM SOP
(e.g. feed the
portfolio, project
planning, task
managing)
Benefits management
Technology and infrastructure
Reporting Financial management
Procurement and
vendor management
HR Security
Matching supply to demand
based on time, cost, scope,
and skill set requirements
PMIS Intake
CRM/RM/BRM Program management
Legal Financial
Tracking of utilization based
on the allocations
Quality Intake
Time accounting PM services
(e.g. staffing project
managers or
coordinators)
Quality assurance
Organizational change
management
Project progress, visibility,
and process
Forecasting of utilization via
supply-demand
reconciliation
Administrative support PM training
Closure and lessons learned
Info-Tech’s potential PMO capabilities are in the header of the table below. These are the services a
PMO may (or may not) provide depending on the needs of the organization.
Various options for specific PMO job functions are listed below each capability. PMO
leaders need to decide which of these functions are required for their organization.
The rest of this blueprint will help you choose the right
capabilities and accompanying job functions for your PMO.
29. Info-Tech Research Group | 29
1.1.2 SWOT analysis
45-60 minutes
Perform a SWOT analysis to assess the current state of PMO capabilities covered on
the previous slide.
The purpose of the SWOT is to begin to define the goals of this implementation by
assessing your project management, portfolio management, resource management,
organizational change management, and governance capabilities and cultivating
alignment around the most critical opportunities and challenges.
Follow these steps to complete the SWOT analysis:
1. Have participants discuss and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats.
2. Spend roughly 60 minutes on this. Use a whiteboard, flip chart, or PowerPoint
slide to document results of the discussion as points are made.
3. Make sure results are recorded and saved either using the template provided in
the next slide or by taking a picture of the whiteboard or flip chart.
Input Output
• Current PMO governance
documents and SOPs
• An assessment of current
strengths, opportunities,
threats, and weaknesses of
capabilities in previous slide
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts
• Sticky notes
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
30. Info-Tech Research Group | 30
Sample SWOT analysis
1.1.2
continued
Strengths
• Knowledge, skills, and talent of project staff.
• We have fairly effective project management processes.
• Motivation to get things done when priorities, goals, and action
plans are clear.
Weaknesses
• IT-business communication and alignment.
• No standards are currently in place across departments. Staff
are unsure which templates to use and how/when/why to use
them.
• There are no formal intake structures in place. Projects are
approved and it’s up to us to “figure it out.”
• We have no prioritization practices to keep up with constantly
changing priorities and shifts in the marketplace.
Opportunities
• Establish portfolio discipline to improve IT-business
communication through more effective and efficient project
coordination.
• Stronger initiation processes should translate to smoother
project execution.
• Establish more disciplined and efficient weekly/monthly project
reporting practices that should facilitate more effective
communication with senior leaders.
Threats
• Risk of introducing burdensome processes and documentation
that takes more time away from getting things done.
• We tried to formalize a PMO in the past and it failed after eight
months.
• We have no insight into project resourcing.
31. Info-Tech Research Group | 31
Info-Tech Research Group | 31
Step 1.2
Determine Where You Are and Engage Your Leadership
This step will walk you through the following
activities:
• Assess the current state of your PPM/PM
services using the PMO Role Definition
Tool
• Determine current gaps in your services
and processes using the PMO Role
Definition Tool
• Discuss the vison for your PMO
• Start creating your PMO charter
This step involves the following
participants:
• PMO director and/or portfolio manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
Activities
Outcomes of this step
• Results of PMO Role Definition Tool
• PMO vision
• PMO charter
Define the Right Kind of PMO
1.2.1 Assess Current State
1.2.2 Gap Analysis
1.2.3 Vision Exercise
1.2.4 PMO Charter
1.2.5 Strategic Planning
Step 1.1 Step 1.2
32. Info-Tech Research Group | 32
Why do organizations need a PMO?
Signs you might need a PMO:
• A lack of project transparency.
• Significant discrepancies in project results.
• Poor customer satisfaction rates.
• An inability to cost projects accurately.
• A high percentage of delayed or cancelled projects.
• High project failure rates.
• Poor alignment of project activity and business strategy
investments.
• Inconsistent project management processes and
methodologies.
• A lack of collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Little to no resource training to meet IT and business needs.
• A lack of resource management for utilization and capacity.
• Little to no visibility into project, program, and portfolio-level
status.
If a company is not a project-oriented
organization, there’s less of a need for a
PMO. If they are project-focused though,
they should have one. Otherwise, who’s
driving the delivery of their projects? Who’s
establishing their methodology? How are
they managing resources efficiently?
– Mary Hubbard, PMP, director of the PMO
at Siemens Government Technologies Inc.,
A PMI Global Executive Council Member
33. Info-Tech Research Group | 33
Info-Tech Research Group | 33
Info-Tech Research Group | 33
Why does your organization
need a PMO?
Observe the needs of your organization
before deciding on services to support it.
• Observe what is and what is not in place. Look for existing processes, tools, and
systems and evidence that they are being followed. You might already have some
pieces in place; the question becomes what to keep and what not to keep.
• What does your organization look like?
o Name
o Population
o Current Project Lifecycle
o IT Services Team
o # of Unique Applications
o Annual Budget
• Gather a list of potential areas for improvement where a PMO can add value. Once a
list is established, convert it to a prioritized queue of initiatives. A key item on your list
should be how projects go from beginning to end so you can understand the potential
issues and opportunities with your current project delivery.
34. Info-Tech Research Group | 34
AWARENESS
Organizational Change
Management
Project
Management
Portfolio
Management
Governance
To create awareness of
the need for change, you
need everybody who is
affected by it to be aware
of the issues that
triggered the initiative.
That might mean sharing
some uncomfortable
truths, but if people don’t
understand the problem
with the old way of
working.
• Well-run projects can
fail without OCM.
• More than anyone else,
it’s up to the sponsor to
pursue outcomes.
• Determine the current
project management
standards and
methodologies.
• Uncover any forms and
templates that are
currently in use.
• If there is a lack of
project management
knowledge among
current or future staff,
you will need to do
some training.
• Who currently approves
projects and who will be
approving them in the
future?
• Who is accountable for
approving too many
projects?
• What roles does resource
capacity play? Is it
constrained or do you
approve everything?
• Are the resources in your
PMO full-time?
• How big is your portfolio?
• How much do you spend
on resources (hours or
months)?
• Governance can mean
many different things:
intake, finance, over-
sight of existing
projects, resource
management,
technology and
architecture, and
process.
• Don’t try to introduce
governance without
considering the people
who may already be
governing different
areas.
• Consider what things
can be done without
getting executive
approval.
Ideally, we wouldn’t invest in project, portfolio, or OCM because
they’re overhead processes without any direct value…
…but you need to
spend just enough
to demonstrate you
are a diligent
steward of the
assets under your
administration.
35. Info-Tech Research Group | 35
Define your PMO’s role in
the organization
Download the PMO Role Definition Tool
• Use Info-Tech’s PMO Role Definition Tool to figure out the functions your
PMO should provide.
• The current-state analysis uses specific questions to assess how you
are doing things now and provide you with some situational awareness.
• The gap analysis uses another set of specific questions to uncover the
holes in your organization and the services that are not being provided.
• Based on the answers you gave to the questions, the tool will populate
the functions that your PMO should provide to your organization: the
services your organization needs.
• Use the outputs to start looking into missing functions and ultimately
start building or re-establishing the responsibilities of your PMO.
