Every company has strategically important projects whose implementation has a profound impact on the future success of the company. Often such large-scale projects or programs take many years and are comprised of tens of thousands of man-days and a corresponding budget in the millions. In order to speed up implementation, different topics are worked on in parallel within these programs. These programs are, of course, entrusted to highly experienced project managers, who may rely on a corresponding Program Management Office (PMO) for support. However, even if this initial situation is comparable for different companies, the degree of project success varies from company to company, and even between separate projects of the same company. What is the reason for this, and what are the characteristics of an effective PMO?
According to our experiences managing and reviewing numerous large-scale projects, my colleagues at Eurogroup Consulting and I have found the following aspects to be particularly relevant to the characterization of sustainable and effective PMO work: