The document provides information about Info-Tech Research Group and outlines the initial steps for defining and deploying an enterprise project management office (EPMO), including gathering stakeholder requirements. Key points include:
- Phase 1 involves gathering requirements such as assessing the current state, conducting a SWOT analysis, identifying resource needs, and determining the appropriate EPMO capabilities.
- Stakeholder involvement is important in this initial phase to ensure the EPMO serves executive needs and strategic goals.
- Capabilities are grouped into three categories: portfolio governance, PPM administration, and project leadership. The right mix of capabilities is determined based on organizational needs.
- Additional considerations like dedicated resources, tools, and training may impact
Your Challenge
Companies are approving more projects than they can deliver. Most organizations say they have too many projects on the go and an unmanageable and ever-growing backlog of things to get to.
While organizations want to achieve a high throughput of approved projects, many are unable or unwilling to allocate an appropriate level of IT resourcing to adequately match the number of approved initiatives.
Portfolio management practices must find a way to accommodate stakeholder needs without sacrificing the portfolio to low-value initiatives that do not align with business goals.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
Failure to align projects with strategic goals and resource capacity are the most common causes of portfolio waste across organizations. Intake, approval, and prioritization represent the best opportunities to ensure this alignment.
More time spent with stakeholders during the ideation phase to help set realistic expectations for stakeholders and enhance visibility into IT’s capacity and processes is key to both project and organizational success.
Too much intake red tape will lead to an underground economy of projects that escape portfolio oversight, while too little intake formality will lead to a wild west of approvals that could overwhelm the PMO. Finding the right balance of intake formality for your organization is the key to establishing a PMO that has the ability to focus on the right things.
Impact and Result
Eliminate off-the-grid initiatives by establishing a centralized intake process that funnels requests into a single channel.
Improve the throughput of projects through the portfolio by incorporating the constraint of resource capacity to cap the amount of project approvals to that which is realistic.
Silence squeaky wheels and overbearing stakeholders by establishing a progressive approval and prioritization process that gives primacy to the highest value requests.
Info-Tech Research Group & Boardroom Events Value Prop PresentationHilary Carney Badoian
As a participant of Midmarket CIO Forum, you are given the opportunity to benefit from the Info-Tech offering (membership, advisory services, diagnostics & benchmarking, tools, templates including policies and job descriptions, vendor contract review and negotiations, and alignment tools) while having the overlay of the peer to peer vetting and communications. See the overview here and set up a call to speak in detail: https://calendly.com/MeetHilary/IT
According to a number of studies; up to 80% of businesses deem their ERP initiatives as failing to meet objectives... What must business management consider prior to taking the leap. How do mitigate the risk of being one of that 80%. If you represent a business an have questions please use the contact form on the changespecialist.org site and I will respond.
Project management methodologies change over time but one element of all projects always remains important - Project Charter. Here I am sharing a template for a medium to large implementation project type of project, for example SAP system implementation.
Your Challenge
Companies are approving more projects than they can deliver. Most organizations say they have too many projects on the go and an unmanageable and ever-growing backlog of things to get to.
While organizations want to achieve a high throughput of approved projects, many are unable or unwilling to allocate an appropriate level of IT resourcing to adequately match the number of approved initiatives.
Portfolio management practices must find a way to accommodate stakeholder needs without sacrificing the portfolio to low-value initiatives that do not align with business goals.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
Failure to align projects with strategic goals and resource capacity are the most common causes of portfolio waste across organizations. Intake, approval, and prioritization represent the best opportunities to ensure this alignment.
More time spent with stakeholders during the ideation phase to help set realistic expectations for stakeholders and enhance visibility into IT’s capacity and processes is key to both project and organizational success.
Too much intake red tape will lead to an underground economy of projects that escape portfolio oversight, while too little intake formality will lead to a wild west of approvals that could overwhelm the PMO. Finding the right balance of intake formality for your organization is the key to establishing a PMO that has the ability to focus on the right things.
Impact and Result
Eliminate off-the-grid initiatives by establishing a centralized intake process that funnels requests into a single channel.
Improve the throughput of projects through the portfolio by incorporating the constraint of resource capacity to cap the amount of project approvals to that which is realistic.
Silence squeaky wheels and overbearing stakeholders by establishing a progressive approval and prioritization process that gives primacy to the highest value requests.
Info-Tech Research Group & Boardroom Events Value Prop PresentationHilary Carney Badoian
As a participant of Midmarket CIO Forum, you are given the opportunity to benefit from the Info-Tech offering (membership, advisory services, diagnostics & benchmarking, tools, templates including policies and job descriptions, vendor contract review and negotiations, and alignment tools) while having the overlay of the peer to peer vetting and communications. See the overview here and set up a call to speak in detail: https://calendly.com/MeetHilary/IT
According to a number of studies; up to 80% of businesses deem their ERP initiatives as failing to meet objectives... What must business management consider prior to taking the leap. How do mitigate the risk of being one of that 80%. If you represent a business an have questions please use the contact form on the changespecialist.org site and I will respond.
Project management methodologies change over time but one element of all projects always remains important - Project Charter. Here I am sharing a template for a medium to large implementation project type of project, for example SAP system implementation.
UCISA Toolkit - Establishing a PMO in an HE Environment Mark Ritchie
This toolkit provide guidance for higher education institutions,. and any other organisations, considering establishing a Project Management Office (PMO) function. It includes advice on designing your PMO and on implementation as well as providing a set of example artefacts.
This guide was published by the UCISA Project and Change Management Group in October 2015. This guide forms part of a set of UCISA Project and Change Management publications including the Major Project Governance Assessment Toolkit and the guide to Effective Risk Management for IT and Business Change Projects.