• Consider having multiple team members answer all the questions to
establish alignment and get realistic data.
Use Info-Tech’s PMO Role Definition Tool to
help establish your PMO’s future state.
36. Info-Tech Research Group | 36
Hey, you don’t to have to spend anything on portfolio,
project, and organizational change management!
Assuming of course…
You have enough people to do all your
projects
All projects are getting done on time
Your customers and employees are happy
You have complete visibility into the
portfolio
Your projects align with your corporate
strategy
Your projects align with your operational
needs
Your strategic and operational needs are in
harmony
You have the right skills
You are using all resources provided to you
People self-identify the right
work and independently do that
work
Time is not wasted
The work is production-ready
(i.e. high quality)
Vendors honor their
commitments
The sponsor is confident
they’re getting what was
committed
You have sufficient reports for
the portfolio
Stakeholders make it
through transitions with
minimal resistance
The organization is prepared
to adopt the outcomes of
projects
The sponsors’ forecasted
benefits are realized
Stakeholders are aware of
the need for change
Stakeholders transition well
from current to future state
Use the tool on the next slide to see where you may need to spend.
37. Info-Tech Research Group | 37
1.2.1 Assess the current state of your
project environment
20-30 minutes
Input Output
• Understanding of current
project portfolio environment
• Completed current state survey
Materials Participants
• Tab 1 of Info-Tech’s PMO Role
Definition Tool
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
PMO Role Definition Tool.
There are 20 current-state questions
in column C. Together, the questions
address the five capabilities in Info-
Tech’s PMO function matrix (slide
28).
Use the drop-down menu
in column D to answer
Agree, Somewhat Agree,
Neutral, Somewhat
Disagree, or Disagree to
each question in column
C.
The questions are broad by design. Answer them honestly and select
“neutral” if anything is not applicable.
38. Info-Tech Research Group | 38
1.2.2 Set your target state needs to
identify gaps
15-30 minutes
Input Output
• Reflection on the question, “If
I/We do nothing, someone in the
organization is…”
• Completed target state survey
Materials Participants
• Tab 2 of Info-Tech’s PMO Role
Definition Tool
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
PMO Role Definition Tool.
Each question in
column C of tab 2
should be answered in
the context of, “If I do
nothing, someone in
the organization is…”
Answer each question
by using the drop-
down menu in column
D to select “Yes,” “No,”
“I don’t know,” or “N/A.”
If “Yes” include the
department or area
that is responsible.
39. Info-Tech Research Group | 39
Review the preliminary list of your
potential PMO functions
Tab 3 of the PMO Role Definition Tool contains a customized version of Info-Tech’s
PMO definition matrix, based upon your inputs in the previous two tabs.
These outputs are
based on the
answers to the
questions on the
pervious 2 tabs.
In each group’s box are high-
level recommendations.
The name of the
box is the group
the function
belongs to.
40. Info-Tech Research Group | 40
Info-Tech Research Group | 40
Info-Tech Research Group | 40
Consider your
stakeholders
Who benefits from the new or
updated PMO structure?
In a matrix environment, understanding the challenges other teams are
facing is a core requirement of an effective PMO. The best way to
understand this is through direct engagement like conducting interviews
and taking surveys with management and members of other teams.
Ask yourself these questions about your PMO:
• Are we doing the right things?
• Do we know the current status of projects?
• Are we managing, escalating, and resolving project issues?
• Do PMs have the right training?
• What is our overall utilization?
A PMO should be structured to provide service to the organization. View it
as a business, serving the stakeholders.
41. Info-Tech Research Group | 41
1.2.3 Complete this vision exercise to produce an
initial mandate for a new/improved PMO
45-60 minutes
Now that you have an idea of the services your organization needs from steps 1.1
and 1.2 of this blueprint, you can discuss the target state of your PMO.
Follow these steps to complete the SWOT analysis:
1. Each person writes one aspect of a future state that would solve the issues
described in the SWOT analysis (activity 1.1.1). Use sticky notes and post them
on the whiteboard.
2. As a group, identify which of these aspects would be good candidates for
embodying the “core element” of your PMO’s new mandate.
3. From the aspects gathered, have everyone individually come up with a
statement of one to two sentences they think captures the overall theme and
vision of this PMO.
4. Collectively choose the best statement to use as the working mandate for your
new project management office. This mandate can be modified as needed in
the time leading up the creation and launch of your PMO.
Input Output
• Outputs from SWOT analysis • An initial PMO mandate
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts
• Sticky notes
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
PMO
Services
PMO
Mandate
Organizational
Needs
42. Info-Tech Research Group | 42
Download the PMO Project Charter
1.2.4 Use Info-Tech’s PMO Project Charter template
to help capture your mandate and obtain approval
3-4 hours
A successful PMO will offer a range of services which business units can rely on. The aim of
the PMO charter is to outline what is in scope for the PMO and what services it will initially
offer.
A project charter serves several important functions. It organizes the project so you can
make efficient and effective resource allocation decisions. It also communicates important
details about the project purpose, scope definition, and project parameters.
To use this template, simply modify or delete all information in grey text and convert the
remaining text to black before printing or sending. Sections within the Template include:
1. PMO Mandate
2. Goals & Benefits
3. Scope Definition
4. Key PMO Stakeholders
5. Projected Timeline for Implementation
6. Project Roles and Responsibilities
7. High-Level Budget
8. High-Level Risk Assessment
Input Output
• Activity 1.2.3
• Logical considerations for PMO
deployment (see bulleted list on
this slide)
• An assessment of current
strengths, opportunities,
threats, and weaknesses of
capabilities in previous slide
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts
• Sticky notes
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
43. Info-Tech Research Group | 43
?
Will project managers
be included in the PMO?
Which projects and
programs will be in the
PMO’s mandate?
?
Will the PMO have
decision-making
authority? If so, how
much and on what
issues?
?
Where in the
organizational structure
will the PMO report?
Engage leadership to refine target-state
expectations
“Changing the perception of
project management from
‘busy work’ to ‘valued efforts’
is easier when the PMO is
properly aligned.”
– Project Management Institute, October2009
44. Tactical
Strategic
Strategic Alignment
Leadership assumes that your presence will optimize
the alignment of projects to corporate strategy.
Portfolio Thinking
Leadership assumes that you’re thinking about the
overall throughput of projects through the portfolio.
Outcomes Focused
Leadership assumes that you’re focused on the
outcomes forecast by sponsors.
Process Adherence
Leadership assumes you’re all about process.
Project Thinking
Leadership assumes you’re not thinking beyond the
boundaries of a single project at any given time.
Timeline Focused
Leadership assumes you’re focused on
delivering projects on time.
Don’t assume your
PMO is merely tactical
It can help drive strategy instead of just being a technical arm.
Info-Tech Insight
A key success factor for a PMO is to take part of strategic
conversations; when they are left out, it creates a barrier.
The PMO is the connective tissue between strategy and
tactics. Don’t risk your benefits by not having the PMO
Director at the table before you make decisions.
45. Info-Tech Research Group | 45
Create a strategic plan with project
professionals at the table.
Avoid the disconnect
“The failure to build a
bridge between the
strategic planning
process and project
management’s
planning process is a
major reason strategic
plans don’t work.”
– Bruce McGraw,
Project/Program Manager
• Strategic plans should guide organizations to future states, yet many don’t ever get
used. This is because there is a disconnect between the people creating the strategic
plan and the people being asked to implement it. Strategic planners don’t often
develop their plans with the help of project managers who can ensure the plan is
transferred into a working operational plan.
