Project Management Office:
Goals and Expectations
New Mexico State University
Agenda
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PMO Questions
PMO Goals
Project Structure
Escalation Model
Expectations
New Mexico State University
PMO Questions
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What is the purpose of the PMO?
What are the goals of the PMO?
How will projects be executed?
How will project issues be resolved?
New Mexico State University
PMO Goals
• Primary Goals
– Streamline project request pipeline
• Define process for submission and prioritization of projects
• Manage project portfolio
– Foster better prioritization of projects
• Actively engage the UNO DC prioritization committee as a decision
making body
• Goal is to have a 6 months lead time for any project
• Goal is to prioritize projects for a 6 month to 1 year period
• Minimize the number of “Emergency Projects”
– Provide project management guidelines
• Standardized, repeatable and successful project execution
• Create tools and standards
New Mexico State University
PMO Goals
• Primary Goals
– Provide a framework for resource allocation and tracking
• Resource time to be tracked by Project Manager(s)
– Be a catalyst for risk identification and issue resolution
– Disseminate information on current projects
New Mexico State University
Project Structure
• Key Players
– Project Sponsor
• Provides executive level support to a project
• Responsible, along with the project manager(s), to create a
Project Charter that embodies the scope of the project and the
mandate to execute it
New Mexico State University
Project Structure
• Key Players
– Project Manager(s)
• Functional and Technical
• Ultimately responsible for success of the project
• Responsible for following project execution processes under
advisement from the PMO
• Responsible for resource identification, assignment and tracking
New Mexico State University
Project Structure
• Key Players
– PMO
• Responsible for engaging the UNO DC prioritization committee to
prioritize the project
• Ramps up the project from initiation to Project Charter
– Oversees project execution through closure
• Works with the Project Manager(s) to gather requirements and
provide estimates
• Assists with timeline creation and tracking; ultimate responsibility
rests with the Project Manager(s)
• Creates a matrix to categorize projects and defines the subprocesses needed for each project
– Example: Do we need a communication plan?
New Mexico State University
Project Structure
• Key Players
– Most important layer
• Developers, DBAs, System Administrator and Functional experts
working as a cross departmental team to ensure success of the
project
New Mexico State University
Project Structure
Project Sponsor(s)
Project Managers
(Technical/Functional)
Our primary role in a project:
•Owners of project execution process
•Consulting
•Oversight
•Issue Resolution
1. Provide Executive Support
2. Project Charter
PMO
1. Project process consulting
2. PMO assists with requirements gathering and
estimation
3. Issue Resolution
4. Project Manager(s) create timeline and other
documentation
Developer
DBA
Sys-admin
Functional
from ICTEAS from ICTDBA from ICTUSA
Expert
New Mexico State University
Project Structure
• PMO will manage a project when…
– It is explicitly charged with execution by a
Project Sponsor
– PMO will assign a Project Manager from its
team
– PMO will manage project resources
– PMO will be responsible for the success of the
project
New Mexico State University
Escalation Model
• PMO will act as third party for issue resolution
when …
– PMO standards are not being followed
– PMO can be the initiator in this case
– Request for escalation by a Project Manager
– PMO identifies an adverse risk to a project
– PMO is the initiator in this case
• Escalation is time bound
New Mexico State University
Escalation Model
Level 1:
•PM escalates to PMO
•PMO documents issue
and attempts to resolve
Level 2:
•PMO escalates
to Sponsor if
Level 1 fails
Level 3:
•PMO escalates to
Executive Level if
Level 2 fails
New Mexico State University
Expectations
• PMO Charter under review by executive
management
• Please be patient with us
– We are defining the project processes
– We will release a project process handbook soon
• There will be a learning curve
– A new process always leads to a change in culture and
mindset
• Flexibility in adapting to different situations is the
key
– There is no cookie cutter formula for project management.
There are only guidelines.
New Mexico State University
We are open to ideas.
New Mexico State University
Questions
ict_pmo@nmsu.edu
or
Contact: Pam Jeffries
646-7224
New Mexico State University