Communications Management PlanProject NameTable of Contents.docxclarebernice
Communications Management Plan
<Project Name>
Table of Contents
2Introduction
2Communications Management Approach
3Communications Management Constraints
3Stakeholder Communication Requirements
4Roles
6Project Team Directory
6Communication Methods and Technologies
8Communications Matrix
9Communication Flowchart
9Guidelines for Meetings
10Communication Standards
11Communication Escalation Process
12Glossary of Communication Terminology
Introduction
The purpose of the Communications Management Plan is to define the communication requirements for the project and how information will be distributed. The Communications Management Plan defines the following:
· What information will be communicated—to include the level of detail and format
· How the information will be communicated—in meetings, email, telephone, web portal, etc.
· When information will be distributed—the frequency of project communications both formal and informal
· Who is responsible for communicating project information
· Communication requirements for all project stakeholders
· What resources the project allocates for communication
· How any sensitive or confidential information is communicated and who must authorize this
· How changes in communication or the communication process are managed
· The flow of project communications
· Any constraints, internal or external, which affect project communications
· Any standard templates, formats, or documents the project must use for communicating
· An escalation process for resolving any communication-based conflicts or issuesCommunications Management Approach
Approximately 80% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Think about it – as a Project Manager you are spending most of your time measuring and reporting on the performance of the project, composing and reading emails, conducting meetings, writing the project plan, meeting with team members, overseeing work being performed, meeting with clients over lunch and many more activities related to your projects.
You should give considerable thought to how you want to manage communications on this project. By having a solid communications management approach you’ll find that many project management problems can be avoided. In this section give an overview of your communications management approach.Communications Management Constraints
All projects are subject to limitations and constraints as they must be within scope and adhere to budget, scheduling, and resource requirements. Project planning and documentation are no exception to this rule. There may also be legislative, regulatory, technology, or organizational policy requirements which must be followed as part of communications management. These constraints must be clearly understood and communicated to all stakeholders. While communications management is arguably one of the most important aspects of project management, it must be done in an effective manner and within the constraints of the allocated budget, ...
Proven Paradigm for Creating Enterprise Project and Portfolio Management Adop...UMT
Capability Maturity Assessment is one of the tools consistently leveraged by Enterprise Project and Portfolio Manage-ment (EPM) practitioners in the creation of adoption roadmaps for organizations that are creating momentum for change with the objective of improving internal governance. Historically, the problem has been addressed in parallel at the Project, Program, or Portfolio levels, and in many cases the solutions devised have been independent of one anoth-er, potentially missing on integration aspects that could greatly improve overall results. In the past couple of years, new methodologies that attempt to encompass all three disciplines have been developed, including OPM3 from the PMI.
This was my dream assignment. I set up and built capabilities for a Project Management Office for a new technology division. I worked with my leadership, within the team, across with key stakeholders to design and implement a standardized Project Management approach for the team. The capstone of this experience, however, was working on the next phase of the PMO office. This presentation is what we shared with our division leadership to document our growth and map out ways to strengthen our capabilities.
Read more at leadanddeliver.com.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Portfolio Management ImplementationsUMT
Originally published in 2003, this white paper on portfolio management has stood the test of time and is still relevant in all 7 best practice areas. Although the 7 best practices remain the same, the field of portfolio management has evolved substantially. To follow are some key questions that have been answered in the last few years:
Where should I start: Process or Tools?
For IT portfolios, what is more important: APM or PPM?
Which is the right level to start: Project or Portfolio?
Has portfolio management become more widely accepted as a practice in the last three years?
Are there financial benefits to implementing portfolio management?
Preempting enterprise resource planning (ERP) project failure could well become the Holy Grail for organizations seeking to improve their technology infrastructure, organizational efficiency, and competitiveness. The business of preempting project failure begins with understanding that there is a preventative approach that can provide planned project assurance at critical points in the project’s evolution. It begins with clear understanding of expectations – from the executives, to the business and IT management, to the software vendors and end users. Learn how corporations are using project assurance methodologies to successfully implement enterprise software projects on time and on budget.
3The Project Management ProcessGroups A Case StudyAft.docxgilbertkpeters11344
3
The Project Management Process
Groups: A Case Study
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Describe the five project management process groups, the typical level of
activity for each, and the interactions among them
2. Understand how the project management process groups relate to the project
management knowledge areas
3. Discuss how organizations develop information technology project manage-
ment methodologies to meet their needs
4. Review a case study of an organization applying the project management
process groups to manage an information technology project, and understand
the contribution that effective project initiation, project planning, project
execution, project monitoring and controlling, and project closing make to
project success
OPENING CASE
rica Bell was in charge of the Project Management Office (PMO)
for her consulting firm. The firm, JWD (Job Well Done)
Consulting, had grown to include more than 200 full-time consul-
tants and even more part-time consultants. JWD Consulting pro-
vides a variety of consulting services to assist organizations in
selecting and managing information technology projects. The firm
focuses on finding and managing high-payoff projects and develop-
ing strong metrics to measure project performance and benefits to the
organization after the project is implemented. The firm’s emphasis
Objectives
E
on metrics and working collaboratively with its customers gives it
an edge over many competitors.
Joe Fleming, the CEO, wanted his company to continue to grow
and become a world-class consulting organization. Since the core of
the business was helping other organizations with project manage-
ment, he felt it was crucial for JWD Consulting to have an exemplary
process for managing its own projects. He asked Erica to work with
her team and other consultants in the firm to develop several intranet
site applications that would allow them to share their project man-
agement knowledge. He also thought it would make sense to make
some of the information available to the firm’s clients. For example,
the firm could provide project management templates, tools, articles,
links to other sites, and an “Ask the Expert” feature to help build
relationships with current and future clients. Since JWD Consulting
emphasizes the importance of high-payoff projects, Joe also wanted
to see a business case for this project before proceeding.