• Strategic planners are broad thinkers with high-level plans whereas project
professionals often work in the trenches. The disconnect between the two can often
result in cost overruns, delays in implementation, low worker morale, and an overall
chaotic work environment.
• By putting strategic planners and project managers together to work on the strategic
planning process, they can see what the other sees and plan accordingly.
• Twenty-seven percent more projects are executed successfully when a company’s
structure and resources align with their strategy (KPMG, 2017).
46. Info-Tech Research Group | 46
1.2.5 Strategic planning
To create a strategic plan that provides value, recognize that the strategic
plan for the PMO is not the PMO charter.
• The PMO charter is the organizational mandate for the PMO. It defines
the role, purpose and functions of the PMO. It articulates who the
PMO's sponsors and customers are, the services that it offers, and the
staffing and support structures required to deliver those services. And,
it assumes that a decision to have a PMO has already been made.
• A strategic plan enables the PMO to play an essential role in achieving
a company’s business goals, setting out clear objectives and then
providing a roadmap on how to achieve them. A strategic plan maps
the tools and resources necessary to achieve successful project
outcomes.
To create a results-driven strategic plan for your PMO, it is helpful to follow
a top-down format:
• Start by going through the list on the right and update the strategic
plan.
• What are the top project-related issues and opportunities you want
your PMO to address and what’s the value to the business of trusting
them?
1 hour
Vision: this needs to be a vivid and common image
Mission: this is the special assignment that is given to a
group
Goals: these are broad statements of future conditions
Objectives: these are operational statements that indicate
how much and by when (e.g. deliverables or intangible
objectives like productivity)
Strategies: these are the set of actions that need to take
place
Needs: these are the things required to carry out the
strategy
Critical Success Factors: these are the key areas of activity
in which favorable results are necessary to reach the goal
Download the PMO Strategic Plan
47. Info-Tech Research Group | 47
Info-Tech Research Group | 47
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Phase 2
Staff Your PMO for Resilience
1.1 Get a Common
Understanding of Your PMO
Options
1.2 Determine Where You Are
and Engage Your Leadership
2.1 Identify Organizational
Design
2.2. Build Job Descriptions
3.1 Create Roadmap
3.2 Governance and OCM
48. Info-Tech Research Group | 48
Info-Tech Research Group | 48
Follow our two-step approach to successfully
staff your PMO.
Info-Tech’s approach
1. Save time developing a purpose-built
approach. There is no one-size-fits-all
approach to PMO staffing. The advice
and tools in this research will help
you quickly determine your unique
staffing needs and guide your next
steps to get the staffing you need.
2. Leverage insider research. We’ve
worked with thousands of PMOs and
have seen the good, the bad, and the
ugly of PMO staffing. The approach in
this research is informed by client
successes and will help you avoid the
common mistakes that drive PMO
failure.
The Info-Tech difference:
1
Determine your PMO staffing
needs.
Our approach to building a PMO starts by
analyzing the staffing requirements of your
PMO mandate.
2
Create purpose-built role
descriptions.
Once you have an understanding of the
staff and skills you’ll need to succeed, we
have job description aids you’ll need to fill
the roles.
49. Info-Tech Research Group | 49
Projects and Project Portfolio Management
The GDP contributions from
project-oriented industries are
forecasted to reach $20.2 trillion
over the next 20 years.
Source: “Project Management: Job Growth and Talent Gap”
Project Management Institute, 2017
IT staff allocation for project work
58% of respondents feel they have the
appropriate staffing level to execute
project management effectively.
59% feel they have the appropriate
staffing level to execute
requirements gathering effectively.
Info-Tech Insight
Project work is only going to increase,
and in general, people are dissatisfied
with their current staffing levels.
59.8%
58.3%
Source: Info-Tech IT Staffing Benchmark Report
Source: Info-Tech IT Staffing Benchmark Report
50. Info-Tech Research Group | 50
Info-Tech Research Group | 50
Step 2.1
Identify Organizational Design
This step will walk you through the following
activities:
• Complete a Right, Wrong, Missing,
Confusing analysis
• Determine your current
organizational/PMO structure
• Assess your current inventory
• Complete the job description survey
This step involves the following
participants:
• PMO director and/or portfolio manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
Activities
Outcomes of this step
• Current-state analysis
• Job description survey results
Staff Your PMO for Resilience
2.1.1 Right, Wrong, Missing, Confusing
2.1.2 Map Your Current Structure
2.1.3 Inventory Assessment
2.1.4 Job Description Survey
Step 2.1 Step 2.2
51. Info-Tech Research Group | 51
2.1.1 Right, wrong,
missing, confusing
30-45 minutes
Perform a right, wrong, missing, confusing analysis to assess the current state of
your PMO and its staff.
The purpose of this exercise is to begin to define the goals of this implementation by
assessing your staffing capabilities and cultivating alignment around the most
critical opportunities and challenges.
Follow these steps to complete the analysis:
1. Have participants discuss what is wrong, right, missing, and confusing.
2. Spend roughly 45 minutes on this. Use a whiteboard, flip chart, or PowerPoint
slide to document results of the discussion as points are made.
3. Make sure results are recorded and saved by taking a picture of the
whiteboard or flip chart.
Input Output
• Current PMO process
• Current PMO org. chart
• An assessment of current
things that are being done right
and wrong and what is currently
missing and confusing
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts
• Sticky notes
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
52. Info-Tech Research Group | 52
Organizational types
Projectized
Projectized organizations are
organized around projects for
maximal project management
effectiveness.
Matrix
Matrix organizations have
structures that blend the
characteristics of functional
and projectized organizations.
Functional
Functional organizations are
structured around the
functions the organization
needs to be performed.
1 2 3
53. Info-Tech Research Group | 53
The traditional hierarchical
organizational structure.
Functional
organization 1 Employees are organized by specialties like human resources, information
technology, sales, marketing, administration, etc.
2 The project management role will be performed by a team member of a
functional area under the management of a functional manager.
3
Resources for the project will need to be negotiated for with the functional
managers, and the accessibility of those resources will be based on business
conditions. Any escalations of issues would need to be taken to the functional
manager.
4 The project management role would act more like a project coordinator who
does not usually carry the title of project manager.
5
Project management is considered a part-time responsibility. Of all the
organizational types, this one tends to be the most difficult for the project
manager. The project manager lacks the authority to assign resources and
must acquire people and other resources from multiple functional managers.
6
Because the project manager has little to no authority, the project can take
longer to complete than in other organizational structures, and there is
generally no recognized project management methodology or best practices.
Chief
Executive
Functional
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Functional
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Functional
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Project
coordination
Adapted from ProjectEngineer, 2019
54. Info-Tech Research Group | 54
The majority of project resources
are involved in project work.
Projectized
organization 1
The project manager has increased independence and authority and is a full-
time member of a project organization. They have project resources available to
them, such as project coordinators, project schedulers, business analysts, and
plan administrators.
2
The project manager is responsible to the sponsor and/or senior management.
The project manager has authority and control of the budget, and any
escalation of issues would be taken to the sponsor.
3
Given that the project resources report to the project manager versus the
functional area, there may be a decrease in the subject matter expertise of the
team members.
4 Team members are usually co-located within the same office or virtually co-
located to maximize communication effectiveness.
5 There can be some functional units within the organization; however, those
units play a supportive role, without authority over the project manager.
