Enterprise Navigator

Whether It's the Moon, Mars or New Markets, Vision Needs a Destination

Someone recently shared an interesting report from National Public Radio regarding the recent NASA budget hearings on Capitol Hill. Included in it was this fascinating exchange between Senator David Vitter of Louisiana and NASA administrator Charles Bolden:

"Somebody once told me a vision without resources is a hallucination," said Bolden. "If you look at where we were prior to the 2011 budget, we were living a hallucination."

But Vitter didn't find that convincing. "If vision without resources is a hallucination," he said, "resources without vision is a waste of time and money. And that's what I think this budget represents."

No doubt some version of this discussion is routinely re-enacted in board rooms around the world. Operational planning is all about enabling your vision. But, it is predicated upon a big assumption -- to be useful, that vision needs to represent getting to some future place as an organization. Too often, this basic premise can be a challenge.

Sure, someone may indeed have a grand plan, but does it constitute a clear destination or simply a loosely defined continuation of the journey? Consider a family trip to further illustrate the point:

"Come on kids, hop in the car!" "Where are we going Daddy?" "West. We're going west… and maybe a little north. Our goal is to get at least 25 miles per gallon, and to cover 500 miles a day." "But where are we GOING?" "Ah, don't worry about that, we'll know when we get there. The key is to make progress and get there efficiently."

In the case of NASA, it is a matter of convincingly defining its future objectives and strategies in the post-shuttle era as an inherent aspect of acquiring funding. The Constellation program had set its sights as returning to the Moon, but was under-funded. Now, Bolden is hinting towards Mars, but even he concedes he isn't sure how we will get there or what it will take.

For a corporation, such reconciliation is usually more pragmatic. In addition to being able to articulate in actionable terms where you want to be in 3, 5 or 7 years, you also have to assess if you can practically get there. It's all about defining your markets, producing the right products, and managing your capacities.

So, the key take-away is to make sure your operational planning process sets clear objectives, defines achievable strategy and allocates the needed funding and resources. Make it tangible; explain it in terms that establish why you would want to go there, and how it will be done. Then you can percolate it through the ranks to truly make your vision a commonly shared goal, and not just some hallucination.

Resistance is Futile: Agile is Going Viral

I have never written a line of code in my life and have no intention of starting now -- but I have a lot of room for agile planning techniques. You should too if you don't already because agile is going to quickly reach epidemic proportions well beyond the borders of IT. We should name this the C1B1 virus, because soon enough, transmission will be by mere line-of-sight.

If you think agile planning is just about software, then you're not paying enough attention. Sure, "Agile with a capital A" has structured the concept into various methodologies specific to software development. But, I can safely say that adopting "agile with a small a" is becoming equally inescapable in other disciplines.

Once you cut through the lexicon of sprints, velocity, burn down and scrum masters, the basis for agile is rooted in what many of us have been getting in trouble for doing for years, regardless of the type of project: banding together and collaborating to iteratively arrive at incremental solutions -- despite what the waterfall or contract said. "Hey, you can't work on that activity yet, the predecessor isn't finished!"

Yeah, right.

Perhaps such indiscretions were driven by the realization that the CPM schedule just couldn't keep up. Maybe you went rogue every once in a while in the interest of just cutting through the bureaucracy. Now it's time for you rebels to come out into the light. It has a name. It's mainstream. No longer must you suffer the hot sting of shame and guilt for being practical.

But why?

If you came here via our website then you may have noticed our updated theme of "The New Normal." It is about recognizing, accepting and even embracing the uncertain and volatile operating environment that we now face. Life was fast in 2008 -- then we added record uncertainty. Now we find ourselves at a point where, although hopeful, few are willing to plan or forecast anything with much range or conviction.

The new normal demands that we incorporate an unprecedented degree of flexibility into every level of the planning process, from operational strategy to individual assignments. Do we still make assumptions, set goals and define objectives? Sure. Should we still frame out a project plan? We'd be crazy not to. Nor are accountability or performance measures going away. But the new normal suggests that you need not feel compelled to fall on the sword of the rev. 0 schedule. The race now goes to the nimble -- those who can adjust and adapt for the sake of adding value.

No matter your level in the organization or what you are managing, build in flexibility, expect the unexpected; work fast and lean. Be agile -- it's the new normal and it changes everything.

