Today, large organizations often deploy PMOs as multiple entities with different mandates, functions, and characteristics. Past research efforts have focused almost exclusively on single PMOs. Governance and Communities of PMOs breaks this mold by means of a report of international research with a multi-disciplinary approach that integrates the foundations of project management with social geography and innovation.
This report offers a comprehensive survey and discussion of the theory surrounding multiple PMOs. The authors suggest three paradigms: islands, networks, and communities. The Communities of Practice is the newest and most different of the three paradigms, characterized by opportunities and hurdles in current management contexts.
Readers will also find:
•Four case-study examples from the international telecommunications, healthcare, financial, and pharmaceutical industries.
•Clear and helpful graphics that illuminate theoretical concepts and summarize case-study data.
•An interesting and revealing “Bagel Metaphor” that discloses the shortcomings of centrally implemented PMOs.
Practitioners and academics will find value in this report. The authors make explicit the benefits to both groups in their conclusions.
This report is a step on the never-ending path to better understanding, but one with additional practical value: PMOs are not just a means of corporate compliance and control; they can also be a powerful contribution to organizational learning, improvement, and success.