Who's Running that "Next-Generation PMO"?

January 14, 2010 | by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

Seven years ago, when we began the research behind our book Optimizing Human Capital with a Strategic Project Office, we had numerous discussions about the roles we proposed within the strategic, enterprise PMO. Have you ever met a Chief Project Officer? someone asked skeptically. Does the role of Project Portfolio Manager even exist? Is there really such a thing as a PMO Resource Manager or HR Liaison?

At the time, although all those role descriptions were based on real instances, their existence was admittedly marginal. Yet, by the time the book came out two years later, people at PM conferences were presenting us with business cards inscribed with those very titles, and some even more daring. (Vice President for Strategic Program Management? PMO Methodology Guru?) And, by 2007, a CPO was winning one of PMI's highest honors (see the "Person of the Year" writeup here).

Today, the vision of the enterprise, strategic PMO has become a reality, and this structure continues to morph. What's next? Forrester has termed it the Next-Generation PMO; we've gone so far as to call it the Strategy Execution Office. Either way, the array of specialized and executive positions in the PMO is going to continue to proliferate. From 2005, when we proposed the roles and responsibilities in the PMO as an appendix to the Optimizing Human Capital book, to 2008 when we published the State of the PMO research, an astounding growth in the numbers and descriptions of roles managed within the PMO had taken place - over 600% growth in some roles such as Relationship Manager!

So, for my next series of blogs, I'm going to focus on key roles in the PMO. Next up: the Resource Manager. Meanwhile: what's the most interesting title you've come across in project management recently?

About the Author

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin is editor-in-chief for PM Solutions Research, and the author, co-author and editor of over twenty books on project management, including the 2007 PMI Literature Award winner, The AMA Handbook of Project Management, Second Edition.

View Posts by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

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