Economics Caused Executives to Shift Gears in 2009

Here is a link to a good article by the ever-prolific and thoughtful Linda Tucci, for SearchCIO: Tactical decisions outweighed IT strategic planning for CIOs in 2009. In addition to being a well-written piece, it contains some numbers you can add to your list of informal benchmarks. The gist of the article is likely no big surprise; 'when money gets tight, you curtail discretionary spend.' It's like reducing the number of Friday movie nights at the Super 14 Cinemaplex, in favor of more DVD rentals and a bag of Pop-Secret when you tighten the household belt.

What this article illustrates however, is the importance of being able to see and respond to changes as they surface, not just for the CIO, but across the whole organization. So, what role should the PMO play in maintaining situational awareness? I contend that the PMO has a unique vantage point that allows it to spot certain emerging changes that others may not be able to see.

As a part of the organization that is usually sandwiched between the executive and working levels, the PMO is well-positioned to identify and alleviate disconnects between the two. The PMO also operates across organizational silos, enabling it to identify coordination issues between groups or departments. The PMO is also usually the broker of performance information; as a result, its analysis should be the first line of defense in identifying emerging trends.

Going back to Linda's story, the PMO also plays a significant role in how the organization responds to changes; deciding to pull back on strategic initiatives is one thing; reallocating resources, shifting tactical priorities around, and generally rearranging the furniture is another. Intent has to be translated into action.

It's just something to think about -- is your PMO actively posting lookouts as part of navigating the enterprise, or are you simply waiting to respond after you run aground?

Portfolio, Portfolio, Wherefore Art Thou, Portfolio?

(I'm sticking with the Shakespearean title theme -- ere was ye motley dashboard of federal spending; this time, portfolios hearken forth my gibber.)

In addition to being a bit of a romantic, the Bard of Avon also had ghost issues. Perhaps Macbeth was first to utter, "I See Dead People." Not me. I see portfolios. They're everywhere and they speak to me (not out loud of course -- that would be weird; just voices in my head).

For example…

Do you happen to be reading this in your work area? If so, you probably only need to divert your gaze a scant few degrees before your eyes fall upon 'the unit.' Ah, behold the obligatory commercial office shelving. Maybe it is a tall, five-shelf wall rig or the more compact 42-inch variety. Perhaps yours is neutral beige, a more dramatic black or a really tony ersatz wood grain number. It is no doubt lined with books. And more books. And stuff.

Is your poor credenza so crammed with books and binders that prestigious awards, cute and colorful college memorabilia or photos of your pet are being crowded out? Are piles of literature stacked on the floor next to it? Well, whether you realize it or not, this constitutes a portfolio management opportunity; you have a specific issue or objective related to a group of demands and some capacity-based value judgments to make.

The opportunity is to present your shelfgoods in a functional and vaguely professional manner, or at least so as to avoid office embarrassment (or in my case, eliciting outright laughter or pitiful head shakes). Perhaps you just need to make more room for recent library additions, a prized gold and maroon stuffed gopher mascot, or new 5x7 portraits of each of your eight cats. Yes, the condition of your 'unit' speaks volumes to your colleagues -- out loud, I might add.

In terms of demand and capacity, the content of this particular portfolio constitutes all the various and sundry items that are fighting for limited shelf space. Each element in the portfolio is analyzed for its cost-benefit (really now, do you still regularly refer to that "Altair BASIC Programming for Dummies" guide?), and ultimately decisions are made. Some things go and some stay in order to achieve a Zen-like balance and sense of workplace tranquility.

I bet that if you take a moment to think about your organization, you will be able to identify several other situations with the potential to benefit from applying portfolios, no doubt with greater significant business consequences and in need of more analytical insight than our featured decorative reference dilemma. The issues you face when managing the products, services and assets of your organization are not that different.

In every case, you are trying to achieve some objective or result, often using a combination of existing and new portfolio elements. The management goal is to make the best possible selection decisions about these items, usually in terms of benefit, cost and risk. Once selections are executed and delivered, portfolios help to analyze whether the results fulfill expectations as well as identify when new situations brought about by change require further action.

Bottom line, portfolios are not just about projects; they are really more about the reason behind the projects. Everywhere you turn there are potential portfolios; of product families, target markets, service offerings, resources, suppliers, strategies, and investments. Portfolios can include applications, equipment and other assets (like books and knick-knacks).

All you have to do is look around and they will speak to you too.

