Project Environment Interface Concepts

The planning element of project management can be pervasive in the project management environment, and it is often a challenge to pursue for project managers across many industries. The introduction of this PMO function very simply provides the support capability to help project managers overcome most of the project planning challenges they will encounter by reducing them to a structured and repeatable process.

Planning support is a PMO function that helps project teams find that too-often elusive starting place for their project work effort. The project planning process developed and implemented under this PMO function can serve to reel in "fast starters," who appear to disregard formal planning (a) because they "already know the technical solution and approach" to be taken without collaboration with the complete project team or (b) because of perceptions that there is not enough time to both plan and do the project work. It identifies issues and impacts that may be unique to an otherwise routine project effort, and it provides a single frame of reference for all project team members, who should be pursuing common project objectives. The PMO will be instrumental in constructing a time-efficient process that provides effective project planning guidance while addressing ways to adjust embedded perspectives on older, outdated planning practices within the relevant organization.

In the absence of project planning guidance and support, project teams may flounder with concepts of what project planning accomplishes, how it is structured and conducted, and what constitutes a viable project plan. This leads to dissimilar plan content and structure within the project management environment and, thus, to inconsistency in project management within the relevant organization. PMO efforts in establishing this function can rectify those conditions.

Project planning support is maximized when the PMO carries a portion of the responsibility and burden for implementing the planning process, at least until project managers and project teams gain familiarity and confidence in performing the prescribed activities. It can demonstrate its own expertise, or acquire external services, to facilitate the project planning effort. Effective facilitated planning sessions have been shown to reduce the average time for project planning from several weeks to a matter of days.