If you are thinking about implementing a Project Management Office (PMO) in your organization, or if you already have one and it needs some fine tuning, a PMO assessment can pinpoint where weak areas exist. Having a weak PMO can result in insufficient visibility into project progress, inconsistent project management practices, poor resource allocation, risk management challenges, lack of strategic alignment, and hinder the sense of comradery between individual project managers and other departments. When assessing your PMO needs, you may also need to look at specific methodologies that are the best fit for your organization's goals. Perhaps a supportive PMO, with a lower level of authority and a focus on problem-solving and guidance, is the best fit for your organization. Or maybe you are looking to implement a more top-down, disciplined approach to managing your projects and would like to establish a controlling PMO. Whether you are at the beginning stages of implementing a new PMO or already have a robust organization powered by a tenured Project Management Office, assessments give the ability to look at your PMO with a fresh set of eyes.
MustardSeed’s free PMO Assessment is a quick and easy tool to provide an evidence-based qualitative and quantitative analysis of your organization’s PMO maturity. Our PMO assessment will suggest specific actions you can take to immediately increase the impact of your PMO. If our PMO assessment rating and recommendations spark your interest, or perhaps you’d just like to start with a conversation, consulting with an expert is a useful way to get an outside perspective and consider your strategy for future PMO growth.
Asking an expert to assess your organization’s PMO is not a one-size-fits-all approach. A thoughtful consultant will consider many factors when deciding how to improve or enhance your PMO – industry, product mix, team dynamics, tools, etc. Depending on internal capacity and organizational complexity, you might just be looking for a one-time conversation to spur ideation, or the consultation could take a few weeks or a few months. It is important to find a consultant you trust, who is willing to meet you where you are in the PMO assessment process.
When we evaluate our clients’ PMOs at MustardSeed, we typically sit down with team members of all levels, either one-on-one or in small groups, to gather a full picture of project management processes – the good and the bad. Our assessment process involves a series of probing questions such as:
How do current project management processes benefit you?
What is missing from your current project management process?
What are the biggest pain points in your day-to-day schedule?
What does communication look like between your team and others in the organization?
After the interviews and assessment, the consultant’s real work begins. They will analyze the information collected and start forming PMO processes and recommendations that your team can implement immediately and long-term. While utilizing an expert to assess your organization’s PMO may be time-consuming, an outside consultant can truly transform your PMO.
Whether you choose to assess your PMO through MustardSeed’s online assessment, through a conversation with our team of experts or another external consulting firm, be sure to find experts who understand your industry and have a deep knowledge of project management and PMO best practices. In the end, a PMO is more than just a group of project managers; it should support your business in achieving short- and long-term goals while looking at the big picture. A mature PMO can take your product and business to the next level.