The Big Picture: Putting Your ITIL Initiative in Perspective

I was out recently for a few days on a very productive advisory visit with a customer. One of many topics we discussed was their ITIL initiative. It's a subject I've touched on previously, but our exchange inspired me to revisit the topic.

Like so many IT organizations, their ITIL program was being led from the operations side of the shop, with little involvement from the PMO and their PPM program, the portfolio managers or development. Hmmm. Let's think about that for a moment -- the objective of ITIL is to do nothing less than provide a method to manage the service lifecycle from end-to-end, yet too often the implementation becomes isolated, addressing how to manage IT from a tactical, technical and operational standpoint. The success of an ITIL initiative depends on taking a more strategic view of how IT service management should be integrated into the overall scheme of things.

This is what the ITIL lifecycle looks like to me:

For all the wonderful guidance in ITIL, it still requires alignment with other management functions to establish a complete approach to managing IT. The recurring nightmare for many organizations is ITIL's lack of recognition for the role that project management plays in IT or any allowance for incorporating that critical discipline into their parlance. This will generate more friction than rabbits on a Berber carpet. Heck, even Microsoft figured that one out with MOF (Microsoft Operations Framework). In my graphic, the cloud between service design and service transition represents that pesky little detail of SERVICE DEVELOPMENT that is missing from ITIL.

The other major issue I have with taking an exclusive approach with ITIL is its woefully inadequate treatment of application management. I am at a loss to explain why this does not play a greater role in the library. You cannot adequately manage the portfolio of services without first getting your arms around your application portfolio. Ask any customer of their opinion about a service that IT provides and chances are excellent they will talk about a particular application. Applications are the tangible interface between the humans in IT and the humans that use the services they provide. Apps are the primary motive force, largest cost element, greatest change driver and biggest drain on resources for 90% of IT services. Oh by the way, applications are the main reason all those servers and infrastructure exists.

Ultimately, successfully managing the technology service lifecycle is an exercise in managing change. You must have a firm grasp on the value, cost and performance of the applications and services being delivered before you can determine what changes are needed, a cohesive, value-based IT strategy to drive change in a unified manner, and a comprehensive approach to managing all the IT work and resources involved in the lifecycle.

The important take-away is to recognize that ITIL is (one) approach to managing IT Services. Viewing the effort as an 'IT service management' initiative rather than an 'ITIL' initiative opens up whole new vistas for how the challenge is approached. This subtle shift in terminology allows you to step back and view the endeavor in terms of the business outcomes that are being pursued, rather than entering into a monogamous relationship with one particular methodology and simply ticking off which subject areas have been instituted. It also gives you permission to explore options -- for each IT capability ITIL addresses, as well as for how to incorporate all of those that it does not.

Business Driven PMO Setup -- A Summer Must-Read Book

Following the lead of Donna Fitzgerald of Gartner to flag books worthy of lounging about with poolside, I want to alert you to a new book that belongs on the shelf of every PMO practitioner, sponsor and member; Business Driven PMO Setup -- Practical Insights, Techniques and Case Examples for Ensuring Success, by Mark Price Perry. It is literally still rolling off the presses but already I predict it will be quickly regarded as a seminal work on the topic of PMOs. You can get a copy at all the usual online outlets or order it directly from J. Ross Publishing. No doubt it will soon be in local bookstores as well but I can't promise that it is stocked yet since it is so new.

I finally got my copy and couldn't help diving right in. Warning: once you do, don't be surprised to find it hard to come up for air, as these are inviting waters. Now, I know what you are probably thinking; "Crimanently Terry, it's a PMO book, not some kinda' toe-curling whodunit best seller headed for a cable mini-series."  Trust me -- this is one business management book you will actually WANT to read, rather than force yourself to slog through every page.

OK, full disclosure time: Mark is a friend of mine, and yes, I am honored to have been given an opportunity to make a small contribution to this endeavor. That having been said, I am stunned by the richness and practicality of content throughout this book, from Mark's excellent insights to those provided by the 19 other guest contributors that add immensely to its value.

There are so many new ideas and different topics covered by such a diverse blend of experts, the net effect is much like taking everything you like about a really well done PMO symposium with top-notch speakers and compressing all of it into a single 500-page book. The wonderful difference is that, unlike a symposium where you are often left reeling from input overload and soon forget what was heard, you control the rate of consumption and its always there as an ongoing reference (oh yeah, don't forget that it's also much less expensive, no travel is involved and the food is probably better too).

Having it as a ready reference is a good thing, because there is no way you are going to be able to soak up all the information in a single pass. That is due to the truly unique format of this of this book. Like a themed collection of moderated short stories, Mark initially sets the stage and provides the thread of continuity by opening each of the thirteen chapters with insights from his own immense experience with setting up PMOs around the world. Contributing authors, either as practitioners or industry subject matter experts, then add their own particular insights to each topic.

The idea is brilliant, and no doubt you will see it emulated many times over in the future. Besides the obvious benefit of being able to capitalize on the different points of view and expertise of so many contributors, each one brings their own subtle differences in writing style into play. The impact this has on readability is amazing. No matter how accomplished the writer, the work of any single author is in essence a monologue, and as a result it often eventually becomes tiresome. The approach Mark takes in this book creates a dialogue; it's as if you are reading the illustrated transcript of a huge and very informative panel discussion that Mark is actively participating in and moderating.

As to the content itself, be prepared to have some of your closely held PMO preconceptions and paradigms masterfully challenged. I consider myself a forward-thinking person when it comes to all things PMO, but the discussion in this book really makes you stop and ruminate, rolling around ideas and practical guidance like you would the flavors of a complex wine.

OK, if I haven't convinced you by now, then there is no hope. Enjoy it, be sure to share your review comments and tell your associates.

Aggressive but Achievable -- The University of Utah PPM Story

If you have not done so yet, please register for the upcoming Webcast we'll be hosting on June 3rd with Rene Weston-Eborn, an assistant director and the IT portfolio guru at the University of Utah. The U of U has over 25,000 students and is recognized for its active research programs, particularly in the medical fields. Needless to say, higher education thrives on a strong technology base, so making sure that IT is managed effectively is a key element of a successful university.

I'll be conducting a live interview with Rene to explore the combined portfolio and project management initiative that she has been so deftly guiding. I think this format is much more informative and digestible for participants compared to a straight-up presentation. Expect to hear a truly impressive success story about what can be accomplished with enough support, drive and leadership, interspersed with witty banter and supporting visuals -- now really, what more can you ask for? Oh alright, we'll provide some Q&A time as well; perhaps we can even work in a few thoughtful queries as part of the interview itself.

Rene put a lot on her plate with this endeavor; in conjunction with consolidating several disparate and overwhelmed IT groups into a single centralized entity, there was much to be done to establish a formal project management methodology for the campus, develop a portfolio management program for decision support, implement a PPM platform so everything was in one tool (see if you can guess which one), define the portfolio of services to help manage operations, and create a Portfolio and Project Management Office (PPMO) to help implement and manage it all.

Oh, did I mention this was all done simultaneously?

Just pulling off one or two of those efforts would be considered a resounding success by most. Clearly, there is much to be learned from this experience, so I look forward to having you join us for this exciting discussion -- 10:00 AM central time; don't be late!

I Can't Tell You What Business Value Is, But I Know It When I See It

(…with all due apologies to Justice Stewart)

Lately I've been revisiting some content on benefit realization, thinking about the investment analysis process in general, and mulling over different approaches to making business decisions. As part of that, I reviewed a lengthy but interesting paper from Audrey Apfel of Gartner, titled, "A Maverick Approach to the Business Value of IT" (G00157347, dated 29 April 2008). While the paper was directed specifically at IT, many of the points she makes are more broadly applicable.

The common thread of all the aforementioned subjects is that defining value is much more elusive than defining costs, whether planning for them, forecasting outcomes or measuring the actual results. It is a good day when you have an initiative that has unambiguous linkage to quantifiable revenue generation, but those days can seem few and far between.

The key take-aways I got out of Audrey's work was:

• It is almost impossible to effectively and accurately convert all potential benefits to hard dollar values, and financials alone don't tell the whole story
• There are too many unknowns and variables to make an accurate up-front assessment
• Ultimately the value of any undertaking is substantially shaped by perceptions rather than by more objective measures
• Perceptions and objective measures often have strong correlations anyway…
• …so why not assess perceptions when it comes to determining potential and actual value?

Let me be quick to say that your take on the 18 pages may yield different results; closed course, professional driver, etc., etc. I never claimed to be an 'A' student.