Recall from Chapter 1 that project management consists of nine knowledge
areas: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications,
risk, and procurement. Another important concept to understand is that projects
involve five project management process groups: initiating, planning, executing,
monitoring and controlling, and closing. Tailoring these process groups to meet
individual project needs increases the chance of success in managing projects. This
chapter describes each project management process group in detail through.
Your Challenge
Even though organizations are now planning for Application Integration (AI) in their projects, very few have developed a holistic approach to their integration problems resulting in each project deploying different tactical solutions.
Point-to-point and ad hoc integration solutions won’t cut it anymore: the cloud, big data, mobile, social, and new regulations require more sophisticated integration tooling.
Loosely defined AI strategies result in point solutions, overlaps in technology capabilities, and increased maintenance costs; the correlation between business drivers and technical solutions is lost.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
Involving the business in strategy development will keep them engaged and align business drivers with technical initiatives.
An architectural approach to AI strategy is critical to making appropriate technology decisions and promoting consistency across AI solutions through the use of common patterns.
Get control of your AI environment with an appropriate architecture, including policies and procedures, before end users start adding bring-your-own-integration (BYOI) capabilities to the office.
UCISA Toolkit - Establishing a PMO in an HE Environment Mark Ritchie
This toolkit provide guidance for higher education institutions,. and any other organisations, considering establishing a Project Management Office (PMO) function. It includes advice on designing your PMO and on implementation as well as providing a set of example artefacts.
This guide was published by the UCISA Project and Change Management Group in October 2015. This guide forms part of a set of UCISA Project and Change Management publications including the Major Project Governance Assessment Toolkit and the guide to Effective Risk Management for IT and Business Change Projects.
Communications Management PlanProject NameTable of Contents.docxclarebernice
Communications Management Plan
<Project Name>
Table of Contents
2Introduction
2Communications Management Approach
3Communications Management Constraints
3Stakeholder Communication Requirements
4Roles
6Project Team Directory
6Communication Methods and Technologies
8Communications Matrix
9Communication Flowchart
9Guidelines for Meetings
10Communication Standards
11Communication Escalation Process
12Glossary of Communication Terminology
Introduction
The purpose of the Communications Management Plan is to define the communication requirements for the project and how information will be distributed. The Communications Management Plan defines the following:
· What information will be communicated—to include the level of detail and format
· How the information will be communicated—in meetings, email, telephone, web portal, etc.
· When information will be distributed—the frequency of project communications both formal and informal
· Who is responsible for communicating project information
· Communication requirements for all project stakeholders
· What resources the project allocates for communication
· How any sensitive or confidential information is communicated and who must authorize this
· How changes in communication or the communication process are managed
· The flow of project communications
· Any constraints, internal or external, which affect project communications
· Any standard templates, formats, or documents the project must use for communicating
· An escalation process for resolving any communication-based conflicts or issuesCommunications Management Approach
Approximately 80% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Think about it – as a Project Manager you are spending most of your time measuring and reporting on the performance of the project, composing and reading emails, conducting meetings, writing the project plan, meeting with team members, overseeing work being performed, meeting with clients over lunch and many more activities related to your projects.
You should give considerable thought to how you want to manage communications on this project. By having a solid communications management approach you’ll find that many project management problems can be avoided. In this section give an overview of your communications management approach.Communications Management Constraints
All projects are subject to limitations and constraints as they must be within scope and adhere to budget, scheduling, and resource requirements. Project planning and documentation are no exception to this rule. There may also be legislative, regulatory, technology, or organizational policy requirements which must be followed as part of communications management. These constraints must be clearly understood and communicated to all stakeholders. While communications management is arguably one of the most important aspects of project management, it must be done in an effective manner and within the constraints of the allocated budget, ...
Proven Paradigm for Creating Enterprise Project and Portfolio Management Adop...UMT
Capability Maturity Assessment is one of the tools consistently leveraged by Enterprise Project and Portfolio Manage-ment (EPM) practitioners in the creation of adoption roadmaps for organizations that are creating momentum for change with the objective of improving internal governance. Historically, the problem has been addressed in parallel at the Project, Program, or Portfolio levels, and in many cases the solutions devised have been independent of one anoth-er, potentially missing on integration aspects that could greatly improve overall results. In the past couple of years, new methodologies that attempt to encompass all three disciplines have been developed, including OPM3 from the PMI.
This was my dream assignment. I set up and built capabilities for a Project Management Office for a new technology division. I worked with my leadership, within the team, across with key stakeholders to design and implement a standardized Project Management approach for the team. The capstone of this experience, however, was working on the next phase of the PMO office. This presentation is what we shared with our division leadership to document our growth and map out ways to strengthen our capabilities.
Read more at leadanddeliver.com.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Portfolio Management ImplementationsUMT
Originally published in 2003, this white paper on portfolio management has stood the test of time and is still relevant in all 7 best practice areas. Although the 7 best practices remain the same, the field of portfolio management has evolved substantially. To follow are some key questions that have been answered in the last few years:
Where should I start: Process or Tools?
For IT portfolios, what is more important: APM or PPM?
Which is the right level to start: Project or Portfolio?
Has portfolio management become more widely accepted as a practice in the last three years?
Are there financial benefits to implementing portfolio management?
Preempting enterprise resource planning (ERP) project failure could well become the Holy Grail for organizations seeking to improve their technology infrastructure, organizational efficiency, and competitiveness. The business of preempting project failure begins with understanding that there is a preventative approach that can provide planned project assurance at critical points in the project’s evolution. It begins with clear understanding of expectations – from the executives, to the business and IT management, to the software vendors and end users. Learn how corporations are using project assurance methodologies to successfully implement enterprise software projects on time and on budget.
