Module 10

Building Your PMO Strategy

In this module you will bring everything together into a practical PMO strategy.

Estimated study time: about 50 minutes. Suggested week: 10.

10.1 Define PMO purpose and services

Use the Wheel to state your PMO's mission in one sentence, then list the services that deliver it. A one-page PMO strategy usually shows five things: purpose, strategic priorities, operating model, a 12-month roadmap and success measures.

10.2 Build your operating model

Define services across the four domains. For each service, say who provides it, who uses it and how you will know it is working.

10.3 Create your roadmap

Prioritise improvements by strategic impact, and be realistic about how much you can do at once. A common sequence is:

• Quarter 1: governance foundations
• Quarter 2: planning development
• Quarter 3: capability development
• Quarter 4: value and continuous improvement integration

Governance often comes first because the other domains depend on clear decisions and standards.

10.4 Communicate your strategy

Anchor executive conversations in the PMO Wheel, the maturity model, the improvement cycle and the case studies. Keep it to one page, lead with value and the decisions you need, and tailor it to the audience.

Key points

• A good strategy has a purpose, priorities, an operating model, a roadmap and success measures.
• Sequence the roadmap by impact and dependency.
• Communicate in terms of value and decisions.

Activity: Strategy

Final assignment: write a full PMO strategy document.

• Use the Wheel, the improvement cycle and the maturity model.
• Include your purpose, your current maturity from Module 8, priorities for each domain, a 12-month roadmap and success measures.
• Say how you will review progress using the improvement cycle.
• Aim for about two pages.

Write your answer in your own notes or learning journal. Use the ideas in this module to check your thinking.