Portfolio, Programme and Project

Offices (P3O®)

PPSO SIG

18th March 2009

Sue Vowler
Director, Project Angels
 OGC / TSO / APMG P3O®

A single point of guidance or advice on setting up or

running effective delivery “support / enabling” offices in
alignment with OGC Best Practice

P3O guidance
• Enhances and pulls together in one publication existing
OGC P3O® guidance (PRINCE2 ®, MSP™, M_O_R®,
ITIL, Gateway, Portfolio Mgt and Centres of Excellence)
• Provide the basis for training and qualifications at a
number of levels
• Launched on 28th October 2008
OGC’s P3RM Products
 P3O Products

Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices

Hard Copy

PDF Single User

Handheld eBook

Online

Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices Pocketbook

For Successful Portfolio, Programme and Project
Offices: Think P3O

Foundation exam – APM Group

Practitioner / Advanced – under development
 Examples of issues addressed…

• “How do I get senior management to understand how a

good P3O model would pay for itself?”
• “I know our P3O isn’t working, but what does “best in
class” look like?”
• “I have to set up a programme office, how big should it
be, what roles should I put in place and what should it
focus on?”
• “Do you have a role description for……?” or
• “Do you have a template / process for……?”
 Publication Content

Introduction
• Development path linked to maturity

Why have a P3O?
• Business Case
• Funding – set up and ongoing
• Performance Measures

What is P3O?
• Strategic Context – where does it / they report etc.
• Models and sizing
• Roles / responsibilities
• High level functions and services

How to set one up? - Lifecycle of P3O
• Setting it (them) up
• Re-energising an existing office
• Sustainability / continuous improvement
• Closing down

How to operate one? - Techniques / Tools

Practical Appendices
P3O Base Concepts
 Some Definitions:
• A portfolio is the totality of an organisation’s investment (or
segment thereof) in the changes required to achieve its strategic
objectives
• Portfolio management is a coordinated collection of strategic
processes and decisions that together enable the most effective
balance of organisational change and business as usual
/operations.
• A programme is defined as a temporary, flexible organisation
created to co-ordinate, direct and oversee the implementation of a
set of related projects and activities in order to deliver outcomes and
benefits related to the organisation’s strategic objectives.
• A project is also a temporary organisation, usually existing for a
much shorter duration, which will deliver one or more outputs in
accordance with a specific business case. A particular project may
or may not be part of a programme.
What is P3O?
P30 aligns Portfolios, Programmes and Projects

Portfolio
DOING the RIGHT
DOING the RIGHT The "Right" things to do? Capacity?
THINGS
THINGS
effectiveness How are we doing?
effectiveness
Can we do it?
Can we adopt it?

Programme
Outcomes
Benefits

Processes?
How do we do it?
efficiency Lets do it the
efficiency
Project same way!
DOING the THINGS
DOING the THINGS
RIGHT
RIGHT Deliverables
 Senior Management Board

Services Value
Cost Elements Benefits
Portfolio Build and
Reduction in programmes
Prioritisation
and projects started for
wrong reasons

Information Hub
Predictability of delivery
More programmes and
Single source of truth projects delivering to time
reporting
Management Dashboards
Predictability of costs –
fewer cost overruns
Planning and Dependency
Management
Reduced resource costs

Capacity Planning
Resource Management
Reduced staff turnover and
Flexible Resource Pools
subsequent reduction on
training and induction costs

Monitoring and Tracking

Happy customers
P3O Model Increased customer
Fastrack start-up of
satisfaction scores
programmes and projects
Increased business

Standard Programme and

Project Approaches More programmes and
PRINCE2 projects delivered right 1st
MSP, M_o_R time – less costly rework

Training, Coaching and

Mentoring Reduced delays in decision
Embedded skills and making, faster delivery and
capability

Assurance
lower costs
Why have a
Healthchecks Reduction in mobilisation
Advice and Guidance
Gated Reviews
timescales and therefore
programme or project
P3O?
resource costs
Aggregation of Risk
Reduced costs of tools, P3O
operates on behalf of
Centralised tools Programmes / projects
 What is P3O?