3The Project Management ProcessGroups A Case StudyAft.docxgilbertkpeters11344
3
The Project Management Process
Groups: A Case Study
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Describe the five project management process groups, the typical level of
activity for each, and the interactions among them
2. Understand how the project management process groups relate to the project
management knowledge areas
3. Discuss how organizations develop information technology project manage-
ment methodologies to meet their needs
4. Review a case study of an organization applying the project management
process groups to manage an information technology project, and understand
the contribution that effective project initiation, project planning, project
execution, project monitoring and controlling, and project closing make to
project success
OPENING CASE
rica Bell was in charge of the Project Management Office (PMO)
for her consulting firm. The firm, JWD (Job Well Done)
Consulting, had grown to include more than 200 full-time consul-
tants and even more part-time consultants. JWD Consulting pro-
vides a variety of consulting services to assist organizations in
selecting and managing information technology projects. The firm
focuses on finding and managing high-payoff projects and develop-
ing strong metrics to measure project performance and benefits to the
organization after the project is implemented. The firm’s emphasis
Objectives
E
on metrics and working collaboratively with its customers gives it
an edge over many competitors.
Joe Fleming, the CEO, wanted his company to continue to grow
and become a world-class consulting organization. Since the core of
the business was helping other organizations with project manage-
ment, he felt it was crucial for JWD Consulting to have an exemplary
process for managing its own projects. He asked Erica to work with
her team and other consultants in the firm to develop several intranet
site applications that would allow them to share their project man-
agement knowledge. He also thought it would make sense to make
some of the information available to the firm’s clients. For example,
the firm could provide project management templates, tools, articles,
links to other sites, and an “Ask the Expert” feature to help build
relationships with current and future clients. Since JWD Consulting
emphasizes the importance of high-payoff projects, Joe also wanted
to see a business case for this project before proceeding.
Recall from Chapter 1 that project management consists of nine knowledge
areas: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications,
risk, and procurement. Another important concept to understand is that projects
involve five project management process groups: initiating, planning, executing,
monitoring and controlling, and closing. Tailoring these process groups to meet
individual project needs increases the chance of success in managing projects. This
chapter describes each project management process group in detail through.
Your Challenge
Even though organizations are now planning for Application Integration (AI) in their projects, very few have developed a holistic approach to their integration problems resulting in each project deploying different tactical solutions.
Point-to-point and ad hoc integration solutions won’t cut it anymore: the cloud, big data, mobile, social, and new regulations require more sophisticated integration tooling.
Loosely defined AI strategies result in point solutions, overlaps in technology capabilities, and increased maintenance costs; the correlation between business drivers and technical solutions is lost.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
Involving the business in strategy development will keep them engaged and align business drivers with technical initiatives.
An architectural approach to AI strategy is critical to making appropriate technology decisions and promoting consistency across AI solutions through the use of common patterns.
Get control of your AI environment with an appropriate architecture, including policies and procedures, before end users start adding bring-your-own-integration (BYOI) capabilities to the office.
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2. Info-Tech Research Group 2
Info-Tech Research Group 2
Phase 1 outline
Complete these steps on your own, or call us to complete a guided implementation. A guided implementation is a series of 2-
3 advisory calls that help you execute each phase of a project. They are included in most advisory memberships.
Guided Implementation 1: Gather Requirements
Proposed Time to Completion (in weeks): 2 to 4 weeks
Step 1.1: Gather Stakeholder Requirements for the EPMO
Start with an analyst kick off call:
• Scoping call.
• Assess current state and determine your stakeholder needs to ensure the EPMO services executive needs.
Then complete these activities:
• Estimate the benefits of implementing an EPMO.
• Review the options available in Info-Tech’s PMO Practice.
• Perform a PPM SWOT analysis.
• Undergo an EPMO Capability Assessment to determine the required PPM practices for your EPMO.
With these tools & templates:
Activity 1.1.3: SWOT Analysis template
EPMO Capabilities Survey
Call 1-888-670-8889 or email GuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com for more information.
3. Info-Tech Research Group 3
Info-Tech Research Group 3
1.1 Gather stakeholder requirements for the EPMO
This step will walk you through the following activities: This step involves the following participants:
• PPM Diagnostic (optional)
• Map current enterprise PPM workflows
• Conduct a SWOT analysis
• Identify potential resource needs
• Establish the right mix of EPMO capabilities to serve
stakeholder needs
• Primary: Enterprise portfolio manager as well as one or
more members of senior leadership team.
• Secondary: Additional resources from throughout the
organization who would like to be involved in the process,
and whose inclusion would benefit it.
Outcomes of this phase Phase Insight
• A thorough overview of executive and stakeholder
requirements from the EPMO as well as an understanding
of PPM capabilities your EPMO will need to provide.
• Near-term and long-term EPMO goals identified.
• Success metrics and timelines for implementing an EPMO
defined.
Establish an EPMO that serves the needs and
expectations of the executive layer.
Success on enterprise projects will be easier to achieve
if EPMO keeps its efforts focused on that which will
benefit the realization of strategic goals.
PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
1.1 2.1 3.1
Gather
Stakeholder
Requirements
Define the Scope
and Mandate of
your EPMO
Implement
your EPMO
Ensure
Organizational
Acceptance
3.2
2.2
Foster
Stakeholder
Engagement
4. Info-Tech Research Group 4
Info-Tech Research Group 4
Use Info-Tech’s Diagnostic Program for an initial assessment
of your current PPM processes
1.1.1 30-40 minutes
Info-Tech’s Project Portfolio Management
Assessment provides you with a data-driven view
of the current state of your portfolio, including your
intake processes. Our Current State Scorecard
measures and communicates success in terms of
Info-Tech’s best practices for PPM, which are
derived from COBIT, feedback from our members,
and the experience of our analysts.
This step is highly recommended but not required.
Use the diagnostic program to:
• Assess resource utilization across the portfolio.
• Determine project portfolio reporting completeness.
• Solicit feedback from your customers on the clarity of your
portfolio’s business goals.
• Rate the overall quality of your project management practices
and benchmark your rating over time.
This step is highly recommended but not required. Call 1-888-670-8889 to
inquire about or request the PPM Diagnostics.
5. Info-Tech Research Group 5
Info-Tech Research Group 5
Difficulties coordinating and communicating across
departments is a telltale sign of the need for an EPMO
Info-Tech has found that the number one correlation to
project success across organizations is the quality of
project communications.
At an enterprise level, “communication” can be an
especially illusive concept. Different departments and
business units have different ways of doing things:
different tools and templates; different cultures and
dynamics; different idioms and priorities. These
differences can be accelerated for organizations that are
dispersed geographically or that have multiple business
units across the globe.
0.51
0.56
Quality of project results
Quality of project
communications
Our projects are delivered within the intended
scope
Correlation
0.56
0.72
Awareness of resource
capacity
Quality of project
communications
Our projects are delivered on time
Correlation
Info-Tech Research Group PPM Current State Scorecard, 2015; N=57
Info-Tech Insight
Undertaking cross-functional initiatives without a
centralized communication hub puts your projects at
risk to waste and inefficiencies—factors that could be
the difference between success and failure on high-
risk, high-value projects and programs.
A communication strategy that facilitates the flow of
information across portfolios, and reinforces the use of
standard and accessible project artifacts, is essential.
6. Info-Tech Research Group 6
Info-Tech Research Group 6
Assess the PMO landscape to ensure an EPMO best suits your
organizational needs at the present time
For assistance in deploying a variety
of IT-specific PMO frameworks, refer
to Establish an Effective PMO for IT.
The decision to deploy an EPMO framework should primarily
be driven by the three rate of change determinants discussed in
the Executive Brief for this blueprint:
!
1. The compression of the produce/service lifecycle.
2. External technology and economic factors are increasingly impactful.
3. The need to centralize a distributed execution model.
For clients with low PPM maturity
who require assistance running a
team of de-facto project managers
with no formal training, refer to
Manage a Minimum-Viable PMO.
Review Info-Tech’s full suite of PMO
offerings if you require assistance
deploying a non-enterprise IT PMO.
If your challenges are based more in the effective management
of projects, you should review the wider range of PMO options.
The international standard for project management governance, the
Project Management Institute (PMI), has identified 5 PMO
frameworks, each offering various PPM services to varying degrees
of complexity.
a) Organizational Unit PMO/Business Unit PMO/Divisional
PMO/Departmental PMO
b) Project-specific PMO/Project Office/Program Office
c) Project support/services/controls office or PMO
d) Enterprise/Organization-
wide/Strategic/Corporate/Portfolio/Global PMO
e) Center of Excellence/Center of Competency
Source: PMO Frameworks
7. Info-Tech Research Group 7
Info-Tech Research Group 7
Info-Tech strongly recommends working with executive
sponsors and stakeholders to define EPMO competencies
The slides that follow will help you conduct an EPMO requirements gathering session with
stakeholders. The decisions made during this session will help determine the function of your
EPMO within the organization.
EPMO Leader Executive Stakeholders
Executing Phase One as a DIY Requirements Gathering Session:
Required
Participants
Optional
Participants
Assess current state
Gather
requirements
B
Decide
competencies
Wrap-up and next
steps
• Disseminate Info-Tech’s EPMO Capabilities Survey to executive
stakeholders (survey can be distributed and completed before the
session).
• 1.1.6: Discuss needs for portfolio governance capabilities.
• 1.1.7: Discuss needs for PPM administration capabilities.
• 1.1.8: Discuss needs for project leadership capabilities.
C
A
• 1.1.2: Map the current organizational flow of portfolio information.
• 1.1.3: Perform SWOT Analysis.
• 1.1.4: Assess access to skilled PPM staff to support EPMO services.
• 1.1.5: Document additional considerations.
• 1.1.9: Establish the definitive list of PPM capabilities for the EPMO.
• 1.1.10: Establish achievable near and long-term goals.
• 1.1.11: Define success metrics.
D
Additional relevant managerial, business,
portfolio and project management staff
8. Info-Tech Research Group 8
Info-Tech Research Group 8
Map the current flow of portfolio information across your
organization
30 to 45 minutes
1.1.2
• Reporting
relationships
• Means of
communication
INPUT
OUTPUT
• Overview of the
organizational
structure
• Whiteboard or
flipchart
• Sticky Notes and dry
erase Markers
Materials
On a whiteboard, map out your organizational structure, paying particular attention to
how information from projects, programs, and portfolios currently disseminates across
departments and business units.
Keep things high level. Do not include names of individuals, as this is an overview of
your org structure, not your staff. The goal here isn’t to “name names” in terms of where
bottlenecks or communication breakdowns occur; rather, it is to determine where and
how a fledgling EPMO could most effectively insert itself into the organization.
• Use one color of sticky notes
to identify how information is
communicated at each step
(e.g. in person, email, intranet,
portal, etc.)
• Use another color of sticky
notes to identify
communication points that
tend to be associated with
delays, miscommunication,
poor execution, or poor
compliance.
9. Info-Tech Research Group 9
Info-Tech Research Group 9
Perform a SWOT analysis to evaluate the current state of your
enterprise PMO capabilities
1.1.3 60 to 90 minutes
Perform a SWOT analysis involving the same
participants from the previous activity.
The purpose of the SWOT is to begin to define the
goals of this implementation by assessing your
project and portfolio management capabilities and
cultivating alignment around the most critical
opportunities and challenges.
Follow these steps to complete the SWOT
analysis:
1. Have participants discuss and identify
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats.
2. Spend roughly 60 minutes on this. Use a
whiteboard, flip chart, or PowerPoint slide to
document results of the discussion as points
are made.
3. Make sure results are recorded and saved
either using the template provided in the next
slide or by taking a picture of the whiteboard
or flip chart.
Use the SWOT Analysis Template on the next slide
to document results.
