Project Management Office (PMO)

In recent years, many organizations have introduced Project Management Offices (PMOs) into their business operations. A PMO is used to provide somewhat of a project oversight committee to organizations that frequently operate several projects simultaneously.
Organizations that utilize a proven project methodology can further extend this methodology to include workflow processes that include checkpoints with the PMO staff.

The role of the PMO can be different in almost every organization, but most include a few key functions. The role of the PMO usually involves reviewing proposed projects to determine how or if the project deliverables coincide with the organization’s current or future business plans or strategies. PMO membership can also be very different among organizations. PMO membership can include departmental managers, directors or team leads, executive staff, employee advocates, and, in some cases, board members. Having the PMO staff represent views and insight from the different levels and departments of an organization enables the PMO to add value to any proposed project.

Having diverse staff included in the PMO staff enables the organization to evaluate and understand current and proposed projects and how these projects will positively or negatively affect the organization as a whole. Some of the general functions or roles a PMO can provide include the following:

. High-level project visibility—All proposed projects are presented to the PMO and if approved, the project is tracked by the PMO. This provides a single entity that is knowledgeable and informed about all ongoing and future projects in an organization and how they align to business and technical objectives.

. Project sounding board—When a new project is proposed or presented to the PMO, the project will be scrutinized and many questions will be asked. Some of these questions might not have been considered during the initial project design and planning phases. The PMO improves project quality by constantly reviewing and monitoring projects from when the project is proposed and during regular scheduled project status and PMO meetings.

. Committee-based project approval or denial—The PMO is informed of all the current and future projects, as well as business direction and strategy, and is the best equipped group to decide on whether a project should be approved, denied, or postponed.

. Enterprise project management—The PMO tracks the status of all ongoing projects and upcoming projects, which enables the PMO to provide additional insight and direction with regard to internal resource utilization, vendor management for outsourced projects, and, of course, project budget and scheduling.

Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed