Monday, January 18, 2021
What Does a PMO Do in IT Projects?
Updated September 2026: the original 2021 post listed what a Project Management Office (PMO) owns in an IT project. I have expanded it into a clearer explanation of what a PMO does, who is in it and how it differs from the project team.
In IT projects, the Project Management Office, or PMO, is the group responsible for steering the project: planning, tracking, reporting and keeping stakeholders informed. It typically includes the project manager, delivery manager, project coordinators and representatives of the business owner.
What does a PMO do?
- Planning: builds the integrated schedule and allocates people to it.
- Tracking: monitors progress against milestones and budget.
- Reporting: keeps the business owner and stakeholders updated on progress and issues.
- Coordination: assigns tasks to the project team and follows up.
- Risk and issue management: records risks, agrees mitigations and escalates when needed.
- Standards: sets templates and processes for documents, testing and sign-off.
How is a PMO different from the project team?
The project team does the work: requirements, configuration, development and testing. The PMO organises and oversees that work. On small projects, one project manager may do both. On large programmes, the PMO is a separate function coordinating several teams.
Who does the PMO report to?
Usually to a steering committee of senior sponsors from the business and the IT vendor. The steering committee makes major decisions on scope, budget and timelines; the PMO brings them the information needed to decide.
What makes a PMO effective?
Honest reporting, especially of bad news early; a schedule that the project team actually uses; and a light enough process that it helps rather than slows the work. A PMO that produces status reports nobody reads is overhead.
What does a PMO report each week?
A typical weekly report covers progress against the plan, milestones due and missed, key risks and issues with owners, decisions needed from the business, and budget status. The most useful reports lead with what needs attention rather than listing everything that went well. A red status raised early is worth more than a green status that turns red a week before go-live.
Is a PMO needed on every project?
Not as a separate team. Small projects need project management, not a PMO. Large or multi-vendor programmes benefit from one, because coordination becomes a full-time job.