A guide to
be
successful
in large
projects
Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

What is PMO?
Pushing and controlling skills
PMO´s Kit
“TBD” dilemma suffered by PMO
Removing rugs
The PMO Fighter secrets
The successful formula
What is PMO ?
Definition
Objective: support and administrate Project Management efforts in
organizations.
A Project Management Office (PMO) is a management structure that standardizes
the Project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources,
methodologies, tools and techniques. The responsabilities of a PMO can range from
providing project management support functions to actually being responsible for the
direct management of one or more projects.(PMBOK, 2013)

PMO is an organizational entity responsible for integrate projects and
provide products/services in the Supportive, Controlling and Directive
levels.
References:
Project Management Office
Program Management Office, Project Support Office
Excelence Center in Project Management
Project Control Office
Pushing and
controlling skills
Becoming familiar with the project
"If you are not crazy pushing and controlling, you can be anything but
a PMO“
understand
the project
at the
highest level
learn how to
manage
through an
unfamiliar
project

identify action
items,
conflict of interest,
main delays

PMO´s
Duty
find out how to
ask information
and advice

identify
milestones, top
issues and risks

map
stakeholders
PMO´s Kit
Kit
1 Templates

have meeting minutes, status
report, organizational structure,
action items control
2 Contacts List

from main managers and directors
3 WBS

understand fastly the work to be
done in the project
4 Risk Management

create a probability and impact
matrix of project´s risks

5 Roles and responsibilities matrix

avoid problems between PMOs
and PMs
6 Action Items Control

have only 1 owner with due date
7 Follow-up process

make sure that checking out the
pending activities is part of your
routine, whether daily or weekly
8 Critical Path

keep close tabs to make sure the
activities will be done by the
deadline

"The PMO´s biggest mission is to keep an eye on the upcoming
“tsunamis” that might ruin the project"
Kit
9 Status Report

report achievements, top issues &
risks, action plan
10 Meeting Minutes

register decisions, risks and action
items
11 Schedule

have a real vision of the project´s
progress
12 S Curve

helping to predict/foresee a
direction change

13 Macro planning

create “project stages vs. working
fronts” through a timeline
14 Dashboard

easily shows the team
project/working fronts status
15 Visible Management

making visible and easily
understood the working
front/project status
16 Working Tools

automate content and project
management
“TBD” dilemma
suffered by PMO
Leading with famous “TBD”
"Accepting and reporting TBDs might be a PMO’s risky behavior, because it
might become a “lifestyle”. Suddenly all deadlines are missed …”
Do not accept TBD

Remove
…
“TBD”

Request TBD date

Establish the date
Removing rugs
Removing rugs
"Try helping removing the “rugs” to show the truth and help the
manager with the critical points and delays"
• Making complex
charts simple,
consolidating them
with number charts

• Showing pending
matters

Simple

Critical

High
level

True

• Complex schedules
into a few lines and
some important
milestones

• To be impartial
and
communicate
the true
The PMO Fighter
secrets
The secrets
Scope

Time

Costs

Risks

Communication

Procurement

Stakeholders

Integration

Quality

PMO´s
Focus
The secrets
Scope

Time

• know the scope of the project
PMO is in charge of

• define reach and deph (macro
planning)

• control CRs

• detail work fronts

• consider assumptions and
restrictions to define project´s
scope
Risks

• map risks
• create probability and impact
matrix

Costs
• have budget skills
• separate technical approvals
from commercial approvals

• avoid commercial and technical
solutions cost discussions
Communication
• listen more and talk less
• confirm understanding

Procurement
• know about negotiation
process

• define what and how to
communicate

• plan the steps

Stakeholders
• map stakeholders

Integration
• Identify the integrator

• Identify level of influence

• push hard about positioning
and sidelines control

Quality
• ensure best practices,
standards and procedures

• Define mitigation actions with
PM

• manage conflicts
The successful
formula
Results
"They know that the best PMO is not the one that hit stronger, but
the one who receives the strongest hit and keep motivate to work"

