University of Nebraska
Computing Services Network
Project Management Office
Project Charter
Prepared by:
Version:
Document #:
Date:
PMO-001
Todd Brindley
1.0
PMO-001
July 23, 2008
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Document History
Document Revision
Version #
1.0
Initial Draft
Document Owner
Name
Todd Brindley
Release Notes
Author(s)
Todd Brindley
Title
IT Project Manager
Document Distribution
Name
Type of
Copy
Walter Weir
Approve
Issue Date
Organization
E-Mail
CSN
tbrindley@nebraska.edu
Tel.
472-7675
Title
Organization
E-Mail
Tel.
CIO
CSN
wweir@nebraska.edu
472-2111
Don Mihulka
Approve
Associate CIO
CSN
dmihulka@nebraska.edu
472-8344
Rick Golden
Approve
Assistant CIO
CSN
rgolden@nebraska.edu
472-7626
Kimberly Harper
Approve
Director
CSN
kkharper@nebraska.edu
472-7518
Joshua Mauk
Approve
ISO
CSN
jmauk@nebraska.edu
472-1349
Sheryl Gartner
Approve
Director
CSN
sgartner@nebraska.edu
472-4705
CSN Staff
Review
N/A
CSN
N/A
N/A
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Table of Contents
1.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................... 1
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
2.
PROJECT PARAMETERS ............................................................................ 4
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
2.5.
2.6.
2.7.
2.8.
2.9.
3.
4.
Business Objectives ..................................................................................... 4
Assumptions ................................................................................................. 5
Constraints ................................................................................................... 5
Success Criteria ........................................................................................... 6
The PMO is Not ............................................................................................ 7
PMO Metrics ................................................................................................. 7
Expected Benefits......................................................................................... 8
PMO as a Training Provider ....................................................................... 10
Resource Planning ..................................................................................... 10
PROJECT SCOPE ...................................................................................... 11
PMO ORGANIZATION ................................................................................ 12
4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
5.
6.
Purpose ........................................................................................................ 1
Goals & Objectives ....................................................................................... 1
PMO Mission ................................................................................................ 2
Intended Audience........................................................................................ 2
Background .................................................................................................. 2
1.5.1. Business Drivers ............................................................................. 3
Approach ...................................................................................................... 3
PMO Stakeholders ..................................................................................... 12
Resource Requirements ............................................................................. 12
4.2.1. Core Team .................................................................................... 12
PMO Escalation Model ............................................................................... 13
PROJECT ESCALATION MODEL ............................................................. 14
APPROVAL SIGNATURES ........................................................................ 15
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1.
Purpose
The Project Management Office (PMO) is being created to serve the University’s
Computing Services Network (CSN) Department. A very important part of this support
effort is the implementation of project management best practices (project charters,
project plans, scope change control, etc) that facilitate communication to the Customers
of CSN. The mission of the PMO is two-fold:
1. Deliver project support to the Organization (CSN) and its Customers by providing
guidance in project management processes and methodologies in a manner that is
efficient, consistent, and standardized.
2. Provide mentoring and coaching in an effort to raise the project management maturity
level of the organization.
1.2.
Goals & Objectives
Deliver successful IT projects
Provide Project Management
oversight for select IT projects.
services
and
Build Project Management
maturity at the organizational
level
Mentor, train and guide the organization’s project
teams as they learn and then adopt PM best
practices in their projects.
Serve as the organization’s
authority on IT Project
Management practices
Define the standard, provide the tools (templates)
and then be the resident advocate and model for
good Project Management practice.
Manage IT Project Portfolio
Set standards for project approval processes.
Provide leadership for team(s) charged with
reviewing, authorizing and monitoring IT projects.
Keep CSN Strategic
Leadership Team and Project
Community informed
Provide a channel of communication of high level
portfolio and project status between CSN and
Leadership Team. Also, facilitate channels of
communication for project status and issues with
CSN.