6
There is no defined hierarchy. Resources are brought together specifically for
the purpose of a project. At the end of each project, resources are either
reassigned to another project or returned to a resource pool.
Chief
Executive
Project
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Project
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Project
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Project
coordination
Adapted from ProjectEngineer, 2019
55. Info-Tech Research Group | 55
A combination of functional
and projectized.
Matrix
organization 1
A matrix organization is a blended organizational structure. Although a
functional hierarchy is still in place, the project manager is recognized as a
valuable position and is given more authority to manage the project and assign
resources.
2
Matrix organizations can be classified as weak, balanced, or strong based on
the relative authority of the functional manager and project manager. If the
project manager is given more of a project coordinator role, then the
organization is considered a weak matrix. If the project manager is given much
more authority on resources and budget spending, the organization is
considered a strong matrix.
3
Matrix structures evolve in response to the rise of large-scale projects in
contemporary organizations. These projects require efficient processing of
large amounts of information.
4
Working in a matrix organization is challenging and structurally complex.
Employees have dual reporting relationships – generally to both a functional
manager and a project and/or product manager. However, if done well, it offers
the best of both worlds.
5
The matrix organization structure usually exists in large and multi-project
organizations. Here they can move employees whenever and wherever their
services are needed. The matrix structure has the flexibility to transfer the
organization’s talent by considering employees to be shared resources.
Chief
Executive
Functional
Manager
Staff
Staff
Project
Manager
Functional
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Functional
Manager
Staff
Staff
Staff
Project
coordination
Adapted from ProjectEngineer, 2019
56. Info-Tech Research Group | 56
Info-Tech Research Group | 56
Info-Tech Research Group | 56
The project
management office
The vast majority of PMOs are
understaffed and underequipped.
• They are often born out of necessity or desperation.
• They have no long-terms goals; they tend to go from year to year trying
to meet the organization’s needs.
• They don’t have clear mandates, so it is difficult to determine how they
are providing value.
• Over time (and sometimes even from day one), project management
offices find that other tasks fall into their area of responsibility. This
often happens when the work has nowhere else to go.
• Resource management is the challenge, both in terms of being able to
allocate skilled resources to projects and within the PMO itself. Staffing
gaps within the PMO are often met by individuals wearing more than
one hat.
57. Info-Tech Research Group | 57
2.1.2 Map your
current structure
30 minutes to 1 hour
1. As a group, review your current organizational and PMO structure.
2. Map out both, or if your PMO is small, map out how it fits into the overall structure.
• Make sure to think about your process, reporting structures, and
escalation hierarchies.
• Consider the capabilities on slide 59 as you work.
• Use the sample structure on the next page as a guide.
Input Output
• Current org. charts and PMO
structures
• Info-Tech’s PMO Function
Matrix
• Structure chart
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts • PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
58. Info-Tech Research Group | 58
Sample PMO structure
PMO Director
Program Manager
Project Manager
Project Manager
Project Coordinator
Change Manager
Resource
Management
Analyst
Business
Relationship
Manager
Business Analyst
Portfolio
Administrator
59. Info-Tech Research Group | 59
Info-Tech’s PMO Function Matrix
Portfolio Management
Resource
Management
Project Management
Organizational
Change
Management
PMO Governance
Recordkeeping and
bookkeeping
Strategy management Assessment of available
supply of people and their
time
Project status
reporting
PM SOP
(e.g. feed the
portfolio, project
planning, task
managing)
Benefits management
Technology and infrastructure
Reporting Financial management
Procurement and
vendor management
HR Security
Matching supply to demand
based on time, cost, scope,
and skill set requirements
PMIS Intake
CRM/RM/BRM Program management
Legal Financial
Tracking of utilization based
on the allocations
Quality Intake
Time accounting PM services
(e.g. staffing project
managers or
coordinators)
Quality assurance
Organizational change
management
Project progress, visibility,
and process
Forecasting of utilization via
supply-demand
reconciliation
Administrative support PM training Closure and lessons learned
Info-Tech’s potential PMO capabilities are in the
header of the table below.
60. Info-Tech Research Group | 60
2.1.3 Inventory
assessment
30-45 minutes
When staffing your PMO, it is important to understand your current situation
regarding project intake and process.
Answer the following questions, and be as detailed as possible:
• What is your project intake process?
• How many projects do you currently have?
• How many people lead projects?
• Are those who lead projects distributed (federated) or centralized?
• What tools do you use to manage your portfolio, projects, and resources?
Input Output
• Understanding of your current
situation regarding project
intake and process
• Survey results
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts • PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
61. Info-Tech Research Group | 61
2.1.4 Job description
survey
45 minutes to 1 hour
On tab 1 of the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook, use the
survey to help determine potential role requirements across various
project portfolio management, project management, business
analysis, and organizational change management activities.
Follow these steps to complete the survey:
1. Consider the role that you are trying to fill.
2. Read each question carefully and use the drop-down menu to
answer whether the activity in column C is a core, ancillary, or
out-of-scope job duty.
Input Output
• Tab 1 of the PMO Job
Description Builder Workbook
• List of current projects,
processes, and tools
Materials Participants
• PMO Job Description Builder
Workbook
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
Download the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook
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Info-Tech Research Group | 62
Info-Tech Research Group | 62
2.1.4 Job description
survey continued
63. Info-Tech Research Group | 63
Info-Tech Research Group | 63
Step 2.1 Step 2.2
Step 2.2
Build Job Descriptions
This step will walk you through the following
activities:
• Complete the PMO Job Description
Builder Workbook
• Create job descriptions
This step involves the following
participants:
• PMO director and/or portfolio manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
Activities
Outcomes of this step
• PMO org. chart
• Completed job descriptions
2.2.1 Analyze Survey Results
2.2.2 FTE Analysis
2.2.3 Create Your Job Descriptions
Staff Your PMO for Resilience
64. Info-Tech Research Group | 64
2.2.1 Analyze
survey results
Download the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook
Tab 2 of the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook shows the survey results
from tab 1.
The job activities are ranked in a prioritized list. The analysis will help you
determine if you require a portfolio manager, program manager, project
manager, business analyst, organizational change manager, or a
combination.
Follow these steps to analyze your results:
1. Digest the prioritized ranking. The job activities are ranked in a
prioritized list (from most essential to the role to least essential) in
column D. The core process or capability that corresponds to each
activity is listed in column C.
2. Use the drop-down menu in column F to decide if the core job duties
and ancillary job duties will or will not be included in the role
description. Out-of-scope activities will automatically be removed.
30 minutes
65. Info-Tech Research Group | 65
Input Output
• Tab 3 of the PMO Job Description
Builder Workbook
• Total estimated monthly time
commitments
• Preliminary FTE analysis
2.2.2 FTE analysis
Materials Participants
• PMO Job Description Builder
Workbook
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
30 minutes
Tab 3 of the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook is used to complete the
FTE analysis.
Download the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook
66. Info-Tech Research Group | 66
2.2.2 FTE analysis continued
On tab 3, use column E to
estimate the monthly time
commitments required for
each activity in the role.
Cell J5 will provide a
preliminary recommended
FTE count for the role.
Base estimates on the number
of projects and project teams as
well as the number of internal and
external stakeholders across the
portfolio(s) of projects and
programs.
67. Info-Tech Research Group | 67
Job description content
This is an output tab based on
your analysis in tabs 1 and 2.
Copy and paste the content
and add it under the relevant
heading in Info-Tech's Blank
Job Description Template
later in this blueprint.
