Essentials of a Good PMO

The SWWE Regional Network were very pleased to welcome Aalok Sonawala, Head of PMO, National Programmes, Rider Levett Bucknall on 26 February, to BAWA for our first face to face event of 2025. Aalok is a member of APM’s Thames Valley Regional Network and also speaks to members of APM’s PMO Interest Network, which aims to facilitate collaboration and learning, offer unbiased advice and guidance.

Tonight, Aalok planned to discuss the importance of a PMO within project-based organisations, the different types of PMO and their key elements, PMO governance and centres of excellence.
PMO’s within an organisation can be centralised, hub and spoke with a central PMO with satellite PMOs globally, or embedded within projects. The appropriate structure will be determined by the specific business needs of the organisation. The PMO sits above PM delivery and the supply chain delivery teams.

The primary PMO discipline is that of Governance, assurance, and managing risk, with other disciplines including planning and change control, quality management, audit, reporting, document control, knowledge management monitoring project/programme delivery, commercial and capital planning.

The key PMO enablers are people, with the right competences and job descriptions, systems, and processes. It is essential that these are all aligned and consistent with each other.
The PMO is responsible for designing and implementing appropriate PM processes for the organisation to use consistently, with staff trained and incentivised to do so. Process mapping needs to define the inputs, suppliers, the process steps and the outputs and customers. It is essential that the PMO engages with stakeholders in designing processes to understand what is needed and to gain stakeholder buy in and support.

PMO monitoring and reporting has been revolutionised by digital tools and technology, with real time data being available to allow decision makers to make rapid decisions on project progress. Tools such as Power BI, PPM and Big Data.

The key benefits of a PMO include effective control of projects and programmes, structured, consistent reporting, governance and assurance, acting as a centre of excellence and holder of good practice, effective and efficient management of project information, and efficient risk management and mitigation.

A best-in-class PMO could be considered as Purposeful, clear about its strategic purpose for the organisation, and why it exists, Useful as a trustworthy partner for project and programme teams, and, Driving high performance across projects and programmes.
Future trends for PMO appear to be global virtual PMO teams, the availability of programme telemetry in near real time for faster response and decision making, and also multi-dimensional PMOs.

Aalok asked the audience for their views and experience of what their own PMO’s do. Ideas included owning the PM methodology, communication and a common language, enabling PM maturity and capability.

Types of PMO can be Supportive, such as centre of excellence, Directive, in providing strategic direction, Operational , such as regular reporting, and, Controlling, providing methods, processes, standards, and good practice. The priority placed on these by any PMO will vary depending on the organisation need and its level of PM maturity. The key point is that one size does not fit all.

The audience were asked their views of what core competencies were needed, which generated lots of suggestions. Other points made included the need for a supporting sponsor for the PMO, and recognition that enough PMO resources had to be provided in order to deliver the desired outputs and benefits. Don’t underestimate the effort needed. The PMO must be right sized to meet the business need. A small project does not need, or financially justify, a top-heavy approach.

Aalok has very kindly allowed his presented material to be made available for viewing.
The slides on Slideshare are now available in our APM resources area and also embedded below for reference.

Martin Gosden
SWWE Events Co-ordinator