The Advanced Project Management Office: A Comprehensive Look at Function and Implementation

This is an excellent, comprehensive treatment of what a project office, or project management office should be. Anyone considering forming a new PMO, or wanting an assessment of an existing PMO, should read this book. Use it as a calibration checklist.Quentin W. FlemingAuthor, project management consultant...

his book is about setting up a project management office, not a program management office. Although to many the distinction is either subtle or moot, there are key differences. A project management office is an organization that manages a single project and is usually disestablished after the project is complete. A program management office is an organization that is either established to manage a portfolio of projects or a major contract that has a complex statement of work requiring a number of simultaneous projects. A program management office can also be a permanent organizational function that provides continuous oversight of all projects from start to finish.The forgoing distinctions do not diminish the value of this book, but merely set the expectations of potential readers. In fact, this book contains a wealth of excellent advice about establishing and managing a project office. It also goes deep into details regarding required skills, roles and responsibilities. I especially liked the discussions on project performance management and maturity models.Another point in this book's favor for project managers who want to establish a project management office the right way is other books about "PMOs" are more focused on program management, which is too broad in scope.I like the way the author approaches the topic, which is structured and clearly described, and the way the book covers all of the major issues, factors and details.

The authors did an outstanding work in presenting this book in simple terms and easy-to-read style. They used Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) analogy to explain concepts of Project Management Office and make it easy to comprehend the complex subject. It is a book that covers Project Management Office (PMO) concepts in great detail. The book is a useful reference to establish and improve the perfomance of PMOs.