Use the examples provided in the SWOT analysis
to kick-start the discussion.
10. Info-Tech Research Group 10
Info-Tech Research Group 10
Sample SWOT Analysis
Strengths
• Knowledge, skills, and talent of project staff.
• We have a fairly effective IT PMO in place that we can
model our EPMO processes after.
• Motivation to get things done when priorities, goals,
and action plans are clear.
Weaknesses
• IT-business communication and alignment.
• No standards are currently in place across
departments. Staff are unsure which templates to use
and how/when/why to use them.
• There are no formal intake structures in place for
enterprise spanning projects. They are simply thrust
upon departments and it’s up to us to “figure it out.”
• We have no prioritization practices to keep up with
constantly changing priorities and shifts in the
marketplace.
Opportunities
• Establish portfolio discipline to improve IT-business
communication through more effective and efficient
project coordination.
• Stronger initiation processes should translate to
smoother project execution.
• Establish more disciplined and efficient weekly/monthly
project reporting practices which should facilitate more
effective communication with senior leaders.
Threats
• Risk of introducing burdensome processes and
documentation that takes more time away from getting
things done.
• Success depends on buy-in of one or more senior
executives and the impetus for this EPMO is coming
from the bottom-up. We are currently struggling to
drum up much interest.
11. Info-Tech Research Group 11
Info-Tech Research Group 11
Assess access to skilled PPM staff to support EPMO services
1.1.4 30 Minutes
Resource Type Description Potential Availability
Project Manager Skills
and Experience
• Consider whether your organization has the capacity to dedicate
an adequate number of staff with adequate project management
knowledge and/or qualifications.
Who might help
perform this
responsibility?
Business Analyst Skills
and Experience
• Consider whether your organization has the capacity to dedicate
an adequate number of staff with adequate BA knowledge and/or
qualifications.
Who might help
perform this
responsibility?
Change Management
Skills and Experience
• Consider if your organization has organizational change
management subject matter experts (most often in HR, typically
on a contract or consulting basis).
Who might help
perform this
responsibility?
Supporting Skills and
Expertise
• Consider if your organization has resources dedicated to training
and internal communications.
Who might help perform
this responsibility?
The most prescient consideration when deciding whether or not to
implement an EPMO at the present time will be access to resources to
support the processes and practices you wish to put in place.
You can use the table below to start brainstorming potential EPMO roles,
and to consider who within the organization may need to be engaged to
help fill resourcing needs.
Keep this list high-level and very preliminary
for now. This is just a “first impression” of your
needs. We will refine staffing requirements
with stakeholders during Phase Two of this
blueprint.
12. Info-Tech Research Group 12
Info-Tech Research Group 12
Document additional items that could impact implementation
success
1.1.5 30 minutes
Requirement Description of Need
Possible
Resources
Recommended
Next Steps
Timeline
Dedicated EPMO
portal and
enterprise PPM
(EPPM) tool
In order to support our
reporting processes, we will
require a portal and EPPM
software to assist in the
intake, flow, and accessibility
of project data.
• Train web team.
• Outsource.
• Analyze current and
PPM solutions.
Probably Q1 2015
PM Training We will not only need to train
PM staff in the new
processes and
documentation
requirements, but we will
have to provide ongoing
training, be it monthly,
quarterly, or yearly.
• Outsource training
to third-party
consultants.
• Members of
EPMO staff will be
required to support
this training.
• Analyze impact of
redeploying existing
resources vs.
outsourcing.
Q3 2015
Use the table below to document any additional factors or uncertainties that
could impact implementation success. These could be external factors that
may impact the business, or they could be logistical considerations pertaining
to staffing or infrastructure that may be required to support the implementation
and ongoing maintenance of the EPMO.
The key to quality project planning
is planning for the worst, and the
worst of the worst is the
unexpected.
- Bob Hueston
13. Info-Tech Research Group 13
Info-Tech Research Group 13
Ascertain the right mix of management capabilities for your
EPMO
Based on the insights gleaned from your team SWOT analysis and your review of potential infrastructure and resource
considerations, you should now be better positioned to start building your portfolio network. This is based on an assessment
of your organization’s need for specific enterprise PMO processes and practices resting on the ability of your team to deliver
and support them.
Info-Tech has grouped these processes and practices into three categories of project portfolio management
control:
EPMOs suffer when expectations or mandates are poorly defined. Ensure that you clearly demarcate the
scope and limitations of your EPMO upfront and ensure that expectations and requirements are clearly set for
stakeholders before proceeding.
• Each of these categories is made up of various capabilities that may or may not be required of your
EPMO, depending upon your organizational needs. We will cover these three categories, and the various
capabilities they are comprised of, in the remainder of this section.
• Once you have determined your needs, we will move onto the next section to define the scope and
mandate of your EPMO.
Portfolio Governance PPM Administration Project Leadership
14. Info-Tech Research Group 14
Info-Tech Research Group 14
Record the results of your discussions concerning
your PPM capabilities on Activity Slide 1.1.9.
Gather requirements from executive stakeholders using Info-
Tech’s EPMO Capabilities Survey
Info-Tech Insight
Develop EPMO capabilities that serve the
realization of strategic goals.
The decision to adopt or not adopt certain capabilities
has very little to do with PPM maturity-level
considerations.
While the EPMO’s ability to deliver a process or
service should be a pressing consideration when
determining your EPMO framework, the decision for
the EPMO to adopt particular PPM capabilities should
be based on how it can best accommodate
organizational needs, eliminate waste through effective
coordination, and deliver strategic initiatives.
Info-Tech’s EPMO Capabilities Survey will help you
determine what services your office will need to implement
to best serve the executive layer. The survey questions
are structured across the three PPM domains, and are
meant to address the needs and expectations of
executives when establishing the EPMO’s mandate and
range of services.
Download the template now, and follow the instructions in
the document for executing the survey with stakeholders.