Push and Control

Remove rugs

Remove “TBD”

Prioritize

Support to the PM
Status interpretation

Success

Time to market
Escalation
linkedin.com/in/luizdelcol
luizdc@gmail.com
masildepaula@ig.com.br

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Presentation PMO Fighter

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Topics • • • • • • • What is PMO? Pushingand controlling skills PMO´s Kit “TBD” dilemma suffered by PMO Removing rugs The PMO Fighter secrets The successful formula
  • 3.
  • 4.
    Definition Objective: support andadministrate Project Management efforts in organizations. A Project Management Office (PMO) is a management structure that standardizes the Project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools and techniques. The responsabilities of a PMO can range from providing project management support functions to actually being responsible for the direct management of one or more projects.(PMBOK, 2013) PMO is an organizational entity responsible for integrate projects and provide products/services in the Supportive, Controlling and Directive levels. References: Project Management Office Program Management Office, Project Support Office Excelence Center in Project Management Project Control Office
  • 5.
  • 6.
    Becoming familiar withthe project "If you are not crazy pushing and controlling, you can be anything but a PMO“ understand the project at the highest level learn how to manage through an unfamiliar project identify action items, conflict of interest, main delays PMO´s Duty find out how to ask information and advice identify milestones, top issues and risks map stakeholders
  • 7.
  • 8.
    Kit 1 Templates have meetingminutes, status report, organizational structure, action items control 2 Contacts List from main managers and directors 3 WBS understand fastly the work to be done in the project 4 Risk Management create a probability and impact matrix of project´s risks 5 Roles and responsibilities matrix avoid problems between PMOs and PMs 6 Action Items Control have only 1 owner with due date 7 Follow-up process make sure that checking out the pending activities is part of your routine, whether daily or weekly 8 Critical Path keep close tabs to make sure the activities will be done by the deadline "The PMO´s biggest mission is to keep an eye on the upcoming “tsunamis” that might ruin the project"
  • 9.
    Kit 9 Status Report reportachievements, top issues & risks, action plan 10 Meeting Minutes register decisions, risks and action items 11 Schedule have a real vision of the project´s progress 12 S Curve helping to predict/foresee a direction change 13 Macro planning create “project stages vs. working fronts” through a timeline 14 Dashboard easily shows the team project/working fronts status 15 Visible Management making visible and easily understood the working front/project status 16 Working Tools automate content and project management
  • 10.
  • 11.
    Leading with famous“TBD” "Accepting and reporting TBDs might be a PMO’s risky behavior, because it might become a “lifestyle”. Suddenly all deadlines are missed …” Do not accept TBD Remove … “TBD” Request TBD date Establish the date
  • 12.
  • 13.
    Removing rugs "Try helpingremoving the “rugs” to show the truth and help the manager with the critical points and delays" • Making complex charts simple, consolidating them with number charts • Showing pending matters Simple Critical High level True • Complex schedules into a few lines and some important milestones • To be impartial and communicate the true
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
    The secrets Scope Time • knowthe scope of the project PMO is in charge of • define reach and deph (macro planning) • control CRs • detail work fronts • consider assumptions and restrictions to define project´s scope Risks • map risks • create probability and impact matrix Costs • have budget skills • separate technical approvals from commercial approvals • avoid commercial and technical solutions cost discussions Communication • listen more and talk less • confirm understanding Procurement • know about negotiation process • define what and how to communicate • plan the steps Stakeholders • map stakeholders Integration • Identify the integrator • Identify level of influence • push hard about positioning and sidelines control Quality • ensure best practices, standards and procedures • Define mitigation actions with PM • manage conflicts
  • 17.
  • 18.
    Results "They know thatthe best PMO is not the one that hit stronger, but the one who receives the strongest hit and keep motivate to work" Push and Control Remove rugs Remove “TBD” Prioritize Support to the PM Status interpretation Success Time to market Escalation
  • 19.