Uh oh -- now I have that song stuck in my head; "don't know much about his-tor-y, don't know much about geog-ra-phy…"

Audrey offers an interesting (if somewhat jaded) view of current corporate valuation techniques, in that sometimes executives will send those doing valuation assessments back to the well until they arrive at the pre-conceived value that sponsors have in mind anyway. My question to you is, do you see that happen in your corner of the world?

Regardless, the underlying theme is clear, whether prioritizing work, making investment comparisons or measuring results, it sometimes takes a combination of subjective and objective considerations to measure business value; yet another example of the juncture between science and art along the highway of business management -- it's a craft, not a software application.

Don't calculate proposed initiatives to death with overly sophisticated and labor-intensive financial measures exclusively; they are probably fictitious numbers in the final analysis (literally), and could shorten your lifespan from sheer frustration. Make some room for a controlled mechanism to measure gut feel; whether you call it a Perception Index as Audrey does, or term it as the Right Lobe Wobble Factor, subjective assessments are a viable sanity check of the basic ROI/NPV/IRR math. If the two elements end up at opposing points on the value spectrum, that is cause for further rumination.

"…but I do know that I love you, and I know that if you love me too, what a wonderful world it would be…"

Down Economy PMO Survival Guide: Five Actions You Should Be Taking Now

I'm not even going to try and wax philosophical about the current market -- there are plenty of others doing that and it is well past the point of finding any humor in it. It is what it is, and while the pundits banter about what 'it' is, the one thing we all know for sure is that it is getting pretty dicey out there for many organizations.

The whole situation can be quite depressing unless you put the nightly news in context; the most sensational failures, pessimistic guests and worrisome statistics are going to grab the headlines -- misery sells. But just like in politics, there are only local economics; some verticals are faring better than others, and many businesses are weathering the storm OK… so far. Nonetheless, even among the fortunate it pays to be realistic and assume that significant impacts are looming. I think it is a safe bet to say that any reasonably managed organization either already has, or is in the middle of creating contingency plans for several different and mostly negative long term scenarios.

As a result, even successful PMOs might find themselves between the stadia lines of the hidden cost control snipers that are scanning the horizon for likely targets. With that in mind, I thought it might be useful to discuss the measures that the PMO should already be taking to proactively support in-progress or potential future cost containment moves, even if you haven't been asked. Should some sniper start pulling the trigger, doing these things now just might help save your bacon, instead of them becoming your last act of defiance.

1. Make sure the leadership team has a clear view of what is going on. Managers need to know where Point A is, should they have to figure out how to get to Point B, as in Bummer. If your current report battery does not yet have work classified or graded by what is discretionary, mandatory or base work activities, make sure you have appropriate categories defined and work accurately flagged. Similarly, if not already done, now is the time to start looking at how that work lines up by market, product or service line, or similar dimensions appropriate to your environment and scope. Summarize the financial and resource capacities being consumed in each category and get it in front of the executive team, and be prepared to deliver supporting details on demand.
   
   
2. Identify what is the minimum required to keep the organization functional. This is when it pays to be a PMO that looks at ongoing operations as well as project portfolios. Assume that funding for transformational work is going to dry up for all but the most critical projects. This means that the leadership will turn their focus on what is left and how to conserve expenses further. Assess what it takes to just run the business as-is and nothing else, should the organization have to tread water a few quarters. If the storm worsens, map headcount and work activities further to denote scenarios for cutting first into the meat, and then to the bone.
   
   
3. Identify cost reduction opportunities and implications. With last weeks post in mind, do not forget that the PMO has a unique cross-functional perspective of the organization that is unlike any other. This is allows you to see things that others can't. Take the initiative to objectively assess the organization from your vantage point and offer any meaningful thoughts on how the belt might be tightened. The PMO is also in an excellent position to identify the possible consequences of any cost saving measures that either you or others uncover. Volunteer your analytical capabilities to the cause.
   
   
4. Get staffing and utilization information up-to-date and in the right hands. Resource costs make up the majority of spending in a knowledge worker environment, either directly as salary and benefits, or indirectly in supporting infrastructure and services that the staff needs to function. Sadly, as the unemployment figures bear out every month, people are bound to be affected as part of any significant cost control measures. Help the leadership team make these unbelievably difficult decisions wisely by making sure they understand how to best reduce the workforce with a least impact on operations. Leverage your insights into how staff is being used to identify critical skill sets required to maintain core functions viable, key resources that would be difficult to replace, and flag the areas where reductions can be made with minimum long term effects.
   
