Project Management Department

A project management office (abbreviated to PMO) is a group or department within a business, government agency, or enterprise that defines and maintains standards for project management within the organization. The PMO strives to standardize and introduce economies of repetition in the execution of projects. The PMO is the source of documentation, guidance and metrics on the practice of project management and execution.

Darling & Whitty (2016) note the definition of the PMO's function has evolved over time:

• The 1800s project office was a type of national governance of the agricultural industry
• 1939 appears as the earliest instance of the term 'project management office' being published
• The 1950s concept of the PMO is representative of what a contemporary PMO looks like
• Today the PMO is a dynamic entity used to solve specific issues

Types

There are a range of PMO types, including:

• Enterprise PMO: ensures that projects align with the organization strategy and objective; these have the broadest remit of all PMO types, typically reporting direct to the CEO (or similar role), and have authority to make strategic and tactical decisions across all projects.
• Divisional PMO: provides support to projects for a specific business unit within an organization; includes portfolio management, training, resource planning, and project coordination.
• Project PMO: established for the duration of a single large project or program; includes administrative support, controlling, reporting and monitoring.
• Project Management Center of Excellence (PMCoE): defines standardized project management standards, procedures, methods and tools to support project teams across an entire organization; includes administrative services and training in process, methodology, and tools.