Executive's Guide to Project Management: Organizational Processes and Practices for Supporting Complex Projects

Spotting Symptoms that You Need a Project Support Office

Let me begin by saying that any organization that expects to sustain its business in the face of project complexity and uncertainty must implement a PSO. Apart from that, there are at least four reasons why an organization would choose to implement a PSO:

• As the organization grows in the number and complexity of the projects in its portfolio, it must adopt formal procedures for managing the volume. To do this, the organization establishes the procedures that are followed for initiating, proposing, and approving projects.
• With the increased volume comes a need for more qualified project managers. Those who would like to become project managers will need to be identified and trained. Those who already are project managers will need additional training to deal effectively with the increased complexity. The PSO is often the depository of the organization's skill inventory of current and developing project managers; because it is aware of the types and complexity of current and forthcoming projects, it is best prepared to identify the training needs of project managers and their teams.
• The lack of standards and policies will lead to increased inefficiencies and a compromise on productivity. The increasing failure rate of projects is testimony to that need. Through the establishment and enforcement of standards and practices the PSO can have a positive impact on efficiency and productivity.
• The increased complexity and number ...