Services
“If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.” J Loren Norris
“If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.” J Loren Norris
Did you take a holistic approach to set up or uplift your PMO?1
We at Prism will take a ‘’Holistic view to uplift your PMO’’ for PMO Setup or Improvement in existing PMO Service
For most of our consultants, it is ironic that despite lots of studies that suggest PMOs deliver benefits to an organisation, PMO’s are still shut down within 3 years’ time, on average.
At Prism, we believe the reason for this is that organisations do not take a holistic approach when implementing or improving their PMO!
We all understand that portfolio, program and project management, along with supporting governance bodies, are part of an overall interrelated system that must be treated as a whole.
So as a result, when an organisation focuses on one area of improvement, say e.g., in the area of methodologies & processes or in training & development with the expectation of better results, lack of progress leads to frustration at the executive level, and the obvious choice is made to shut down the PMO.
High-performing PMO’s will focus on following:
So we at Prism will apply our 5 pronged approach to set up or evolve your PMO into a high-performing PMO.
The value map shows how one initiative links with others to create and expand organisational capability. When coupled with business change, this will produce outcomes and benefits that lead to the achievement of strategic objectives. We know this is true from our own consulting and management experience, as well as years of independent research.
Our approach will help transform your PMO into a Return on Investment Management Office, and no one will question the value PMO delivers.
Why our focus should be on governance on instead of just on program & project management capability?2
The other areas that we will address for PMO Setup or to improve PMO services include:
Improvement in Governance of Project Investment Service
The key areas that should be addressed for effective governance are:
The Challenge
In the past, it was believed that to improve the performance of Program and Project investments we needed to increase Program and Project Management capability. Today, significant improvements in both these areas has plateaued. Instead, there is an emerging recognition that the focus now must be on Governance and Portfolio Management to complement the delivery of the work through Programs and Projects.
Governance and Portfolio Management operate at very senior levels in the organisation where, because of other demands, it can be difficult to give sufficient attention to these matters. Also, we are dealing with sensitive issues of organisational power structures.
The essence of governance is about transparency, accountability, integrity and stewardship, all of which are difficult to handle effectively.
It is important to distinguish the role of governance compared to management, and to understand that the focus of governance should be on ensuring that value is created for the whole organisation from its investments. This is different from focusing on deliverables or managing those performing work. The focus on outcomes and value is hard but it is the true essence of governance. Organisations are still learning about how to make this transition.
If your organisation is also struggling with these issues – we can help train your team to overcome these problems.
We can also help train your organisation in its approach to governance, helping to achieve strategic outcomes.
We believe effective governance mechanisms should create value for the whole organisation from its investments.
Solutions
Executive Development Workshops.
These workshops are best conducted in-house. This allows for an open forum so executives can discuss sensitive issues about how the organisation exercises Governance of investments in Programs and Projects. Each workshop can be tailored to your organisation’s needs and maturity as a one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable at the senior level.
Workshops can be held for one or two days. The two-day workshops do not need to be consecutive, as we understand it can be difficult to extract busy executives for long periods. Each workshop will be interactive and focused on exploring issues that need clarification to ensure governance groups have confidence in plans and performance reports they receive and approve.
Why benefits realization is being seen as very important to measure by more and more organisations today?3
Most organisations find benefits realisation challenging as it touches on a wide spectrum of the organisation’s activities related to their investment in program and project initiatives. The idea used to be that if we completed a sound business case the benefits will automatically flow once the project was finished. This myth has been demolished many years ago and we know it is a more significant exercise to ensure that benefits are achieved.
While a business case is required these need to be seriously challenged by management for feasibility as in some organisations they are simply a mechanism for obtaining the funds for a project with no further scrutiny occurring. This is where effective Governance is exceedingly important, as well as sound portfolio management which enables senior executives to select and prioritise investments based on a number of factors including alignment with strategy, cost / benefit ratios, risk, available resources and the amount of organisational change implied by the approved initiatives.
While projects are useful in delivering agreed results or capabilities, they are less likely to deliver planned business outcomes which requires a different and more strategic focus more appropriate to a program management approach. The Governance group also needs to focus on performance beyond delivery aspects of scope, time and cost and give serious attention to outcomes, both intermediate and the final ones. Outcomes ultimately provide the benefits or business value when coupled with the necessary organisational change, and this also need to be closely monitored.
Our consultants understand the difficulties in implementing benefits realisation and that business cases, benefits registers and processes while necessary however by themselves will not be sufficient. We also know that unless benefits realisation has top-level commitment in the organisation it will not be effectively implemented. We are happy to meet your executive team and provide an initial briefing so that you can better assess whether you are ready at this stage to proceed with a serious benefits realisation implementation program.
To visit our Benefits realisation page to see how we can help, please click here!
Are you finding Benefits Realisation challenging? We can show you how to dig deep in your own backyard to find pearls!4
Benefits Realisation / PMO Value or Value of PMO – Are you able to showcase the Value of your PMOs?
The demand on PMOs to deliver value is always immense, and this is the reason that many PMOs are shutdown in the first few years, as we’ve explained above. The underlying reason is not always that PMOs are not delivering value, but the fact that PMOs are not able to demonstrate the value they are delivering to the organisation.
We can help you set up a Benefits Realisation framework to help demonstrate the values that you are delivering to your organisation.
To learn more on our Benefits Realisation services please click here.
Showcasing PMO Value can be hard, what approach you are taking to demonstrate value? If you are silent on this question, you are running the risk of shutting down this PMO!5
PMO Value
We at Prism can work with you to demonstrate the value proposition and what it takes to fine tune your operations so that delivery of value is a constant occurrence.
