Postscript for the Smaller PMO

The smaller PMO will very likely rely on the HR department to lead efforts in areas of project management career development. In some cases, such PMOs will have little influence over the career development of project resources that are assigned to separate business units and who participate in the project management environment on an as-needed basis. However, to fulfill its role and responsibilities of leadership within the project management environment, there are two particular activities the smaller PMO can plan and conduct to advance project management career development.

First, the PMO should plan its approach and present an initiative to specify the role of project manager within the relevant organization. Ideally, this will be an officially designated position title, i.e., one that appears next to the individual's name on a business card. However, an acceptable alternative is to identify those individuals serving in a "project manager" role in addition to their assigned position title. The smaller PMO can construct a case for this recognition and designation, collaborate across business units to build support, and then introduce it for executive level and HR department deliberation and decision.

Second, the PMO should urge individuals within the project management environment to pursue professional project management certification. This can easily be accomplished as a one-on-one effort, as recurring reminders in group meetings, and through dissemination of information on the preferred project management certification program. It is in the smaller PMO's best interest to increase competency in project management and to demonstrate that competency by increased participation in project management certification.