The next three activity slides (1.1.6, 1.1.7, and 1.1.8) will
walk you through the various capabilities that make up
each domain.
Download Info-Tech’s EPMO Capabilities Survey
Your EPMO’s capabilities won’t be determined by the
survey results alone.
The survey results should facilitate a group
discussion—or a series of discussions. During your
discussions, the EPMO leader should come to a
consensus with stakeholders concerning the limits of
EPMO services across Info-Tech’s 3 domains of PPM.
15. Info-Tech Research Group 15
Info-Tech Research Group 15
Assess your organization’s need for an EPMO with
contextually appropriate portfolio governance practices
1.1.6 15 to 30 minutes
Portfolio Governance entails oversight into various practices of management and control that help to shape
a portfolio of projects, and subsequently help to drive the throughput of projects through that portfolio. For the
EPMO, the decision for involvement in these capabilities should be based on executive requirements, EPMO
staffing, and the current involvement of functional silos and portfolios in the execution of these activities.
Capability Description of Capability Adoption Considerations
Intake
Governance
Oversee the intake and prioritization of enterprise-wide
projects and maintain a formal backlog of requests that
are waiting to be green lighted.
Extent of involvement will primarily depend
on EPMO’s place in org structure.
Project
Governance
Provide formal project-level frameworks and processes to
track progress and monitor objectives.
Collaborate with PMOs before deciding
governance footprint.
Project Progress
Reporting
An effective cadence and process in place for accurately
reporting the status of enterprise-wide projects.
Perpetually, current project progress
reporting is a key component of success
with PPM.
Organizational
Capacity
Management
The ability to determine and track the available capacity
for enterprise-wide projects and report this information to
those responsible for approving enterprise projects.
It’s essential that people approving projects
have a current view of the organization’s
capacity for more work.
Scheduling and
Resourcing
The scheduling of approved projects and the assignment
of resources is centralized through EPMO.
Most EPMOs establish timelines and
resourcing plans for projects under their
purview.
Benefits
Realization
Manage and track the short-term and long-term realization
of the intended benefits of the project as documented in
the project charter.
Functional PMOs may be better positioned
to provide it.
16. Info-Tech Research Group 16
Info-Tech Research Group 16
Determine your organization’s needs for an EPMO that is
responsible for PPM administrative functions
1.1.7 15 to 30 minutes
PPM Administration entails providing support to project teams and steering committee members to assist in
the facilitation of communication within and between the two groups. EPMOs with heavy PPM administration
capabilities tend to be more hands-on at the project level, and serve more of a “source of support” function than
EPMOs with heavy governance footprints.
Capability Description of Capability Adoption Considerations
Project Time
Accounting
The ability to report on the actual time spent on
projects vs. the original estimate.
If you’re reporting on planned vs. actual time-
driven costs, you run the risk that the actual costs
are misrepresented in time sheets.
Project Team
Administrative
Support
Provide administrative support to project teams (i.e.
travel arrangements, document distribution, room
bookings, etc.).
When project team members are mostly focused
on project work, it can make sense to centralize
administrative support in the PMO.
Project Cost
Reconciliation
The ability to reconcile overall cost of projects to the
original budget, based on a combination of time and
capital/expense costs.
Reconciliation of project costs can drive closer
attention to detail throughout the life of the
project.
Administrative
Support for Steering
Committee
Provide administrative support for steering
committee/portfolio owner (i.e. travel arrangements,
document distribution, intranet administrations,
room bookings, etc.)
A formalized Steering Committee benefits from
administrative support and the PMO is a natural
choice.
Don’t lose sight of the EPMO’s strategic mission. It makes sense to centralize some administrative function
in the EPMO, but not at the expense of the EPMO’s ability to manage strategy. Initially, take on as much
administrative function as required. Take on more only after the strategic role of the EPMO is mastered.
17. Info-Tech Research Group 17
Info-Tech Research Group 17
Evaluate your organization’s need for an EPMO that provides
project leadership to project managers and teams
1.1.8 15 to 30 minutes
Project Leadership. While your EPMO should play a role in collating project data to ensure it is available to
senior executives, its role in actual project leadership will depend upon the project infrastructure already in
place and the skills and background of the enterprise’s project managers and staff.
Capability Description of Capability Adoption Considerations
Project Manager
Resourcing
EPMO functions as a pool of project managers that the
enterprise can draw from. These PMs provide
leadership and support to project teams on enterprise
projects.
Deploying PM resources from the EPMO can
make sense as long as they provide excellent
examples of process and governance
standards.
Project Manager
Training
EPMO organizes and/or facilitates ongoing formal
training to project managers. The focus of training can
take the form of either or both of the following: (a)
training PMs in processes of EPMO (b) more formal
ongoing project management certification training.
When internal processes and tools are unique
and proprietary, it’s optimal to deliver the
related training internally. Otherwise, this
function may be better outsourced.
Consultation
Services
Provide process and governance frameworks and
training to departments throughout the organization.
This service can add value to an EPMO, but it
should be a secondary consideration to
strategy alignment.
The EPMO’s Project Management function should be secondary to its Portfolio Management function.
Having the EPMO provide project managers and/or project management training can be important, but your first
priority should be ensuring that the portfolio itself is well managed.
18. Info-Tech Research Group 18
Info-Tech Research Group 18
Curate the outcomes of your discussion into a list of your
EPMO’s required PPM competencies
1.1.9 60 to 90 minutes
• Use the survey results to inform the group discussion about what services your EPMO will need to provide. Base your
capabilities on these discussions.
• Once you have compiled a definitive list, and come to executive stakeholder agreement concerning the capabilities,
keep the list handy. You will need it as you begin to define the scope and mandate of your EPMO (covered in Phase 2
of this blueprint) and then again as you begin to build actual processes around the three PPM domains (covered in
Phase 3 of this blueprint).