The ability of the PMO to effectively achieve its mission depends heavily on the inclusion
of project management in the organization’s culture. In turn, the implementation of Project
Management in this culture relies on the use of collaboration and compromise to develop
and implement the necessary methodologies, standards, guidelines, policies and
procedures.
Through sponsorship by the CIO, supervision by CSN Leadership, and partnership with
CSN Customers, the PMO gains:
 Authority it needs to promote CSN-wide organizational change effectively
 Independence that can sustain objectivity
 Oversight that can keep its work aligned with the organization’s business strategy
 Legitimacy as it fosters an effective, enterprise approach.
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1.3.
PMO Mission
The CSN Project Management Office (PMO) implements and supports project
management standards and methodology to facilitate our organization’s ability to
effectively deliver quality products within estimates and expectations.
The PMO will operate under the following guiding principal:
The success of the PMO is derived from the success of its customers.
The PMO considers a project to be highly successful when the following are true:
 Pre-defined Business Objectives and Project Goals were achieved or exceeded (i.e.,
the project satisfied the need that created it)
 All deliverables included in the project scope were implemented
 An appropriate quality product is implemented and utilized
 Project delivery met or beat schedule and budget targets
 There are multiple winners:
o Project participants have pride of ownership and feel good about their work
o The customer is happy
o Management has met its goals
 Project results helped build a good reputation for CSN.
 Methods are in place for continual monitoring and evaluation.
1.4.
Intended Audience
Group/Individual
Rick Golden
Don Mihulka
Joshua Mauk
Sheryl Gartner
Kimberly Harper
Walter Weir
Responsibility
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review/Present
Signoff
The project charter is an evolving document that is continually revised to reflect any
changes in the project, ensuring it continues to be a valid definition of the agreement
between all project stakeholders.
1.5.
Background
CSN has demonstrated the ability to deliver projects, even with budget and resource
constraints. With the goal of “doing the right things” in mind, CSN implemented ProSight
(a Portfolio Management tool) and a set of project tracking processes in 2000 to collect
information about what CSN was accomplishing with its resources. Eight years later,
CSN wants to integrate “doing the right things” with “doing them right”, through effective
project management, combined with project selection, prioritization and adoption
practices.
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1.5.1. Business Drivers
CSN Leadership and stakeholders require that CSN continue to improve its ability to
successfully and efficiently complete IT projects and provide necessary IT services to the
University. CSN’s need for continuous improvement is imperative when considering
upcoming major projects (e.g., Identity Management, Disaster Recovery), anticipated
budget constraints, and changes due to evolving technology.
Developing an effective PMO will help CSN support the University’s and CSN’s initiatives,
specifically:
 University of Nebraska’s Strategic Goal #6: The University of Nebraska will be cost
effective and accountable to the citizens of the state, by:
o Ensuring that we are doing the right projects, by better aligning efforts with the
University’s strategic goals
o Executing work more effectively and efficiently
o Maximizing our resources, both funding and human capital
 CSN’s initiative #4: Promote strategic organizations by developing and supporting
operational and strategic planning tools and processes by:
o Developing a standardized project and portfolio management delivery process
o Implementing a set of tools and standards for demand and resource allocations
1.6.
Approach
Develop, implement and staff a PMO responsible for creating, implementing and
maintaining well-defined project management standards. Because a PMO does not exist
today, CSN will need a PMO Lead, Project Manager(s) and individuals to support PMIS
tool(s). The CSN PMO will be developed using the experience of the Project Manager
currently on CSN’s staff.
An evaluation of the number of projects by project
categorization (e.g., small, medium, large) will need to be conducted in order to address
the specific PMO staffing requirements. In addition, a requirements analysis will need to
be conducted to address the adoption of project and portfolio management tools and the
implementation of specific project management standards/procedures and tools.
Rollout and maturity of the PMO will utilize but will not be limited to the following steps:
 The PMO functions and services/deliverables will be prioritized and implemented
in a time-phased manner.
 A subset of CSN projects will be identified and selected to pilot the project
management standards/procedures and tools.
