What is the role of the head of a P3O?

A Portfolio, Program and Project Offices® (P3O) model comprises one or more ‘PMOs’ providing a range of services. These PMOs may be portfolio offices, programme offices, project office and/or centres of excellence.

The number of factors involved in the design of a P3O model, means that no two organizations’ P3O model will be the same. An international company might have a portfolio office and a different number of programme and project offices in each country, while a UK-based company might have a single organization portfolio office in its head office. And a company with different lines of business, such as a retail and a wholesale arm, will have another P3O model entirely.

Many organizations, rather than having a well thought-through holistic design, have evolved separate PMOs without considering whether they will support a project, program, or portfolio. This approach can result in a jumbled mess, with multiple reporting systems across an organization that can very quickly become a data nightmare. In such cases, people will start questioning the value of having separate offices and whether they can justify the cost. It is little wonder that PMOs are often challenged on what they do, why they exist, and who they support.