Project Environment Interface Concepts

The PMO can represent executive and senior management interests within the project management environment of the enterprise — a concept indicating a broader role and range of responsibility within the relevant organization. This role includes a capability to coordinate and collaborate business interests and activities across multiple project management environments, perhaps representing global or multinational components of the relevant organization.

The existence of multiple project management environments, for example in a technical or geographic sense, could also suggest the need for multiple mid level PMOs. These distributed PMOs could be developed, evolve, or otherwise become aligned with and receive guidance from the "central PMO," possibly a center of excellence, which has responsibility for contributing to business performance management and collaborating its efforts across the enterprise.

As business performance becomes a function of PMO responsibility, fundamental capabilities in project management cannot be discarded. The PMO will need to continue its oversight role to ensure that all components of business operations, possibly represented by PMO functions or other business unit activities, achieve the prescribed level of capability and maturity in project management. This role alone should inherently accomplish many business performance objectives. However, it will also need to continue its control role to measure capability and effectiveness of processes and procedures across the enterprise and to recommend remedies or intervene to rectify weak performance areas. Finally, the PMO will need to continue its support role to facilitate the introduction and application of effective project management practices and principles in all business units relying on its expertise. When optimized, this PMO effort should facilitate a consistent and integrated business performance approach across the enterprise that brings uncommon value to the business and its stakeholders.