For each capability you are
including in your job
description, there is a list of
common certifications. These
can also be copied and
pasted into the Blank Job
Description Template.
Download the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook
68. Info-Tech Research Group | 68
Info-Tech Research Group | 68
It’s not black and white.
How to determine the
roles in your PMO
“If you want to go fast,
go alone. If you want
to go far, go together.”
– African proverb
While your PMO should have someone to lead the team, aside from that it’s hard to be specific about the
exact roles your PMO needs without understanding the needs of your organization.
This is why it’s important to define your PMO first. Your team members should best support the function
and capabilities of your PMO.
For example:
• If you want to provide a training program to project managers, you’ll need your PMO to have people
with experience delivering training and with experience having done the job before.
• If your PMO provides management information and deep portfolio analysis, you’ll need someone on
the team who knows their way around data analysis tools.
You should have a mix of skills in the PMO team, each complementing the others. You may have
administrators and coordinators, data analysts and software experts, trainers, coaches, and senior
managers.
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Managing projects and building
PMOs are not the same thing
The Peter Principle
The Peter Principle was first introduced by Canadian
sociologist Laurence Johnston Peter describing the
pitfalls of bureaucratic organizations. The original
principle states that "in a hierarchically structured
administration, people tend to be promoted up to
their level of incompetence.” The principle is based
on the observation that whenever someone succeeds
at their job, the organizational response is to promote
them, thus people will continue to be promoted until
they reach a point where they’re no longer excelling
at their job. At that point, they would no longer be
promoted. Followed to its logical conclusion,
organizations will continue to take successful people
and rotate them to new positions until they are no
longer effective.
Your best project manager should be running
projects, and, no, they can’t do both.
• Your new PMO needs a leader to get it off the ground, but don’t assume that the best project
manager is best suited to build the PMO. The goal-oriented passion of a successful project manager
may prove to be antithetical to the forward-looking finesse and political acumen needed to develop
and staff the PMO as an organizational unit. Avoid the common mistake of promoting effective
people into positions where they become ineffective, a concept often referred to as “The Peter
Principle.”
• You can’t determine if your best project manager fits the PMO leadership role if the PMO’s role isn’t
clearly defined. Carefully define and clearly articulate the PMO’s role to understand the skill set
needed to develop and lead your PMO.
• Project managers often propose to create a PMO without considering the fit with project portfolio
management and organizational change management. If the leadership doesn’t understand the
magnitude of what is being requested, they may well think a project manager is best suited to run
the PMO. The prestige and/or compensation is attractive, but project managers will often spin their
wheels and naturally focus on what they know how to do: manage projects. Start with a PMO design
to align with business expectations.
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Job overviews for different kinds of PMO directors.
The job descriptions on the next few pages are associated with the
descriptive headings, but it is important to recognize that these diverse roles
can all fall under the job title of PMO director.
PMO Director/Lead
As PMO director, you will oversee the throughput of IT projects using portfolio
management, project management, and organizational change management
disciplines.
You and your team will directly manage the intake of new project requests, the
preparation of evaluation-ready project proposals, and the handoff of approved
project initiation documents to project managers in other departments. You will
forecast and track the availability of people to do the project work throughout the
project life cycle. You will publish monthly and annual portfolio reporting based on
information collected from the project teams, and you will oversee the closure of
projects with follow-up reporting to those who approved them.
From time to time, the PMO may be required to identify projects that should be
frozen or canceled based on criteria set forth by the leadership and/or industry best
practices.
While currently out of scope, successful candidates should be comfortable with the
possibility that the PMO may required to develop full life cycle organizational change
management in the future. As well, experienced project managers in the PMO may
be required to manage high-risk, high-visibility projects from time to time.
Portfolio Management
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Job overviews for different kinds of PMO directors.
PMO Director/Lead
As PMO director, you will oversee a team of professional project managers who are
responsible for the company’s high-risk, high-visibility, and strategic projects.
You and your team will receive initiation documents and assigned resourcing for
approved projects from the company’s authorized decision makers. You will manage
the fulfillment of the project requirements, providing regular status updates to
project and portfolio stakeholders and escalating concerns when projects are
struggling to meet their commitments for scope, cost, and timelines.
Over time, the PMO will take on an increasing role in organizational change
management. The PMO will transition its focus from project delivery to business
outcomes. Over time, the PMO will transition project sponsors from articulating
requirements to delivering results.
As PMO director, you will oversee the establishment, support, and promotion of
company-wide standards for project management.
You and your team will modernize and maintain the company policy manuals and
processes for everything related to project management. You will adapt our legacy
PMBOK-based standards to cover iterative project management approaches as well
as the more formal approaches required for construction projects, outsourced
projects, and a wide variety of non-IT projects.
Project Management Project Policy
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Job overviews for different kinds of PMO directors.
PMO Director/Lead
As PMO director, you will oversee the governance of project spending, delivery, and
impact.
You and your team will ensure that project proposals address the broad needs of the
organization via strategic alignment, operational alignment, appropriateness of
timing, identification and management of risk, and ability to execute. You will
represent the needs and interests of the shareholder, ratepayer, or constituent by
validating adherence to the organization’s published policies for project, portfolio,
and organizational change management.
The PMO is independent from the broader information technology division and will
retain a mandate to ensure transparency and disclosure relative to the consumption
of the organization’s scarce resources in the pursuit of high-risk IT projects.
Project Governance
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Info-Tech sample job
descriptions
Use the sample job descriptions available
with this blueprint as a guide when
creating your descriptions.
1. PMO Director
2. Portfolio Manager
3. Portfolio Administrator
4. Project Manager
5. Project Coordinator
6. Resource Management Analyst
7. Program Manager
8. Change Manager
9. Business Analyst
10. Business Relationship Manager
11. Product Owner
12. Scrum Master
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2.2.3 Create your
job descriptions
When you’ve determined the roles you need, you can start creating your job
descriptions. If none of our out-of-the-box, pre-populated job description templates
suit your needs, use the results of Info-Tech’s PMO Job Description Builder Workbook
and the Blank Job Description Template to create your purpose-built job description.
Follow these steps to create your job description:
1. Copy the content from tab 4 of the PMO Job Description Builder Workbook and
paste it under the relevant headings in the “Responsibilities” section of the Blank
Job Description Template. Delete any unused headings if they are not relevant to
your role. Additionally, use the list of common certifications on tab 4 of the
Workbook to inform that section of the Blank Job Description Template.
2. Use the sample job descriptions on the blueprint landing page as a guide for
filling out the remaining sections of the document.
Download the Blank Job Description Template
Materials Participants
• Blank Job Description
Template
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
Input Output
• PMO Job Description Builder
Workbook
• Job descriptions
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2.2.3 Create your
job descriptions
continued
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Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Phase 3
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
1.1 Get a Common
Understanding of Your PMO
Options
1.2 Determine Where You Are
and Engage Your Leadership
2.1 Identify Organizational
Design
2.2. Build Job Descriptions
3.1 Create Roadmap
3.2 Governance and OCM
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Having a strategy is essential but real
value and benefits are delivered through
projects
of projects are delivered to
stakeholder satisfaction
of every dollar is wasted
due to poor project
performance
9.9% 52% 51%
of projects are likely to meet
original the goal and business
intent
Source: Project Management Institute, 2018
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You’re always going to
have troubled projects
Have the organizational discipline to step
away from the mess and develop a plan.
