Setting up a PMO to Drive Strategy: Month 2
Initiating Phase and Developing the Project Charter
In our last post, we discussed how we used a Business Case as a winning proposal for an engagement with a well known non-profit to build their PMO from the ground up over the course of 6-months.
Our strategy was to demonstrate to the client that we would treat the development of their enterprise PMO just as we would any other project we would undertake utilizing the same methodology that we planned to roll out in their new PMO.
Month 2:
At the beginning of the 2nd month of the engagement our team, along with numerous key client resources, finalized the Project Charter, and received sign-off from the executive sponsors. This deliverable represents the final step in the Initiation Phase of the project lifecycle and is the key input document to begin the Planning Phase.
The Project Charter serves as the contract between the ‘client’ and the project team and establishes the ground-rules by which they will operate.
The Project Charter we developed for the “PMO Development Project” consisted of the following sections:
Description
Authority
Scope
Deliverables
Assumptions
Constraints
High-Level Timeline and Budget
Approval (Signatures)
Since our goal was to develop an entirely new process around how projects were started we immediately went to work on designing an Intake Process by which project submissions/proposals would be objectively reviewed. This intake process required:
A review committee (governance)
A standard intake proposal document
The committee assembled to provide governance and approval consisted of the head of each business unit (or their delegate) and the PMO leadership. The Charter called for a commitment by the members to participate in a monthly review of new project submissions and prioritize the existing project portfolio.
We collaborated with members of the organization who would ultimately be responsible for completing the intake documents for new project submissions. Together we came up with a format (below) that captured the essential elements that would drive the governance committee’s decisions. We felt it was important to have their input on the content and creation of the intake document so that they would be very supportive and cooperative in completing it.
Project Initiation/Intake Document
A significant amount of effort in this 2nd month was spent developing an existing project portfolio inventory and having the teams retroactively complete the above intake documents so that we would have a point of reference for each project. Since the governance committee was also charged with reviewing the existing project portfolio and making decisions to continue or halt funding of existing projects, these documents were a way to provide an even playing field for ongoing and new projects. It essentially allowed the committee to compare apples to apples.
Below is an early work breakdown structure that the team was working on.
Work Breakdown Structure
In the next post, we’ll get into the analysis phase of the portfolio and the individual projects!
Ask Method123
Today’s question comes from T. Jennings:
We’ve been asked to put together a timeline for a project but we don’t have too much to go on regarding requirements. I’m affraid if we build in too many assumptions it will be useless and we’ll get hammered for not being specific enough. Suggestions?
It’s frustrating, but not that uncommon for some senior management folk to ask for timelines — even for things that aren’t that well understood. Under these circumstances, I typically take the following approach:
Validate the request. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed project teams ‘hear’ that management wants a solid commitment when in reality management is looking for some high-level guidance. I’d simply ask (1) Is there a drop-dead date we have to be working towards? (2) What assumptions can we make in developing a timeline (budget, risk, resources, requirements)?
Use the inputs from above and come up with 3 scenarios from best to worst case.
One last critical point: also, determine if you’re going to have dependencies on other business units, suppliers, financing, etc., and call these out. I recall with great pain a large scale enterprise IT project that was badly delayed because of the organization’s terrible procurement process. The CIO was furious at IT and PMO even though the delays were purely in the finance department. Let’s just say it was harder to convince him to go after the finance department than it was to blame IT and PMO.
Got a question you would like answered or a problem you need advice on? Drop us a line using the button below:
Career Corner
The Interview.
“So, tell me about yourself…” may sound like a throw-away question during an interview that you may take lightly, but it’s really a great opportunity to make an impact statement. It is a bit of an ice-breaker to get the conversation rolling but that doesn’t mean it should be taken lightly. You now have the opportunity to set the tempo and direction of the interview so we recommend adhering to a few simple tactics:
Keep it mostly professional. There’s every reason to believe that the interviewer is focusing on your professional profile and how you can help them. It’s ok to work in a bit of personality to the response but it should complement your professional profile.
Structure your response according to present, past, future. For example, “I’m currently a lead front-end developer at Acme. Prior to that, I spent 5 years as a business analyst. I’m looking to broaden my technical skills as a full-stack developer which is why I am so excited about this opportunity with your company”
Keep it positive. Especially when the conversation shifts to why you are looking to make a change. You want to be perceived as someone ‘running towards something’ not ‘running away from something’. I’ve always liked that saying.
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