This is a question I’m starting to get more often now. I do not focus on the PMO or PPM areas, but wanted to offer up some helpful resources for you, and ask YOU the reader for your recommendations too.
Dear Josh!
I am writing to ask your help and advise on PMO topic. I am going to write my MBA final thesis about the “PMO best practices”. I am looking for PMO related websites, communities, books, web articles, podcasts etc.
Your help would be highly appreciated!
Best Regards from Budapest
Here is a list of resources I can recommend on the topic. Leave a comment and add to the list of recommended resources regarding PMO Best Practices.
Podcasts (links point you specifically to PMO-related shows)
Blogs/Articles
Standards and Resources
- The Portfolio, Programme, and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3)
- AACE International Recommended Practice
- The Standard for Program Management (downloadable for PMI members*)
* To download, follow these instructions at PMI.org:
- Log in with your account
- Mouse over the “Resources” on the top menu bar
- Under Standards click “Library of PMI Global Standards”
- Click “view details” next to Programs
- Click “Access the latest edition of this standard”
No related posts.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Budapest,
“PMO” is a fairly recent term commonly used in the IT and telecommunications industries. And like many terms coined from the IT sector, it has a myriad of meanings and definitions, many of which are to a greater or lesser degree, conflicting and/or mutually exclusive.
A much more common term for PMO is “Project Controls”, which has been around for at least 50 years and describes much the same functions that the various incarnations of PMO but coming from construction, oil, gas, mining and the manufacturing sectors.
One aspect that Project Controls plays which I have yet to see much application (YET) in IT and Telecommunications is Forensic Project Management, otherwise known as claims management.
For the best resources in Project Controls/Forensic Claims Assessment, I would urge you to point your browser to AACE's Recommended Practices http://www.aacei.org/technical/rp.shtml
Not only are these probably the most technically sophisticated set of “best practices”, (much more so IMPO than those offered by PMI) but AACE (unlike PMI) makes them freely accessible at no cost.
Enjoy…..
BR,
Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia
Josh,
One of the better resources for PMO (actually project, programs, and portfolio management) is the OGC document with the same title Project, Program, Portfolio Management Maturity Model (P3M3). This is not a guide, but a maturity assessment framework ala CMMI.
It provides you with the needed questions to define the maturity of your processes and only then “what” you will want to do about them.
http://www.p3m3-officialsite.com/home/home.asp is the starting point
Paul,
What document specifically should we look to in your link for PMO guidance?
One way to sort out the role of the Program Management Office – independent of any business domain is through one of four (4) archetypes with four quadrants:
………………….+—————-+—————-+
Control ——|Quarterback.|Perfectionist|
Support——|Scorekeeper|Facilitator…..|
…………………..—————–+——————
…………………..Manage………|Improve
For all PMI members, you can download the Standard for Program Management. There you will find a thorough description of the Program Management Office, it's elements and how these are applied in a variety of Program Management domains.
Hi Glen,
In the world I am coming from, there are no specific definitions for “project controls”. As you may (or perhaps not) be aware of, for many years, AACE has been arguing about changing our name to something more along the lines of “the project controls professionals” rather than “Cost Engineers”, but the organization is pretty evenly split between those who like “Cost Engineer” and those who don't.
Essentially, our entire “Body of Knowledge” as evidenced by the “Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineers, 5th Edition” and our “Total Cost Management Framework- Integrated Portfolio, Program and Project Management Methodology” are the two governing documents, but it is the RP's which are the more detailed application.
Having explained that, my research shows there are 5 generally accepted or referenced models of a PMO-
1) Control Tower (War Room or Project Police)
2) Weather Station
3) Resource Pool
4) Internal Consultant/Mentor
5) Insourced or Outsourced Professional Services Provider (Skunk Works)
I would say that maps pretty much against your matrix.
BR,
Dr. PDG, back in Jakarta
http://www.build-project-management-competency.com
3)
.
Interesting,
At CH2M Hill, Parsons, Bechtel, Air Products, and many other major construction company I have hands on experience with have a definition of “project controls” in a clear and concise manner. .
I pointed my Google desktop at all the PDF's I downloaded and didn't find “project controls,” except in a Project Control plan. Could you point me to the document and the section that describes how AACE defines Project Controls. I can't find it.
Your personal list looks close to Mark's.
Thanks Paul and Glen! I've updated the post with the resources you've mentioned. Let's keep on adding good stuff to this list!
Dear All! This is to confirm that I'm here, reading your comments! Regards, Laszlo from Budapest
Dear Glen! I am a PMI member. Con you please help me to locate the “Standard for Program Management” Thank you! Laszlo
Dear Dr.PDG, Thank you!
Laszlo, I added some instructions to the bottom of the post for you.
Laszio,
Log into http://www.pmi.org
in the search box in the upper right of the home page enter
“standard program management”
The first item in the list is the 2nd edition of “The Standard for Program Management”
Thank you both!