 The standards and procedures used to manage the pilot projects will be
assessed and revised (based on project outcomes, lessons learned exercises
and continuous staff feedback), resulting in the formal roll out of CSN’s project
management standards and procedures.
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2. PROJECT PARAMETERS
2.1.
Business Objectives
In order to support the University’s and CSN’s initiatives, CSN must focus on developing
and/or improving a number of capabilities. The PMO, under the guidance of CSN
Leadership, will be responsible for developing, implementing, executing and monitoring
the following critical areas:
1. Deliver successful IT projects:
 Implement a single, integrated tool for portfolio, project, resource, and work
demand management.
 Portfolio Resource Monitoring and Allocation: Utilize resource tracking tools to
monitor resource availability as a sufficient level of granularity to surface potential
resource conflicts and shortfalls.
 Resource Coordination: Coordinate closely with CSN supervisors to identify and
allocate resources required for individual projects.
 Project Planning: Manage the Project Management LifeCycle (PMLC) using
actionable performance metrics and project management methodologies that
enable us to meet budget, scope and schedule goals.
 Risk Management and Mitigation: Develop a comprehensive process that allows
us to audit and track project risks (including risks to the business case)
throughout the PMLC.
2. Build Project Management maturity at the organizational level:
 Project and Portfolio Governance: Establish, and continually review and refine, a
standardized project management framework.
 Project Manager Coaching and Development: Provide CSN staff with training,
mentoring and standardized templates to drive project management excellence.
3. Serve as the organization’s authority on IT Project Management practices:
 Best Practice Collection and Dissemination: Implement a process to analyze
project successes and failures to raise awareness, distill best practices and
educate others on the benefits project management offers to our organization.
 Business Case Development: Deploy standard business case templates for all
project investments that capture project lifecycle costs, benefits and risks.
 Requirements Definition: Partner with CSN leadership and our customers to
translate customer needs into specific project deliverables and outcomes.
 Project Postmortems/Audits: Develop processes to allow for 360-degree view of
project delivery process.
4. Manage IT Project Portfolio
 Project Idea Screening: Partner with CSN leadership and our customers to
promote developing effective project business cases, benefits estimations and
selection processes.
 Portfolio Definition: Partner with CSN leadership and our customers to determine
the essential components of the CSN project portfolio.
 Portfolio Prioritizations: Develop a comprehensive, fact-based portfolio of
assessment criteria to ensure optimal deployment of CSN resources (funding,
people, and time).
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5. Keep CSN Strategic Leadership Team and Project Community informed:
 Metrics Tracking and Reporting: Develop processes to collect and report portfolio
management, project management, demand management and resource
management metrics to the appropriate stakeholders to allow for better decision
making.
 Maintain a PMO Web site.
2.2.
Assumptions
 An experienced Project Management Professional will develop and maintain
methodologies and standards consistent with those outlined by the Project
Management Institute (PMI).
 Stakeholders will buy into the defined project methodologies and processes. This
includes using the Project Management Information System (PMIS) as the standard
and only project management tool and management will enforce compliance to
defined project methodologies and processes.
 Project Manager(s) will have needed authority for managing CSN project activities
and will report directly to the PMO.
 Training on established methodologies and tools will be provided for staff at every
level of the organization.
 CSN leadership will hold themselves, staff and customers accountable to the
standards and procedures developed as a part of the PMO.
 CSN executives and leadership will be vocal and positively support project
management efforts and work in collaboration with the PMO to make this a center of
excellence for CSN.
 CSN staff that may be interested in, and show an aptitude for, project management
will be considered for PMO roles.
 With the direction and support of the CIO, the creation, implementation and operation
of the PMO will be a priority for CSN with staffing and funding considerations
allocated accordingly.
2.3.
Constraints
 Executive support for required resources to develop and maintain PMO.
 Buy-in of PMO by staff that are resistant to change.
 Human tendency to employ ‘old’ ways and work without defined (and agreed upon)
objectives, scope and plan.
 Current project workload
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2.4.
