A PMO handbook is useful for organizations seeking a common set of steps to support project management processes. It can also quickly orient new project managers to the organization's project management expectations and helps align activities to standardized processes and tools. Here's an example to get you started.

If you're managing a PMO, how do you communicate the project management activities required to deliver PMO functions? The project management methodologies found in many organizations are specific to the project-level management processes and do not provide guidelines for program- or enterprise-level PMOs. Project managers understand the project management processes but may not understand how project management is executed throughout the organization. The following article describes an approach that aligns an organization's project management methodology to its organizational PMO functions.

I previously worked in an organization where project managers understood the concepts of initiate, plan, execute, control and close, and they followed a project management methodology to deliver projects. The project management methodology described issue, risk and change management processes, but each project manager used different tools to track the issues, risks and change requests. Project schedules lacked standardized milestones and project managers didn't consistently establish project baselines or track schedule variances.
By implementing a PMO handbook, we helped align project managers to the project management processes, and provided a standardized set of tools and tasks for the organization to follow.

Who is the intended audience?

Our PMO handbook was written by experienced project managers within the PMO and shared with novice project managers entering the organization. If your organization already has standardized templates that project managers follow, then a PMO handbook or similar process guide has likely been integrated into the project management process. The handbook is useful for organizations seeking a common set of steps to support project management processes. It also quickly orients new project managers to the organization's project management expectations and helps align to a standardized process.
Project management processes within an enterprise may vary by organization. Projects can be initiated, executed and controlled differently across business functions. In my example, the IT organization's software development teams and infrastructure management teams initiated and managed projects differently despite a common project management methodology. The activities described in the PMO handbook helped align project managers to a common set of tools and techniques to deliver the project management process.

How is it organized?

The PMO handbook was organized around the five-phase project lifecycle of Initiate, Plan, Execute, Control and Close. A sample table of contents includes:
PM 1.0 Initiate Project
__ Establish Project Control File
__ Identify Stakeholders
__ Initial Project Charter
__ Initial Project Charter Signoff
PM 2.0 Plan Project
__ Determine project team
__ Hold Project Kickoff Meeting
__ Create a project schedule
__ Determine Roles and Responsibilities
__ Establish the Communications Management Plan
__ Establish the Issues and Risk Management Plan
__ Establish Change Control Process
__ Establish weekly project status meetings
PM 3.0 Execute Project
__ Hold weekly status meetings
__ Report project status
__ Maintain the project schedule
__ Manage Project Information
PM 4.0 Control Project
__ Monitor and Control the Project
__ Conduct Reviews
PM 5.0 Close Project
__ Finalize Delivery
__ Conduct Lessons Learned
__ Update the Estimation Matrices
__ Close and Archive Records

Let's take a closer look at PMO 3.0, which describes the details of the Execute Project expectations.
__ Hold weekly status meetings. Conduct weekly project status meetings and upload the meeting minutes to the project repository:

__ Report project status (weekly). Update the project schedule. Project schedules are maintained in the project repository at: and need to be version controlled. Project plans must be updated weekly, at minimum, in order to update the weekly project status report and to perform earned value analysis (EVA).

__ Conduct EVA. At the end of each week, the project manager should generate the EVA metrics to determine the SPI and CPI and update the project portfolio tool. Please refer to the PMO website for instructions on how to apply EVA to your project.

__ Update the monthly project health scorecard. All medium and large category projects must complete the scorecard and submit to the PMO on a monthly basis. The scorecard is due on the 26th of each month and should be published to: . The scorecards will be reviewed with the portfolio manager during the weekly portfolio review.
__ Update the project portfolio tool. Enter your project's status in the portfolio management tool, distribute the project status report as outlined in the communication plan and include a link to your project's scorecard as an attachment in the portfolio management tool.

__ Support the weekly project portfolio review meeting. The portfolio review meeting occurs on Mondays from 11am to 12:30 pm. Please see the PMO manager to be added to the meeting distribution list. Be prepared to discuss your project's status at this meeting.

__ Maintain the project schedule. [Insert standard process on how to update the project schedule]

__ Manage project information. Save electronic approval emails and upload them into the project repository and update the original document with the signoff date. Maintain a copy of the .mpp and .pdf project schedule in the project repository. Upload important team project documents into the non-methodology docs folder in the project repository to control versions. (technical diagrams, email chain regarding a specific issue, etc.)

Expanding the PMO Handbook

In the first article of this series, "The PMO: Form and Function," several key PMO functions were identified. If you are managing a PMO, reviewing these functions and providing a PMO handbook to implement these functions consistently across the organization will help align project managers to the project management process. The table of contents above addresses aspects of performance, schedule and issue management. Expanding on all the PMO functions and providing a consistent direction on how they are implemented within an organization can improve the handbook.

This has been a glimpse into the tactical steps to implement a project management methodology. A methodology provides process descriptions but doesn't necessarily address the tools and techniques to execute the process consistently. Process descriptions are useful, although mature project management organizations follow standardized processes using common tools and techniques. The PMO handbook is one approach to adopt common tools and techniques and to help improve your organization's project management maturity.