Key Considerations?
Models?
Services / Functions?
 Key considerations in P3O
• Functional Areas
• Strategic Planning or Portfolio Support
• Delivery Support
• Centre of Excellence
• Features
• Centralised versus Local Delivery and Support
• Permanent versus Temporary Offices and Staff
• Physical versus Virtual Offices
• Maturity Level
• Organisational / Department / Programme / Project
• People / Processes / Culture
• Where does the P3O and its component offices report?
• Accountability
• Level in organisation
Organisation Portfolio Office Model
Hub and Spoke Model - 1
Organisation
Portfolio Office
(permanent)
Strategy support
Prioritisation
Benefits
Management Dashboards

Centre Of
Hub Portfolio / Hub Portfolio / Excellence
Programme Office Programme Office Standards
( permanent) ( permanent) Training
Scrutiny and Challenge Scrutiny and Challenge Coaching
Reporting Reporting Assurance
Planning Planning Good Practice
Assurance Assurance Knowledge
Tailored standards Tailored standards Management
Flexible Resource Pool Flexible Resource Pool Tools
Consultancy

Programme
Programme Programme
Programme
Programme Office
Office Office
Office
(temporary - set up to Project Office
(temporary - set up to
Office
(temporary
support- set up to
a specific (temporary
(temporary - set
- set
support a upup
to to
specific
(temporary -aset up to
supportinitiative)
specific support
support a specific
ainitiative)
specific
support a specific
initiative) initiative)
initiative)
initiative)
Hub and Spoke
Model - 2
 Portfolio Build, Prioritisation, Analysis and Reporting

Programme and Project Set up and Closure

Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

Planning Planning and Estimating
(Portfolio)
Capacity Planning and Resource Management

Benefits Management

Performance Monitoring

Monitor, Review and Reporting

Risk, Issue and Change Management

P3O Finance
Delivery Commercial ( including Supplier Management)
( Programme
and Project) Assurance and Quality

Information Management ( including Configuration and Asset Management)

Transition Management

Secretariat

Standards and Methods (Processes and Tools)

Internal Consultancy
COE
Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management

People and Skills (PPPRM competencies)

 Functions and Services - Focus
• Portfolio Offices
• Strategic focus - “What to do?”
• Planning and Review – are we getting there?
• Helicopter vision
• Centre of Excellence
• Consistency and Capability focus – “How to?”
• Standards, Processes and Templates
• Training, Mentoring and Coaching
• Assurance
• Programme and Project Offices
• Tactical and delivery focus
• Practical application and support
 Roles – Management and
Generic
• P3O Sponsor
• Head of P3O (Permanent Office) – Head of Portfolio
Office
• Head of Programme or Project Office
• Portfolio Analyst
• Programme or Project Specialist (internal consultant)
• Programme or Project Officer ( Co-ordinator or
administrator)
P3O Staff - Functional based roles
• Benefits • Change Control
• Commercial • Planning
• Stakeholder and • Quality Assurance
Communications • Resource Management
• Information Management • Risk
• Consultancy and • Reporting
Performance • Secretariat / Administrator
Management
• Tools Expert
• Finance
• Issue
The Virtual P3O – “Dial a Friend”
There are many
people within the Risk
Council who can
help (or hinder!) your
project. Speaking to HR Finance
them at the right time
is crucial to keeping
your project on track.
The Virtual P3O
identifies the key
Legal
Portfolio IT
teams within the
organisation that, Office
depending on the
size and type of
project, you will need
to engage with and
Democratic
why they need to be Comms Services
involved

Procurement
 Key Benefits

• Focussed, balanced portfolio aligned to strategy

• Visibility of progress (and issues / problems and failure
• Predictability of delivery in terms of time and cost
• Reduced start-up / mobilisation timescales
• Consistency of approach and delivery
• Clarity of decision making, escalation rules and routes
(for risks, issues and changes)
• Helicopter view or big picture
 Overcoming Barriers to Success
• Continued senior management commitment
• Solve their problems first
• Resistance to change
• Retain what works well already
• Stakeholder engagement – “walk the talk”
• Workshops and working parties (including partners)
• Project Forum
• Make the time to support individuals
• Overly focussing on process and templates
• Simple approach linked to maturity level
• Initial lack of quality portfolio information
• Go with what you’ve got and refine over time
• “Hand hold” individuals and challenge reports
• Lack of trained staff
• Look for internal talent and use internal / external mentor or buddies
 Key messages to take away
• Understand the problems you are trying to solve
• Build a Business Case and Blueprint
• Understand your organisation’s maturity level
• P3O model + P3M3 maturity = success
• There is no “one size fits all” solution
• Flexibility / tailoring to suit the organisation
• Evolve services and grow capability over time
• Develop Professional P3O staff with a career path
• Identify talent and develop internal capability
• Recognise the need to employ senior staff who have the ability
to provide oversight, scrutiny and challenge
• Engage in a Common language
• Portfolio Office; Programme Office; Project Office
Something to consider……

P3O SIG?
For further information contact :
sue@project-angels.co.uk
Audio Briefings with Craig Kilford and Sue Vowler
discussing Portfolio Management and P3O
are available to down load at :

www.craigandsue.co.uk
A collaborative project between
Sue Vowler (Project Angels Ltd) and Craig Kilford
(Cansoti.com) : Sponsored by