Success Criteria
Critical Success Factors
The following may be considered necessary steps CSN Leadership can take that help
ensure PMO success:
 CSN needs to fund the PMO functions.
 Proper funding and prioritization of training programs. The key to success for a PMO is
results, and training is a key foundation for results in Project Management. Therefore, it
is critical to receive proper funding and support from the management team of PM
training programs.
 Setting and communicating SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely)
goals
 CSN Leadership Team provides the PMO with unanimous, visible, and vocal support
 Introduction of PMO functions in a phased manner. We should not try to do this all at
once.
Additional Success Factors
The PMO will be more successful in the long-term if the following can be achieved:
 A consistent approach to planning and managing projects is implemented across the
division
 Internal Project Management training is provided at all levels (from staff to Senior
Executive)
 Project Management is recognized as a core competency (i.e. as part of the division's
culture)
 The PMO’s balance between project support and control functions is defined and
communicated to ensure that departments understand what is expected of them and
what they should expect from the PMO
 The PMO leverages industry standards and best practices
 The organization defines its strategy; the PMO focuses on those projects central to
realization of the strategy
 The PMO adjusts its operation based on continuous staff and customer feedback
 The PMO designs a scalable Project Management system (process and tools).
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2.5.
The PMO is Not
Just as it is important to describe the services provided by the PMO, it is also important to
clarify what functions/services are not the responsibilities of the PMO. This is not meant
to be a complete list. Rather, its purpose is to shed light on key areas of responsibility.
 The responsibility of successfully managing projects rests with the project manager;
the responsibility of the projects’ success rests with management support and
technical expertise. The PMO can help the project manager be successful, but the
PMO is not taking over the accountability for individual project success.
 Implementing project management is a process, not an event. The PMO should be
established with a long-term horizon in mind. If the PMO is established with a shortterm deployment mindset, and not a long-term culture change mindset, it will
ultimately be unsuccessful.
 The PMO may take responsibility for consolidating and reporting high level status to
CSN Leadership. However, the Project Manager is the main point of communication
between the customers and project sponsors.
 The responsibility of the management of resources lies with the CSN management
and project managers. The PMO will partner with the resource managers to ensure
the divisions resource constraints are reflected in the scheduling and prioritization of
projects.
 The focus of the PMO is to implement project management discipline at CSN, not to
require arbitrary project documentation. Project documentation exists for the benefit
of the project and the organization, not for the fulfillment of some documentation
standard.
2.6.
PMO Metrics
Metrics should measure those aspects of PMO performance that are directly related to its
Mission. On that basis, the following areas of focus can be used to judge PMO value:
 Written project description created for all major project activities (i.e. Project Charter,
Project Management Plan, etc.)
 Complete, up-to-date, and reportable listing of CSN projects and their overall status?
 Estimated resource requirements for each project
 Has and maintains a resource plan
 Has a standardized process in place for the proposal, selection and authorization of
projects at all levels
 Has a standardized process in place to track project cost information
 The organization’s percentage of successful IT projects continues to increase over time
 Evidence that CSN staff is continuing to increase its professional approach toward
management of the organization’s IT projects
 Project deliverables meet the customer’s business objectives
 Project outcomes are measured
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The PMO will develop or acquire appropriate instrument(s) with which to obtain objective
measurements. The PMO Sponsor will approve the instrument(s) before they are used.
Examples:
 Improvement in project success over time can be measured through decreases in
schedule and budget variances or the tone of customer comments
 Project Management approach can be measured by quality and timeliness of project
planning documents, accuracy of time and cost estimates, and effectiveness at managing
risk
 Customer satisfaction can be measured through post project surveys/interviews.
2.7.