Increasing PMO maturity is a constant challenge? Are you experiencing the same?6
PMO Maturity
US based research {from Project Management Solutions Inc.} shows that only 8% of PMOs achieve maturity level 4 and just 1% of PMOs achieve maturity level 5. Where do you stand today?
If you have aspirations to increase maturity levels of your PMO to improve quality, save money and deliver projects on time – please talk to us.
Have you looked at your reporting mechanisms closely?7
Improve Projects Manager performance through effective reporting and/or Outsourcing!
Effective reporting mechanisms to help save organisational time!
In any organisation, executives expect Project Managers to see problems before they happen and always be well informed about how to avoid costly mistakes and conflicts during a project. The list of expectations goes on & on. We push them hard to absorb all the information and make time to learn through training classes. The good news is that we do find project managers that meet these expectations, and we pay them top dollars to deliver results.
But what happens next – after all the work done by the organisation to recruit and train exceptional PMs – we bury our project managers in reporting! They spend hours creating reports, then putting the data into different formats for different purposes. Is this what an organisation should hire project managers for?
If you are also facing these issues then talk to us – we can help you get your project managers focused on resolving issues, and not buried in generating reports. When you free up your PMs, they can go back to their prime functions–solving your problems, delivering your projects on time, resolving conflicts, and, most importantly, saving money for your organisation.
Are you following techniques that will lift your reporting proficiency?8
The following techniques can lift your reporting proficiency within the organisation:
We can help and set up right reporting techniques to bring proficiency within your organisation to ensure that time of your scarce resource is being effectively utilized.
Does your PMO have the right approach to PMO operation?9
PMO Operation, Are your PMO’s serving their purpose i.e., the prime reason they were set up?
This is because high performing PMOs are focussed on supporting Projects and Program and also in supporting executive governance groups.
If you are not satisfied with your PMO performance, please contact us. We can assure you that our 5 pronged methodology can uplift any PMO and improve performance to deliver the results that you need.
Also please see our Governance Improvement service that can uplift your PMO operation.
Our mentoring & coaching can help create ‘’Mentors & Coaches’’ for your organisation, ask us how?10
Mentoring & Coaching Services
So often, our colleagues and managers expect we will ‘get things right’, single-handedly, whether the issue is large or small. Yet business is changing in a myriad of ways. Qualifications we gained to enter our chosen career are less relevant. And, time is no longer on our side, meaning we don’t have the option to re-skill and re-set for our position.
Choosing a mentor with experience and perspective that is compatible with your worldview will help in two significant ways. First, you gain a friendly and objective view of your existing talents. Talents are molded by experience, even the mistakes and disappointments inevitable in professional life. An effective mentor speaks the truth, affirming opportunities to put your talent to use and create a better you.
Second, as you work through and define strengths, your mentor helps you reveal potential and opportunities for growth. Growth is rewarding when it harmonises your aspirations with the expectations of others. A great mentor will help discover the issues and adventures that will achieve this harmonious balance. And then, your mentor will work with you to set goals and priorities, and offer the advice and know-how you need to reach those goals.
Our “Mentoring & Coaching” can help create “Mentors & Coaches.”
How much focus you should have on Talent Management & Training Services?11
Talent Management and Training Services
High performing PMOs strongly believe in talent development. This is the reason that high performing PMOs are not only able to demonstrate value but also deliver in line with an organisation’s the strategic objectives. So in a way, high performing PMOs and talent development are interrelated.
As a result training has been used as an intervention tool to uplift PMO performance.
Prism offers specialist courses to set up and improve your PMO and many other programs to lift your project manager’s capabilities.
However, training as an intervention tool for a non-performing PM is not going to deliver the desired results unless you apply various other techniques at the same time.
Please talk to us to discuss Talent Management and Training services.
Do you have the right tools to manage your PMO?12
Tool Selection and Implementation Services
We all want to have a tool that brings a high-level of efficiency and maturity to our organisation. Well, it is true that tools can help streamline processes and procedures and may deliver the expected results, but before you pull it out of the toolbox, the question is:
Is your organisation ready to use it right now? If so, which tools and features should be implemented at which stage?
If your teams do not have the basics of project management nailed down and we start to expect that they will manage critical new paths that can be disastrous for the morale of the staff and the entire organisation
Our independent advice will ensure that you make the right decisions about when are where to make changes and implement services.
Our independent post implementation review services can also help lift your PMO, ask us how?13
Post Implementation Reviews Services
Post implementation reviews of projects, programs and benefits realisation will generate a lot of intelligence for the organisation, including areas where improvements are required for PMOs to continue to show benefits and relevance.
Our senior and experienced professionals can provide this service with utmost sincerity and deliver independent reviews. We will provide insight into the functioning of the organisation, identify any issues and provide solutions for improved organisational capability.
How our coaching & consultation can help?14
Coaching and Consultation.
Get help when you need it with coaching and consultation. This can take the form of providing advice to individual executives about governance issues on an “as required” basis. Another approach is to have one of our Consultants attend several of your governance forums, observe how they operate, and provide feedback afterwards on suggested improvements.
Should you combine capability assessment with coaching & consultation?15
Capability Assessment.
Assessing your organisation does not automatically lead to changes or improvements, but it is a necessary step to achieving your end goals. This assessment can be undertaken in conjunction with either Executive Development Workshops or Coaching and Consultation since alone it will not necessarily produce any visible change. Often, a capability assessment simply confirms what you already suspect, although it will highlight some specific areas that need attention. The format for this is usually a number of interviews with senior executives, and a survey of selected executives.