   
5. Identify & communicate the minimum operating requirements of the PMO. If you are successful at doing items 1 through 4, you will again remind the leadership team why they need the PMO to begin with. Regardless, if things break bad, the PMO will be impacted just like the rest of the organization, so be prepared when you see the train coming down your track. Start thinking now about what will be required in the PMO should some version of a worst case scenario eventually play out. Formulate options and the business case to negotiate something other than total disbandment and have these discussions with your sponsors well before decisions must be made. Here is your argument:
   
   There is a lot to be said for being able to maintain continuity of PMO assets and functions, even when greatly scaled back, rather than having to reinvent the wheel from scratch a year or two later while on the road to recovery. Prepare a list of critical services that the PMO can provide to help keep things operational in a lean environment, as well as how the PMO will speed up the bounce back -- being the first mover coming out of a recession has historically proven to be one of the greatest advantages a business can have. This means that all of the processes and infrastructure you have painstakingly put in place will need to be ready to rock when the arrow starts pointing up again. It is unlikely that a new manager tasked to restart the PMO 18 months from now will embrace past systems, tools and processes -- without PMO continuity, you lose the knowledge base as well as the ability to your keep management assets maintained in a functional state. In the end, it will cost far more in lost opportunity and PMO rework than the additional savings of cutting a few headcount.

What Makes the PMO Unique?

I am putting the finishing touches on the presentation I'm going to use to kick off the PMO Track at the upcoming Rocky Mountain Project Management Symposium that the Mile High PMI Chapter puts on each year in Denver. Part of the discussion will be around what really makes a PMO different from other management and coordination roles in an organization. I thought it might be worthwhile to share this with you.

Even though the event is still a few weeks away, I figure I can safely blog about this because the potential for readers to fall into an intersecting set with symposium participants is pretty low. Even if you do read this and then attend the event, it's not like I'm ruining the punchline of a good joke or anything serious.

If we sidestep all the corporate buzzwords and boil down the basic functions of a PMO to their bare bones, I come up with eight broad categories, as follows:

• Gather and distribute information (pass-thru)
• Manage demand
• Reporting & analytics (value added analysis & comparisons)
• Coordination and collaboration
• Identify issues and opportunities
• Manage capacities (people & money)
• Provide processes and tools
• Provide specialized expertise, training and coaching

I'm thinking this pretty much covers 90% of the core services offered by 90% of PMOs. Certainly there are going to be differences about how these capabilities are applied within an organization, but most of these functions are arguably PMO standard operating procedure and our recent PMO survey results support this.

After I came up with this list and accompanying clip art to symbolize each one (thereby creating a visually pleasing mental cue for us left-handers to grasp), it occurred to me that these activities also pretty much constitute the job description of anyone in middle management. Toss in something about hiring and firing functions and endless meetings and you can post this as an opening for the "Director of Anything."

Hmmm -- could it be that this is why some line managers tend to not be too impressed by the idea of a PMO? Have you ever noticed how that relationship sometimes has a certain strained vibe about it? Like how medical doctors perceive chiropractors or acupuncturists, or how pharmacists think of herbalists? Architects versus Feng Shui gurus? Certainly this is not always the case, but every once in a while you find yourself in an organization where you catch a whiff of slight distain in the air when line managers must interact with PMO.

So really then, what makes the PMO Director different from the HR Director or the App Dev Director or the Logistics or Marketing Director?

The PMO directors are the fiddler crabs of the management kingdom, spending much of their time going sideways. Whereas all the other line managers operate primarily on the north-south axis of the org chart, the PMO is unique in that it provides the functions mentioned earlier across organizational boundaries. Line managers spend most of their effort drilling narrow and deep within their respective specialized areas. The PMO must traverse the matrix to link these individual capabilities together. This is a critical distinction and immensely important.

Those of you who have studied the PMO 2.0 survey and the top operational challenges identified within it may remember that the most problematic among them were departmental silos, organizational maturity and interdepartmental politics. A strong PMO and process foundation will go a long way in helping to break down those barriers that form between different groups, helping the organization to better collaborate and function more efficiently.

So, that is what makes the PMO unique; it is not necessarily the functions it performs, but rather how it applies those functions to transcend and federate the fiefdoms and silos of the organization (as well as align executive ranks with the rest of the management team). To the extent that the PMO can successfully execute that service, it will be seen as a value to the organization, and just perhaps, be held in high esteem as a wizard with special tantric powers.