For organizations with a PMO (Project Management Office), implementing an enterprise-wide transition to an agile style may require multiple departments to simultaneously change the way they work. In an agile team, the traditional role of the PMO needs to change. Charles G. "Chuck" Cobb, expert agile project manager, consultant, and book author, recently shared his thoughts on agile PMOs.
InfoQ did a special interview with Charles about the role of the PMO in an agile organization.
InfoQ: What are the main responsibilities of a PMO in an agile organization?
This question implies that there is a model that clearly defines what an "agile" organization is, but I don't agree with that. There are many types of organizations and their characteristics vary, and I don't think there is a single standard that defines exactly what an "agile" organization is.
There is a very common misconception that companies can only make binary and mutually exclusive choices when choosing an "agile" or "waterfall" development process. mode to an extreme state. The correct solution should be to adapt the open approach to business needs, and in many cases, both development approaches should be combined. For this reason, there is no standard model for what is called an "agile organization", and there is no standard definition of roles for a PMO (if the enterprise sets it up).
Generally speaking, it is the responsibility of any PMO to maximize the ROI of the project portfolio within the organization, which they do by:
Facilitates the portfolio management process by selecting the package of projects likely to deliver the highest return to the business. In this case, the PMO plays a facilitation role—while the commercial sponsor is the real decision maker throughout the project management process.
As a focal point for managing and reporting project progress, it is the PMO's responsibility to verify that all projects are on track to achieve their goals. The focus of this role is to keep track of project costs and planned goals.
Standardize and implement project management processes to ensure that projects are properly managed and effectively aligned with the company's business objectives.
In general, when an organization makes a directional change towards agile, the role of the PMO (if a PMO exists) also needs to change as follows:
The portfolio management process will become more dynamic, and business agencies may replace the PMO with a more direct role in the management process.
The PMO will continue to play the role of consolidating data when reporting on project progress, but this role can be replaced by appropriate project management tools that allow project teams to track and report on the progress of their own projects. At the same time, the overall management focus is likely to shift from cost and time management to a focus on delivering tangible business value.
The PMO is less focused on being a "process enforcer" than it used to be, and more like a consultant support role, ensuring that the entire process support team is getting the most out of it.
InfoQ: You mentioned the adaptive type of PMO organization. Please expand on this point. How is this PMO different from a traditional PMO?
There are no black and white boundaries between agile organizations, adaptive organizations, and traditional organizations, but rather they are distributed in a continuous interval. One end of the interval is an organization that is driven strictly by plan, and the other end is an organization that is very adaptive. strong organization.
InfoQ: How do you feel about the importance of PMOs embracing agile values?
Ideally, there should be a consistent set of values across the organization, and the PMO as a member is no exception. Since the PMO is the governing body of the organization, you can argue that the PMO is particularly important for building the enterprise's agile values.
InfoQ: How should the PMO work closely with the product manager?
Product managers represent corporate sponsors and guide the direction of the business. Generally speaking, PMO does not play a direct role in the business chain. The PMO may play a supporting role, such as providing training, mentoring, and coaching the agile team, including the product owner, to help them maximize their effectiveness.