Overall Approach

The implementation of a PMO involves significant change management. The overall WGA approach emphasizes process, prioritization, and performance measurement and can be summarized as follows:

• Utilize Project Management Institute Best Practices and proven risk management tools and techniques. Ensures the best approach to initiate, plan, execute, and measure the performance of the implementation effort.
• Implement the PMO in three phases in order to achieve excellence in the priority processes first. This approach establishes specific deliverables for each phase, and incorporates the accomplishments and learnings into the planning and implementation of the next phase.
• Take short, incremental steps at the start of the PMO to showcase its value and achieve early successes. Changes are made incrementally to allow the organization to master individual processes before proceeding to adopt new ones.
• Assess and manage risk from the outset, using robust risk management processes and techniques. Robust risk management processes with input from key stakeholders allow “risks to be managed” rather than “being managed by risk”. Qualitative and quantitative analysis is performed and detailed risk management plans are developed.
• Develop “soft” skills such as leadership, communication, and negotiation skills in addition to technical skills. The benefit to the organization of having a PMO staffed with highly trained communicators and project leaders is that the mission critical projects are successful and the surprise is taken out of the performance of the overall portfolio.
• Establish clear metrics and critical success criteria and measure them along the way. The implementation work is planned, estimated for time and cost, and measured for performance against the plan.

The establishment of a PMO is one of the most effective ways to ensure that Project Management Process and methodology is applied consistently in an organization.

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As new Project Management skills are used and honed in an organization, it is important that Project Managers and Team Members have a mentor or coach. The adoption of new behavior is difficult in any organization and our consulting agreements include coaching to help when challenges occur. This is an effective way to provide project teams with an outside source of strength as the organization begins to realize the benefits of improved PM Capability.

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Either as part of the PM Capability Assessment or as a support effort for a client engagement, the Project Audit provides useful data to assess Project performance and the adoption of process improvement. The Audit includes the following:

• Earned Value Analysis
• PM Process Check
• Are processes in place?
• Are processes being followed?
• External Customer Satisfaction Survey
• Internal Customer Satisfaction Survey
• Report

An investment made in the improvement of PM Capability needs to be protected by periodic assessment of performance to a desired result. WGA believes that you cannot evaluate the ROI of an effort without measuring results in an audit scenario.

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WGA has the expertise and the resources to jump into an on-going and challenged or failing project and quickly turn it around. We provide and/or derive:

• Risk Analysis
• Success Criteria moving forward
• Integrated Project Plan
• Project Management Resources
• Weekly face-to-face-updates

By using WGA on a challenged project, we are able to role model how the application of PM Best Practices can have immediate and sustained impact on cost, schedule and customer satisfaction. WGA uses the engagement as the beginning of the process of improving PM Capability to self-sufficiency.

If you would like more information on any of WGA’s Consulting Services, or if you wish to set up an appointment, please call 978.352.2163.