PMO Evaluations

Many times in their haste to implement a Project Management Office, the business leaders have a tendency to fail in placing adequate constraints on the PMO management, resulting in the implementation and enforcement of burdensome paperwork requirements. Typically, any PMO evaluation is based on the standard Project Management Metrics; Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI). As such, a form of Earned Value Management (EVM) is employed as part of the overall performance calculations. These can be called the Project Performance Macro Factors. However, these Micro Factors have every bit as much of an impact on project and PMO performance as the more common Macro Factors. When the aggregate Macro Factors are combined with the aggregate Micro Factors, patterns can be identified that help provide a forecast of PMO performance, based on historical activity and cultural proclivities. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the PMO Leader to ensure that ALL levels of the Business are aware of what the PMO is doing and how it is adding value to the Business. The PMO Leader must advertise successes and mitigate failures while continually growing and perfecting its delivery processes.