Maximising Change Value:
The true focus of your
delivery community
The definition of “value” is the regard in which something is held, the worth or importance that it brings. We hear people talking about “adding value” or “maximising value” – yes, the measure of value can be quantitative or qualitative.
When you ask anyone about the value they add when delivering change and projects the answer tends to be…. “well that depends on what the expectations are, how the business organises its work and what their interpretation of value is.” Complex right?
With an increased emphasis on delivering return on investment through ensuring appropriate governance and understanding sustainable realisation of benefits, change and project delivery professionals are using technology and data to make key decisions.
CITI’s Change Diamond® can be used as an organiser and we are equipped to support different constructs with their thinking and development of Project Management Offices (PMO’), Change Management Offices (CMO’s), Resource Management Offices (RMO’s), and set up of delivery teams.
The project office
…focuses on supporting the delivery of individual projects. Most provide information to senior management about the status of the projects, reporting on expenditure, project progress and problems encountered. Some provide direct support to the project managers, offering templates, methods, historical data and administrative support. Many walk a fine line between being seen as a valuable part of the project management community or as being an expensive administrative overhead.
The portfolio office
…should be situated within the business, reporting to the COO or the office of the CEO, to be truly effective. Its purpose is to support the delivery of project portfolios and is more concerned about maximising value returned from the investment in projects and optimising the use of project resources than in the success or failure of individual projects. They will support the governance for individual projects working with project sponsors more than with project managers.
The programme office
…is set up to provide the essential management structures necessary to deliver a programme. By their very nature, the projects in a programme are interdependent on one another and these links are managed by the PMO. Though interested in the performance of the projects, its focus is making sure that the vision and the benefits the programme is responsible for are delivered. This means that programme offices are more involved with the business community than project offices and stakeholder engagement is a fundamental discipline.
The change office
…is a relatively new departure for the PMO community – and perhaps a better name for this type of office is a Results Management Office – RMO. Their purpose is to ensure that money spent on projects delivers the results expected, i.e. the benefits are realised. It means extending the remit beyond the project management community and working with operational managers and measuring KPIs, not project status. It usually means that RMOs sit best either in the office of the CEO or report to the COO.
So which is right?
When designing or evolving the PMO and delivery communities, understanding its remit and what its real purpose is, how it affects the processes, the people and the placing of the PMO, is fundamental.
How can we help?
CITI Limited’s expertise in PMO set-up, can guide you through the process of design and re-alignment of your chosen delivery construct and we’d love to talk to you more.
We are running a Communities of Expertise Club day on this subject – if you are interested in joining us as a representative of your organisation please contact us!
Get in touch for more information
