The Complete Project Management Office Handbook, Second Edition (ESI International Project Management Series)

The smaller PMO is not likely to have the strategic focus of its larger counterparts. Its primary responsibility is to establish a reasonable professional level of project management capability. To that end, the smaller PMO needs to have a fundamental understanding of current capability relative to standards or relevant industry practices, with particular focus on competitor capability within a given industry.

Here are a few basic activities the smaller PMO can pursue to evaluate its project management environment:

• Competency: Conduct formal or informal evaluations of competency through observation and performance reviews. If possible, select and administer an instrument to measure project management competency of project managers and at least the key project team members. Review competency measurement results and recommend or facilitate project management training programs for those who need them.

• Capability: Identify the applicable project management practice standards that will best serve the project management environment. Conduct a gap analysis or, if possible, a state-of-project management assessment to ascertain current conditions and capability. If necessary, set a course to achieve closer alignment with preferred practices.

• Maturity: The smaller PMO may not have the scope of responsibility that would necessitate a maturity assessment, although such an effort might be warranted if the PMO were serving a moderately sized relevant organization. Nevertheless, the smaller PMO, in its pursuit to establish essential project management capability, can do so with the proviso that it considers the impacts and influences of its solution implementations on the entire relevant organization or enterprise. The smaller PMO could become familiar with a preferred maturity model and should first address capabilities that advance project management maturity at lower maturity levels. Later, it can implement effective solutions that set the foundation for greater project management maturity when the relevant organization or enterprise establishes the strategic direction to do so.

Larger and additional assessment responsibilities of the smaller PMO can be introduced as its mission grows and as the value of professional project management capability is recognized within the relevant organization.