• The world of modern project management has been in place for over 50
years and yet business leaders still seem to put the pressure on troubled
projects instead of broken processes.
• With higher portfolio maturity comes higher performance, warranting
investment in the PMO.
• Instead of alternative cost-reduction measures, such as stopping an
individual project, we find that PMO resources (or the entire PMO) are
being cut. In most cases, this demonstrates a lack of understanding of
the value of portfolio management processes and related impacts.
• Plan for a series of improvements over time so you’re not continually
using your PMO resources on troubled projects. Instead, maintain an
ongoing focus on improvement.
“If I had six hours to chop down a
tree, I’d spend the first four hours
sharpening the axe.”
– Anonymous woodsman
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• The difference in a winning PMO is determined by a roadmap or plan created at
the beginning.
• Leaders should understand the full scope of the plan before committing their
teams to the project.
• All improvements cannot be done at once. The best PMOs create an approach
of overall governance and strictly adhere to it. After the approach is defined, a
roadmap can be plotted, executed, and delivered effectively.
• The exercise of creating a roadmap is less about the plan and more about
raising the level of understanding for stakeholders.
• We often find that the PMO is ahead of the business's views of how the PMO
can support and add value to the business. A lot of effort is spent trying to
convince businesses of the value of a PMO, usually without complete success.
• The PMO needs to align to the strategic goals of the business, providing the
business understands or accepts that alignment. By aligning your roadmap
activities to business drivers, you are more likely to get ownership from the
business for the initiatives.
All improvements cannot be
done at once
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Your PMO can:
A PMO can benefit
your business and
organization as a
whole
1 Help to align the project or portfolio with a focus on the future strategy of the
organization.
2 Be a mechanism to deliver projects successfully, keep them on track, and report
when scheduling, budget, and other scope issues could derail the project.
3
Create a portfolio of projects and understand the links and dependencies
between the projects. This provides you with a bird's-eye view to make better
decisions based on changes as they arise.
4 Facilitate better communications with customers and stakeholders.
5 Enforce project management governance and ensure consistent standards
throughout the organization.
6 Strategize on how to best use shared resources and best use them
productively.
PMOs are there to ensure project and program success and
that’s critical because organizations deliver value through
projects and programs.
– Brian Weiss, Vice President, Practitioner Career
Development, Project Management Institute
If you run projects and the projects have a significant
level of cost or have significant level of impact, then
you can really benefit from a PMO. Certainly, the
larger the projects, the bigger the budget, the more
there are projects, then the more you can benefit from
a PMO.
– Michael Fritsch, Vice President PMO, Confoe
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Step 3.1 Step 3.2
Step 3.1
Create Roadmap
This step will walk you through the following
activities:
• Determine business goals
• Create roadmap
• Establish resources
This step involves the following
participants:
• PMO director and/or portfolio manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
Activities
Outcomes of this step
• PMO roadmap aligned to business goals
3.1.1 Business Goals
3.1.2 Roadmap
3.1.3 Resources
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
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3.1.1 Business goals
and priorities
When you are determining what your PMO will provide in the future, it is
important to align the ambition of the PMO with the maturity of the business.
Too often, a lot of effort is spent trying to convince businesses of the value of
a PMO.
Before you develop your roadmap, try to seek out the key strategies that the
business is currently driving to get the proper ownership for the proposed
initiatives.
• What does leadership want to accomplish?
• What are the key strategies the business is currently driving?
• What are the current pain points?
Once you’ve established the business strategies, start mapping out your
initiatives:
• For each initiative, consider the activities you think will work best to take
you from your current to future state. It’s okay to keep this high level, we
will break them down later in the blueprint.
• Don’t place activities on a roadmap with dates yet. Use the table on the
next slide to record the activities against each initiative at a high level.
30 minutes
Input Output
• Business strategies and goals
• Current PMO org. chart
• An initial short, medium, long-
term roadmap of initiatives
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts
• Sticky notes
• Slide 83
• IT leaders/CIO
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
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Current
State
Business
Strategies
PMO Initiatives Future-
State
Business
Goals
Portfolio
Management
Resource
Management
Project
Management
Organizational
Change
Management
Governance
Long Term
Medium Term
Short Term
Documentation
Project progress, visibility,
and process
Project Intake Process
Prioritization
Project Levelling
Approval
Triage Process
Resource Allocation
Book of Record
Reporting
Standardize Project
Management Methodologies
PM Training
Benefits
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3.1.2 Create your
roadmap
Services should be introduced gradually and your PMO roadmap should
clearly highlight this and explain when key deliverables will be achieved.
Consider the below top-level tasks and add any others that pertain to your
organization:
• Enable Transition
• Establish Governance
• Organizational Chart
• Technology and Infrastructure
• Develop Portfolio Management Capabilities and Guidelines
• Standardize Project Management Methodology
• Organizational Change Management
• Strategy Management
Download Info-Tech’s PMO MS Project Plan Sample to see a full list of top-
level tasks and second-level tasks. Once done, you can visually plot the tasks
on a roadmap. See the next few slides for roadmap visuals.
1-2 hours
Download the PMO MS Project Plan Sample
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Screenshot of PMO MS Project Plan Sample
Top-level
hierarchy
Second-level
hierarchy
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Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Task
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Establish
Transition
Establish
Governance
Organizational
Chart
Technology
and
Infrastructure
Assess Status Quo
Project Progress, Visibility, and Process
Documentation
Clarify PMO Roles and Responsibilities
Performance Reviews
PPM Software
PM Software
Sample roadmap
Top-level
hierarchy
Second-level
hierarchy
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Develop Portfolio
Management Capabilities
and Guidelines
Design Resource
Management Process
Standardize
Project Management
Methodology
In progress Planned
Completed
Triage Process Project Classification and Leveling
Project Classification
and Leveling
Business Cases Steering Committees
Prioritizing and
Scoring
Ticketing System
Content review
Performance
management
Administrative Support
Quality Assurance
Procurement and Vendor
Management
PM Training and
Mentoring
Staffing
Record and Book
Keeping
Cloud support
Legal generation
Project Methodology
Market analysis
Project Status
Reporting
Approval Process
Standard Operating Procedure
Customer outreach
Establish Resource Allocation Strategies
Sample roadmap
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Consider the resources
you will need
Use these Info-Tech resources to make
sure your roadmap will be successful.
Finances – Understand and be transparent about the real costs of your
project.
• Develop a Project Portfolio Management Strategy
People – Strategize according to skill sets and availability. Use the org.
chart in phase 2 of this blueprint as a starting place (slide 58).
• Establish Realistic IT Resource Management Practices
Assets – Determine the tangible resources you may buy like software and
licenses.
• Select and Implement an IT PPM Solution
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3.1.3 Define resources
Resources for your projects include staff, equipment, and materials.
Resource management at the PMO level will help you manage those
resources, get visibility into projects, and keep them moving forward. Be sure
to consider the resources that will get your PMO off the ground.
Determine the resources you currently have and the resources your PMO will
need and add them to your strategic plan:
1. Finances — It’s essential that you know, and are transparent about,
the real cost of creating your PMO and new process. Don’t forget to
consider post deployment costs as well.
2. People — Every project depends on the skill sets that individual
team members bring to the table. Strategize according to these skill
sets and their availability for the duration of a project. Some team
members may have other work responsibilities and limited time for
the project, so you need to accommodate this.
3. Assets — These include the tangible resources you may have to buy,
lease, or arrange for, such as workspace, software and licenses,
computer hardware, testing equipment, and so on.