Expected Benefits
Expected Benefits for Specific Customers
Executives


PMO provides timely feedback about project goals, status, accomplishments, and
issues
Organization receives timely warning about critical issues and possible steps toward
resolution
IT Department



Assists IT management in establishment of effective processes for managing IT
projects
Improved allocation of CSN resources involved in project activities
Clients develop improved perceptions of the IT organization
IT Project Teams


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Advanced planning, by the division, to determine when to begin projects based on
required skill sets, available resources , deadlines and priorities will:
 Allow project teams to experience fewer interruptions due to higher priority
projects pulling resources from one project to another
 Reduce over allocation of resources. As a result, this will increase productivity
while ensuring that priority projects get the most attention
 Make sure projects contain teams that include the correct skill sets
Continued improvement in Project Management techniques will have many
advantages for the Project Teams:
 Improved understanding of a project’s goals, objectives and scope prior to
beginning design work allows the entire project team to understand what the
project is trying to achieve and gives the members a picture of what the final
project should (and should not) do
 Better understanding of roles and responsibilities within a project team allows
each team member to understand how they will be contributing to the final
product
 Improved tools for defining and communicating the work to be performed allows
each project team member to understand their individual objectives in the project
 Learning and sharing techniques and methods for issues management will allow
the team to be more efficient in clearing roadblocks and removing hindrances
that come up during the project
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Project Managers




PMO enhances the capabilities of the Project Managers by providing mentoring,
training, and career development
Training, coaching and mentoring move Project Managers more quickly through the
learning curve
Suggests to Executive Management solutions to organizational issues that may
hinder project success
PMO improves Project Managers’ execution through the establishment of a
consistent framework for the management of projects and defining methodologies,
best practices, and guidelines
External Customers



Increases probability of meeting customer requirements and expectations
Aims at increasing customer satisfaction
Project teams are able to provide periodic data of project actuals.
Expected Benefits to the Organization
In general, the value of a common IT Project Management process includes:
 Reduced cycle time
 Reduced delivery costs
 Improved quality of project deliverables
 Early identification of project issues, budget, scope, and risks
 Knowledge leverage and reuse
 Improved accuracy of estimates
 Improved perceptions of IT organization by clients
 Improved people and resource planning
 Reduced time to get up to speed on new projects
 Elimination of the thrash (e.g. false starts, self-defeating conflict, and indecision) that is
so common in failing projects.
In addition to the above, a successful PMO:
 Eliminates duplication of data and processes among Project Managers
 Collaborates with CSN staff to implement effective processes for managing all IT projects
 Institutes new operating mode with detailed definition of process, roles, and measures
 Instills an interest in Project Management’s processes, practices, and tools, as well as a
desire for continuous improvement.
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2.8.
PMO as a Training Provider
The PMO is an educational resource for CSN. It is important for the PMO to help
facilitate the sharing of lessons learned in the division.
To facilitate this learning environment, it is important for the PMO to:
 Adapt to changes in the internal and external environment and continually enhance
the capability to change/adapt
 Develop collective as well as individual learning, and use the results of learning to
achieve better results
 Learn from both failure and success, understanding that finger-pointing and blame
are detrimental to the learning process
 Foster inquiry and dialogue, making it safe for people to share openly and take risks
 Embrace creative tension as a source of energy and renewal.
The PMO will implement this by:




2.9.
Positive use of Lessons Learned exercises to encourage continual improvement in
projects
Archival of a Lessons Learned to promote organizational learning
Promotion of continual learning and professional growth in Project Management
Working with staff to develop the ability to consistently execute projects successfully.
Resource Planning
The PMO is charged with leading the divisional resource planning effort. However, the
information necessary to execute the planning process will need to come from the project
teams and/or each department within CSN.
 Each IT project team is responsible for providing project baselines, including
schedule and project resource plan
 The project resource plan specifies what roles are required by the project as well as
when they are needed
 Project teams are responsible for accurate and timely status reports
 The PMO is responsible for compiling and analyzing the status reports
 The Project Review Team is responsible for establishing the impact of changes in
project baselines (e.g. changes in when specific roles will be needed by a given
project).
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3. PROJECT SCOPE
Development of a PMO for CSN includes the following:
1. All projects initiated and managed by CSN.
2. Management of all project-related requests for CSN resources on externally managed
projects.