Capability Stakeholder Comments
Project Manager Resourcing
Project Governance
Administrative Support for Steering
Committee
Scheduling and Resourcing
As you discuss the survey results in the context of your PPM domains, use the table below to start compiling a definitive
list of the capabilities your EPMO will need to cultivate. Use the “Stakeholders Comments” column to record pertinent
comments and relevant points for next steps that come up during your discussions.
19. Info-Tech Research Group 19
Info-Tech Research Group 19
Establish achievable near-term and long-term goals for the
EPMO
1.1.10 30 to 45 minutes
Once you have completed your current and target state questionnaires in the EPMO Capabilities Survey, you will have
a list of the PPM capabilities that your EPMO will need to specialize in, as well as an understanding of where you need
to focus your efforts to hone your abilities.
Use the table below to document your capabilities as well as to gauge the near-term and long-term efforts required to
get them up and running. The near-term effort may be minimal if you already have the processes or infrastructure in
place.
Capability Near-Term Effort Long-Term Goals
Project Progress
Reporting
Establish red/yellow/green reporting
requirements for EPMO projects.
Automate reporting process via a reporting portal.
Administrative
Support for
Steering
Committee
Set up regular meetings with steering
committee.
Hire an additional EPMO resource to perform
administrative functions.
The near-term effort may be minimal if the EPMO already
has processes or infrastructure in place. If nothing is
currently in place, near-term goals should include steps
that are within the authority of the EPMO and do not
require approval or investment outside of that authority.
Long-term goals should include place to optimize processes
already in place or steps that may require a longer approval
process, buy-in of external stakeholders, and the
investment of time and money.
20. Info-Tech Research Group 20
Info-Tech Research Group 20
Define goals and success metrics for implementing this
blueprint
1.1.11 15 to 30 minutes
While reviewing your target state, it is important to consider how EPMO success will be
defined.
• During this process, it is important to consider tentative timelines for success
milestones and to ask: what will success look like and when should it occur by?
• Use the table below to help document success factors and timelines. Follow the
lead of our example in row 1.
Goal Objective Timeline Success factor
Establish intake process
for enterprise initiatives.
Look at pipeline as part of
project intake approach
and adjust priorities as
required.
July 1st Consistently updated
portfolio data. Dashboards
to show back capacity to
customers. SharePoint
development resources.
Establish realistic goals and timelines. As EPMO leader, you will be required to negotiate the realization of
goals with various parties, which introduces a great degree of uncertainty into the process. Factor this
uncertainty into your success factors and be prepared to revise your goals as your implementation progresses.
21. Info-Tech Research Group 21
Info-Tech Research Group 21
Challenge Solution Results
CIO advocates for a formal EPMO, leading to reduced
portfolio waste and improved project results for the enterprise
CASE STUDY
Industry
Source
Industrial Manufacturer
Info-Tech client
The CIO of a large industrial
manufacturer was troubled that
many of the cross-functional
initiatives that IT was a part of
were fraught with
miscommunications and
coordination mishaps.
It was not uncommon for large,
high risk initiatives to run over-
schedule, over-budget, and fail to
achieve all of the strategic goals
identified in their charters.
In addition, the CIO felt that a debt
was being incurred across the
organization by not sharing
services across silos.
In dialogue with other senior
executives, and working with
project staff from across the
enterprise, the CIO established an
EPMO that specialized in portfolio
and resource management.
Utilizing a PPM solution, the
EPMO focused on delivering
improved visibility to enterprise
projects in order to help mitigate
risk and improve coordination.
The EPMO also focused on a
“people approach,” serving as a
catalyst between stakeholders and
helping to share best practices
across departments.
With better visibility and improved
communication, cross-functional
project results improved. Through
the top-down view provided by the
EPMO, stakeholders became
better positioned to intervene as
problems arose. Through the
EPMO’s services, the organization
experienced a greater ROI on its
strategic investments.
Additionally, coordination improved
across the organization’s project
activity. Relationships that had
become tenuous due to poorly
defined roles became easier to
navigate due to better process
clarity.
22. Info-Tech Research Group 22
Info-Tech Research Group 22
The following are sample activities that will be conducted by Info-Tech analysts with your team:
Book a workshop with our Info-Tech analysts:
If you want additional support, have our analysts guide
you through this phase as part of an Info-Tech workshop
1.1.2
1.1.3
• To accelerate this project, engage your IT team in an Info-Tech workshop with an Info-
Tech analyst team.
• Info-Tech analysts will join you and your team onsite at your location or welcome you to
Info-Tech’s historic Toronto office to participate in an innovative onsite workshop.
• Contact your account manager (www.infotech.com/account), or email
Workshops@InfoTech.com for more information.
Identify places where the EPMO could intervene to improve the flow of information to
decision makers and project stakeholders.
Document the organizational flow of portfolio data
Perform an analyst-driven SWOT analysis and receive expert advice to help translate
areas of opportunity and strength into concrete next steps.
Perform a SWOT analysis to document areas of opportunity
Insert your
headshot
here
23. Info-Tech Research Group 23
Info-Tech Research Group 23
If you want additional support, have our analysts guide
you through this phase as part of an Info-Tech workshop
Book a workshop with our Info-Tech analysts:
1.1.5
1.1.9
Work with an industry analyst to assess your organizational landscape and identify
potential barriers and roadblocks that could limit an EPMO implementation.
Document infrastructure and resourcing constraints that could
impact implementation
Gather a group of internal stakeholders and undergo an analyst-driven capability
assessment. Identify your current state and define a target state in terms of
enterprise project portfolio management (EPPM) capabilities.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations for your fledgling
EPMO. Work with an analyst to set goals that will help drive the realization of
organizational strategy.
Define achievable near-term and long-term goals for the EPMO
Perform an EPMO capability assessment
1.1.6 - 1.1.8