30 minutes
Input Output
• Project documentation
• Current resources
• List of resources for your PMO
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts • IT leaders/CIO
• PMO director and/or portfolio
manager
• PMO staff
• Project managers
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Step 3.1 Step 3.2
Step 3.2
Governance and OCM
This step will walk you through the following
activities:
• Assess/understand governance
• Conduct impact analysis
This step involves the following
participants:
• PMO director and/or portfolio manager
• PMO staff/stakeholders
• Project managers
Activities
Outcomes of this step
• Governance Structures
• Organizational Change Management
Impact Analysis Tool
3.2.1 Governance
3.2.2 OCM
3.2.3 Perform a Change Impact Analysis
3.2.4 Determine Dimensions of Change
3.2.5 Determine Depth of Impact
Prepare an Actionable Roadmap for Your PMO
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Clearly define the authority
your PMO will have
The following section includes slides from Info-Tech’s
Make Governance Adaptable blueprint. Download the
blueprint to dive deeper into IT governance.
Governance is an important part of building a strong PMO. A PMO governance framework defines the
authority and the support it requires to maximize portfolio and project management capabilities throughout
the business. It should sit within your overall governance framework and as the PMO matures, its roles and
responsibilities will also change to adapt with business demands and additional capabilities.
Your framework can:
• Specify PMO authority
• Introduce and apply process standards, polices, and directives as it pertains to project and
portfolio management
• Facilitate executive and leadership involvement
• Foster a collaborative environment between the PMO and the business
A PMO governance framework enables PMO leaders to establish the common guidelines and manage the
distribution of authority given to the PMO.
Visit Make Your IT Governance
Adaptable
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Common causes of poor governance
Key causes of poor or misaligned governance
1. Governance and its value to your organization is not well
understood, often being confused or integrated with more granular
management activities.
2. Business executives fail to understand that IT governance is a
function of the business and not the IT department.
3. Poor past experiences have made “governance” a bad word in the
organization – a constraint and barrier that must be circumvented to
get work done.
4. There is misalignment between accountability and authority
throughout the organization, and the wrong people are involved in
governance practices.
5. There is an unwillingness to change a governance approach that has
served the organization well in the past, leading to challenges when
the organization starts to change practices and speed of delivery.
6. There is a lack of data and data-related capabilities required to
support good decision making and the automation of governing
decisions.
7. The goals and strategy of the organization are not known or
understood, leaving nothing for IT governance to orient around.
1. No actions or decisions are generated – The committee produces no
value and makes no decisions after it meets. The lack of value output
makes the usefulness of the committee questionable.
2. Overallocation of resources – There is a lack of clear understanding
of capacity and value in work to be done, leading to consistent
underestimation of required resources and resource overallocation.
3. Decisions are changed outside of committee – Decisions that are
made or initiatives that are approved are changed when the proper
decision makers are involved or the right information becomes
available.
4. Decisions conflict with organizational direction – Governance
decisions conflict with organizational needs, showing a visible lack of
alignment and behavioral disconnects that work against
organizational success. Often due to power that’s not accounted for
within the structure.
5. Consistently poor outcomes are produced from governance direction
– Lack of business acumen in members and relevant data or
understanding of organizational goals drives poor measured
outcomes from the decisions made in the committee.
Five key symptoms of ineffective governance committees
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IT PMO
Committee Metrics
• Maximize throughput of the most valuable projects
• Ensure visibility of current and pending projects
• Minimize resource waste and optimize of alignment of skills to assignments
• Clarify accountability for post-project benefits attainment and facilitate the
tracking/reporting of those benefits
• Drive approval and prioritization of IT initiatives based on their alignment with
business goals and strategy
• Establish a consistent process for handling intake/demand
• % of approved IT initiatives that measure benefit achievement upon completion
• % of IT initiatives with direct alignment to organizational strategic direction
• % of initiatives approved by exception
Ensure business value is achieved through information and technology (IT) investments by aligning strategic objectives and client needs with IT initiatives and their
outcomes.
Chair:
Updated:
Mandate
Committee Goals
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Decisions and responsibilities by purpose
Responsibilities
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT VALUE DELIVERY RISK MANAGEMENT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE
MEASUREMENT
Ensure initiatives align with
organizational objectives
Embed strategic goals and
prioritization approach within
process
Define intake approach
• Ensure all IT initiatives have a
defined value expectation
(excepting innovation activities)
• Approve and prioritize IT
initiatives based on value
Assess risk as a factor of prioritizing
and approving initiatives
Decide on the allocation of IT
resources
Ensure process is in place to
measure and validate performance
of IT initiatives
Committee Membership
Role Individual
CIO, Product Owner, Service Owner, IT VPs, BRM, PMO Director, CISO/CRO
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IT Steering Committee
Committee Metrics
• Align IT initiatives with organizational goals
• Evaluate, approve, and prioritize IT initiatives
• Approve IT strategy
• Reinforce (if provided) or establish risk appetite and threshold
• Confirm value achievement of approved initiatives
• Set target investment mix and optimize IT resource utilization
• % of approved IT initiatives that meet or exceed value expectation
• % of IT initiatives with direct alignment to organizational strategic direction
• Level of satisfaction with IT decision making
• % of initiatives approved by exception
Ensure business value is achieved through information and technology (IT) investments by aligning strategic objectives and client needs with IT initiatives and their
outcomes.
Chair:
Updated:
Mandate
Committee Goals
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Committee Overview
Committee Name Committee Membership Mandate
Executive Leadership
Committee
CEO, CFO, CTO, CDO, CISO/CRO, CIO, Enterprise
Architect/Chief Architect, CPO
Provide strategic and operational leadership to the company by establishing goals, developing strategy,
and directing/validating strategic execution.
Enterprise Risk Committee CISO/CRO, CPO, Enterprise Risk Manager, BU
Leaders, CFO, CTO, CDO
Govern enterprise risks to ensure that risk information is available and integrated to support governance
decision making. Ensure the definition of the organizational risk posture and that an enterprise risk
approach is in place.
IT Steering Committee CIO, Product Owner, Service Owner, IT VPs, BRM,
PMO Director, CISO/CRO
Ensure business value is achieved through information and technology (IT) investments by aligning
strategic objectives and client needs with IT initiatives and their outcomes.
IT Risk Council IT Risk Manager, CISO, IT Directors Govern IT risks within the context of business strategy and objectives to align the decision-making
processes towards the achievement of performance goals. It will also ensure that a risk management
framework is in place and risk posture (risk appetite/threshold) is defined.
PPM Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, BRMs Ensure the best alignment of IT initiatives and program activity to meet the goals of the business.
Architectural Review Board Service/Product Owners, Enterprise Architects,
Chief Architect, Domain Architects
Ensure enterprise and related architectures are managed and applied enterprise-wise. Ensure the
alignment of IT initiatives to business strategy and architecture and compliance to regulatory standards.
Establish architectural standards and guidelines. Review and recommend initiatives.
Change Advisory Board Service/Product Owner, Change Manager, IT
Directors or Managers
Ensure changes are assessed, prioritized, and approved to support the change management purpose of
optimizing the throughput of successful changes with a minimum of disruption to business function.
