Dimension 7

Organizational Infrastructure

Without a proper organizational infrastructure, standards cannot be effectively upheld in organizations. This requires the establishment of some central coordinating and supporting institution, the development and agreeing on standards, and finding a way to effectively use both in active projects.

The following high-level aspects address key organizational factors to consider.

Project Management Office (PMO)
A PMO acts as a knowledge pool that organizations can draw on when performing projects. Ideally, it is formally involved in all projects, as an empowering enabler and supporter of key activities rather than to limit project manager's authority.

Method and Methodology Standards
Such standards need to be established before they can be enforced. While general or industry standards can be helpful, often they will be more effective if adjusted to the specific requirements of an organization.

Use of Standards in Projects
This measures the effectiveness of standards by assessing to what degree they actually are used in projects. It can be achieved through education, use of tools, quality assurance, or simply access to lessons learned or a knowledge base.

A more detailed analysis of an organization's capability will need to consider the balance needed between enabling and controlling, or limitations and flexibility.

The PMO and project management standards should not be overbearing. Their natural roles are not to limit or take over projects, but to facilitate. Organizational infrastructure elements should be treated as a formal or virtual Center of Excellence (COE), and as such be coordinated with equivalent institutions in IT (e.g., the SAP COE).

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