What Makes An Effective EPMO?

I have been thinking about what makes a truly effective Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO). Most people agree that for an EPMO to be effective it has to meet the needs and requirements of the people who are going to use it, whether that is for a decision making tool, a mechanism for knowledge sharing, a training center, and/or a communication hub. I have not stated anything new here, I mean establishing an EPMO based on a defined set of requirements is fairly common place. So I ask you, why aren’t the EPMO’s that are created based on a specific need working the way they were envisioned?

I suggest to you that EPMOs are being created in a practical, rigid manner without regard for the cultural dynamics at play within the organization. Doesn’t deploying an EPMO using a structured and practical approach make the assumption that every organization is the same? But, every organization is not the same. Each organization has its own culture and dynamics that impact how business is conducted, how individuals interact with one another, how reports are created and used, and even how projects are managed on a day to day basis.

The views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, Robbins-Gioia.