The project management office as an effective tool for improving processes

How to organize a project management office

The project management office (PMO) plays an important role in structuring processes. However, the department’s effectiveness depends on many factors that must be considered when establishing it.

The office does not necessarily have to be staffed by a large number of specialists. Often, the department consists of one person who takes on several functions.

Types of offices and their functions

The first step in structuring an office is determining its type and tasks. Depending on the organization’s goals, the following types of PMOs can be distinguished:

1. Supportive PMO provides templates for work, shares experience, and offers coaching. This format is suitable for startups and companies with limited resources.
2. Controlling PMO improves the structure and monitors compliance with the rules by project participants. This type of PMO ensures transparency of the team’s actions and helps strengthen control over the work.
3. Directive PMO takes on direct management of project activities. The PMO manager allocates resources, manages planning, and coordinates the actions of managers and analysts.

Experts recommend starting with a supportive model. As the company grows, you can transition to a controlling or directive structure.

How to use PMO effectively

A PMO can combine several roles, and often one specialist performs several of them. For example, the office manager can simultaneously act as a project manager, while the analyst can handle administration and reporting. An experienced project manager can also take on team coaching.

For a clear distribution of functions, experts recommend using a PMO role matrix. This tool helps to formalize responsibilities, adapt the office to new tasks, and ensure scalability. The matrix should specify the roles and the functions assigned to them. For example, the responsibility for monitoring and reporting may lie with the analyst, but the PMO manager may also participate in this process.

Particular attention should go to the issue of the project management office’s subordination. This directly affects its role and effectiveness in the organization:

1. The operations department provides practical support for project implementation and coordinates ongoing processes.
2. The finance department helps implement the strategy.
3. The IT department focuses on project implementation.

Since setting up an office can take quite a long time, it is better to proceed gradually. The best solution is to hire project managers. They can participate in the PMO’s work temporarily to perform specific tasks or contribute to process development. Additionally, interacting with internal team leaders who have the potential to become office managers is important. These leaders can play a key role in implementing the growth plan and developing a project culture.

Technical tools play a vital role in establishing a PMO. Using virtual platforms for planning, organizing meetings, and tracking tasks optimizes work processes and reduces the workload on specialists. These solutions increase transparency, improve coordination, and establish a foundation for effective office operations.