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PMOs and Law Firms: Lessons from the Field - PMO Residence

May 18, 2008 | Author: admin | Filed under: Project Management Office

PMOs and Law Firms: Lessons from the Field - PMO Residence (#2 in the series PMOs and Law Firms: Lessons from the Field)
By Ronald K. Thomas of Baker Robbins & Company

This series highlights some of the challenges firms face when organizing a project management office, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of building a PMO outside the IT department and inside IT and provides some lessons learned from real-world experiences.

During the 1990s, the concept of a project management office hit law firm technology departments with a bang. CIOs and IT directors saw this as the Holy Grail to fix their technology organization’s project management and project delivery issues. Whether the CIO or IT director saw a presentation at a seminar or convention or read it in a magazine, they were going to implement this new concept for the benefit of their department. One thing was often missed going down the PMO wedding isle; they forgot to sell administrators and senior management on the concept. The result was that success ultimately depended on establishing the PMO outside of the IT department. Those that were implemented within IT tended to fail much more often. Let’s look at the reasons for these outcomes.

Inside IT

Unsuccessful PMOs are often those built solely on an IT model or within IT. Project managers in this scenario are perceived as singularly focused on IT, not on the firm’s business needs and stakeholder requirements. Unfortunately, these IT-focused project managers do not realize their mission is to support the business and the business goals of the firm. As a consequence, project team members from business units outside IT are suspicious of the PMO’s focus and ability to deliver what they want.

Blinded by the “new tech toy” or “I think this would be cool” paradigm, these project managers miss the opportunity to provide value to the firm. This is unfortunate as there are many talented IT experts and project managers that could benefit from the PMO being outside IT.

If projects managed by the PMO are tactical in nature, such as managing the next desktop or application upgrade, you should consider reorganizing your approach. First, focus on understanding the business needs and delivering the business value of the technology. Second, make sure you have the right PMO personnel. If your team does not have the right mix of technical, business and analytical skills, consider training or hiring new staff.

This change can keep your IT organization from being a target. During lean times, it is the IT budget and resources that get cut. Position your PMO to be a partner with IT and the firm’s business units.

Outside IT

Successful PMOs are more often built outside the traditional IT department. These organizations focus on meeting the strategic needs and business goals of the firm. They do not carry the “IT stigma” that can develop if an IT department is perceived as not meeting service levels and firm expectations. Users and stakeholders have a tendency to trust project managers who are not connected to IT and are, therefore, focused on delivering services or products that users want, not just what IT wants to deliver.

PMOs outside of IT normally have some form of senior management support. They are led by a director who is part of senior management or reports to a senior executive. Project managers have a tendency to be more experienced with a considerable mix of communication, business, analytical and technical skills.

This PMO model can sometimes cause friction between the IT department and the PMO organization. Some IT departments may feel threatened by an organization managing technology projects outside of their departments. If this is your situation, consider discussing the PMO’s role and responsibility with IT and how working together as a team will benefit the firm.

Changing your working relationship with the IT department may be a daunting task. You may need someone outside of both organizations (an outside consultant) to facilitate independent and group meetings to identify synergies and implement a program of cooperation.

This article was first published in ILTA’s July, 2007 white paper titled “Project Management — Broadening Your Scope” and is reprinted here with permission. For more information about ILTA, visit their website at http://www.iltanet.org.

Ronald K. Thomas is a senior consultant and experienced project manager with Baker Robbins & Company. Ron authored the article, “Coaching the Team: Here Is a Game Plan that Works” in the February 2005 issue of Peer to Peer. He also facilitated an ILTA webinar on project management titled, “Setting Up A Project Management Organization: What Is It; Is It Right For You?” He can be reached at rthomas@brco.com.

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