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Decisions and responsibilities by purpose
Responsibilities
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT VALUE DELIVERY RISK MANAGEMENT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE
MEASUREMENT
• Ensure initiatives align with
organizational objectives
• Approve strategies and policies
that ensure the organization
benefits from IT
• Propose innovative uses of IT to
enable the business to compete
and perform better
• Make decisions that account for
human preferences and behavior
• Validate the achievement of
benefits from IT initiatives
• Ensure all IT initiatives have a
defined value expectation
(excepting innovation activities)
• Ensure stakeholder value and
value drivers are understood
• Prioritize IT work based on value
• Define a prioritization approach
with stakeholders
• Ensure creation, maintenance,
and observation of policies and
procedures, ensuring
conformance where needed
• Ensure ethical behavior in IT
• Ensure IT meets the requirements
of laws, regulations, and
contracts
• Develop or reinforce the risk
appetite and threshold
• Ensure risk management
framework is in place
• Identify the target investment mix
• Decide on the allocation of IT
resources
• Define required IT capabilities
• Confirm that IT supports business
processes with the right
capabilities and capacity
• Ensure data is up to date and
secure
• Monitor the extent to which
prioritization of IT resources
matches organizational
objectives
• Measure extent to which IT
supports the business
• Measure adherence to regulations
Committee Membership
Role Individual
CIO, Product Owner, Service Owner, IT VPs, BRM, PMO Director, CISO/CRO
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Sample Governance Model
Strategic:
Ensures IT initiatives, products, and
services are aligned to organizational
goals and strategy and provide expected
value. Ensure adherence to key
principles.
Tactical:
Ensures key activities and planning are
in place to execute strategic initiatives.
Operational:
Ensures effective execution of day-to-
day functions and practices to meet
their key objectives.
IT Steering Committee
IT Risk Council
IT PMO
Change Advisory
Board
Enterprise:
Defines organizational goals. Directs or
regulates the performance and behavior
of the enterprise, ensuring it has the
structure and capabilities to achieve its
goals.
Enterprise Risk
Committee
Executive Leadership
Committee
Board
Architectural Review
Board
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3.2.1 Governance and authority
1-3 hours
Now that you’ve determined the activities on your roadmap, it’s important to
determine who is going to be responsible for the following:
• Intake Scoring
• Project Approvals
• Staffing and Resource Management
• Portfolio Reporting
• Communications and Organizational Change Management
• Benefits Attainment
• Formalized Project Closure
1. For each task have participants discuss who is ultimately accountable for the
decision and who has the ultimate authority to make that decision.
2. Place the sticky notes on the swim lanes in the strategic plan to represent the
area or person has authority over it.
3. Add all initiatives to your PMO governance framework.
Input Output
• List of key tasks • Initial Authority Map
Materials Participants
• Whiteboard/flip charts
• Sticky notes
• Strategic Plan
• IT Leadership
• Portfolio Manager (PMO
Director)
• PMO Admin Team
• Project Managers
Download the PMO Strategic Plan
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Governance and Authority
Committee Name Committee Membership
Executive Leadership
Committee
CEO, CFO, CTO, CDO, CISO/CRO, CIO,
Enterprise Architect/Chief Architect, CPO
Enterprise Risk
Committee
CISO/CRO, CPO, Enterprise Risk Manager, BU
Leaders, CFO, CTO, CDO
IT Steering Committee CIO, Product Owner, Service Owner, IT VPs,
BRM, PMO Director, CISO/CRO
IT Risk Council IT Risk Manager, CISO, IT Directors,
PPM Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, BRMs
Architectural Review
Board
Service/Product Owners, Enterprise
Architects, Chief Architect, Domain Architects
Change Advisory Board Service/Product Owner, Change Manager, IT
Directors or Managers
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Change Impact Analysis
Completed projects
aren’t necessarily
successful projects
The constraints that drive project management (time, scope, and budget) are insufficient for
driving the overall success of project efforts.
For instance, a project may come in on time, on budget, and in scope, but…
• …if users and stakeholders fail to adopt…
• …and the intended benefits are not achieved...
…then that “successful project” represents a massive waste of the organization’s time and
resources.
Organizational change management (OCM) is a supplement to project management that is
needed to ensure the intended value is realized. It is the practice through which the PMO or
other body can improve user adoption rates and maximize project benefits. Without it, IT
might finish the project but the business might fail to recognize the intended benefits.
Start with next step and refer to Info-Tech research on OCM for a deeper dive. Impact
analysis is the cornerstone of any OCM strategy. By shining a light on considerations that
might have otherwise escaped project planners and decision makers, an impact analysis is
an essential component to change management and project success.
• Master Organizational Change Management Practices
1. It is important to establish a process for
analyzing how the change of your PMO
roadmap processes will impact different
areas of the business and how to manage
these impacts. Analyze change impacts
across multiple dimensions to ensure
nothing is overlooked.
2. A thorough analysis of change impacts will
help the PMO processes:
• Bypass avoidable problems.
• Remove non-fixed barriers to success.
• Acknowledge and minimize the impacts of
unavoidable barriers.
• Identify and leverage potential benefits.
• Measure the success of the change.
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3.2.2 Perform a change impact analysis
to make your planning more complete
Download the Organizational Change Impact Analysis
Tool
Use Info-Tech’s Organizational Change
Impact Analysis Tool to weigh all the factors
involved in the change.
Info-Tech’s Organizational Change Impact Analysis Tool helps to document the
change impact across multiple dimensions, enabling you to review the analysis
with others to ensure that the most important impacts are captured. The tool
also helps to effectively monitor each impact throughout project execution.
• Change impact considerations can include products, services, states,
provinces, cultures, time zones, legal jurisdictions, languages, colors, brands,
subsidiaries, competitors, departments, jobs, stores, locations, etc.
• Each of these dimensions is an MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively
Exhaustive) list of considerations that could be impacted by the change. For
example, a North American retail chain might consider “Time Zones” as a
key dimension, which could break down as Newfoundland, Atlantic, Eastern,
Central, Mountain, and Pacific.
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3.2.3 Assess the current state of your
project environment
15 minutes
The “2. Set Up” tab of the Impact Tool is where
you enter project-specific data pertaining to the
change initiative.
The inputs on this tab are used to auto-populate
fields and drop-down menus on subsequent tabs
of the analysis.
Document the stakeholders (by individual or
group) associated with the project who will be
subject to the impacts.
You are allowed up to 15 entries. Try to make
this list comprehensive. Missing any key
stakeholders will threaten the value of this
activity as a whole.
If you find that you have more than 15 individual
stakeholders, you can group individuals into
stakeholder groups.
Keep in mind…
An impact analysis is not a
stakeholder management
exercise.
Impact assessments cover:
• How the change will affect the
organization.
• How individual impacts might
influence the likelihood of
adoption.
Stakeholder management covers:
• Resistance/objections
handling.
• Engagement strategies to
promote adoption.
We will cover the latter in the next
step.
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3.2.4 Determine the relevant considerations
for analyzing the change impacts
15-30 minutes
Screenshot of tab “3. Impact Survey,”
showing the 13-question survey that
drives the impact analysis.
Ideally, the survey should be
performed by a group of project
stakeholders together. Use the drop-
down menus in column K to record
your responses.
Use the survey on tab 3 of the Impact Analysis Tool to determine the
dimensions of change that are relevant.
The impact analysis is fueled by the 13-question survey on tab 3 of
the tool.
This survey addresses a comprehensive assortment of change
dimensions, ranging from customer-facing considerations to
employee concerns, to resourcing, logistical, and technological
questions.
Once you have determined the dimensions that are impacted by the
change, you can go on to assess how individual stakeholders and
stakeholder groups are affected by the change.