NOTE: Currently, the PMO will only support IT projects that fall under the CSN
umbrella. As the adoption of project management within the University changes,
the PMO will attempt to reflect those changes accordingly by realigning its scope
based on the availability of resources within the PMO.
This charter is not the project plan for implementing the PMO, but instead a statement of the PMO’s
function. It is also not to be interpreted as a Service Level Agreement for services and support
functions provided to CSN and their customers.
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4. PMO ORGANIZATION
4.1.
4.2.
PMO Stakeholders
Stakeholder
CSN CIO
Relationship with PMO
Executive Sponsor
CSN Leadership
PMO Oversight
CSN Director Finance &
Portfolio Management
Director of the PMO
CSN Project Managers &
Management Staff
PM Customers
CSN Staff
PM Customers
Expectations of PMO
1. Clear and accurate
depiction of where we are
spending our money &
project status.
2. Demonstrate project value
3. Show continual growth
and development
Leadership provides the
PMO with guidance on
PMO business objectives
and supports the PMO’s
efforts to achieve them.
Enable CSN to be
accountable for effectively
and efficiently managing
portfolios, projects and
resources.
Expect the PMO to set the
PM standard; provide
training and mentoring;
work with CSN supervisors
to create an environment
conducive to project
success
The PMO supports the CSN
IT Department in its mission
to deliver successful IT
projects
Resource Requirements
4.2.1. Core Team
Resource Title
Sponsor
PMO Lead
Project Manager
Analyst
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Core Team Resources
Responsibility
Director of the PMO
PMO Leadership, development,
training and mentoring
Direct project resources, monitor
and adjust progress
Project and PMIS support
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4.3.
PMO Escalation Model
The PMO will implement an escalation model that will allow PMO issues to be raised to
higher authorities for timely resolution. An escalation process ensures that the next level
of management is informed (within a specific amount of time) if an issue cannot be
resolved at a lower level.
The escalation path is a follows below:
Project
Management
Office
CSN Leadership
Executive
Sponsor
Level 1 – PMO escalates issue to CSN Leadership. CSN Leadership will attempt to
resolve the issue with help from the PMO. Escalation will be formally documented and
disseminated.
Level 2 – Issue cannot be resolved and will be escalated by the CSN Leadership to the
Executive Sponsor for remedy. Escalation and remedy will be formally documented and
disseminated.
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5. PROJECT ESCALATION MODEL
The PMO will implement an escalation model that will allow project issues to be raised to higher
authorities for timely resolutions. An escalation process ensures that the next level of management is
informed (within a specific amount of time) if an issue cannot be resolved at a lower level. In this
function, the PMO will act as a third party by escalating issues based on the following criteria:
1. PMO standards are not being enforced (Project Management Methodologies)
2. Request for escalation by a Project Manager
3. The PMO identifies an adverse risk to a project
As a third party, the PMO will attempt to arbitrate issues prior to escalating to the next level in the
chain. If a remedy is not possible, the issue will be escalated and documented by the PMO.
The escalation path is a follows below:
Level 1 – Project Manager escalates issue to PMO. The PMO will attempt to resolve the issue with
help from the Project Manager and Clients. Escalation will be formally documented and
disseminated.
Level 2 – Issue cannot be resolved and will be escalated by the PMO to the Project Sponsor for
remedy. Escalation and remedy will be formally documented and disseminated.
Level 3 – Issue cannot be resolved at the Project Sponsor level. PMO will escalate the issue to the
Executive Sponsor for remedy. Escalation and remedy will be formally documented and
disseminated.
NOTE: - In the case that a Director is not functioning as either the Project Sponsor or the
Executive Sponsor, a Director will be consulted as part of the Escalation process.
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6. APPROVAL SIGNATURES
Executive Sponsor:
PMO Sponsor:
Project Manager/
Author:
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Walter Weir
Kimberly Harper
Signature: _____________________
Signature: _____________________
Todd Brindley
Signature: _____________________
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