2014 State of the PMO Research

The fourth iteration of our biennial study on The State of the PMO was released last week. The data holds few surprises, but confirms that the PMO as an organizational resource continues to grow in capability and influence.

In particular, it's always interesting to note how PMOs in high-performing organizations differ from those in organizations that score themselves lower on our set of eight performance measures:

• The organization is financially successful
• Projects are aligned to the organization’s business strategy
• The organization’s shareholders are satisfied
• Project customers are satisfied
• The organization’s strategies are executed according to plan
• Projects are completed on schedule and on budget
• The organization prioritizes projects effectively
• Project resources are allocated optimally.

Companies that score themselves in the top 25 percentile on these measures (using a 1-5 Likert scale) also have PMOs that offer a broader range of services and functions, are more likely to manage and develop project managers, and perform higher-value strategic roles. This is no coincidence! For the past eight years, we have found, consistently, that when organizations invest in project management excellence, their overall outcomes improve. And the data on PMOs shows that organizations have come to realize and appreciate the value that PMOs offer. The 2014 study paints a picture of PMOs that are widespread (90% of large organizations utilize the PMO structure), highly capable (44% of PMOs score at Level 3 capability or higher), and continuously improving (82% of PMOs in high-performing organizations focus on project management coaching and mentoring).

We've set up a number of ways for you to access these findings. Download the executive summary of the report here; read more about the findings in our press release; and attend a free webinar on June 12 to hear PM Solutions CEO J. Kent Crawford discuss the findings in more detail and answer your questions.