VIEWPOINTS

The Focus, Roles & Responsibilities of a Program Management Office

By Bob Prieto
Senior Vice President
Fluor Corporation

USA

Increasingly large CAPEX owners are carrying out multiple “giga” programs (1) simultaneously. While each of these “giga” programs is likely using a program management approach to manage the multiple projects that comprise an individual “giga” program, there is a higher level of programmatic management required at the owner’s enterprise level.

This higher level coordination and oversight is increasingly being provided by a Program Management Office or PMO, whose responsibilities are evolving as individual programs undertaken by the organization grow in scale and complexity.

This paper attempts to succinctly capture my observations of best practices of PMOs of large CAPEX owners as well define future roles and responsibilities of these PMOs based on emerging trends and program trajectories.

Focus of the PMO

Much has been written on the role of program managers as well as on the role of an enterprise level Program Management Office or PMO. In simple terms I see the PMO focus as:

• Enterprise wide

• Strategic focus related to the delivery of programs and projects

• Support and improve the management of projects through clear standards, processes and training

Roles and Responsibilities of the PMO

With this focus in mind, PMO roles and responsibilities are trending towards a series of well defined and interlocked roles and responsibilities…

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About the Author Bob Prieto Author Bob Prieto is a Senior Vice President of Fluor Corporation, one of America’s largest engineering, construction and project management firms where he is responsible for strategy in support of the firm’s Industrial & Infrastructure Group and its key clients. He focuses on the development, delivery and oversight of large, complex projects worldwide. Prior to joining Fluor, Bob served as chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. He is a member of the executive committee of the National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a member of the Industry Leaders’s Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and co-founder of the Disaster Resource Network. He currently serves on a number of committees looking at issues related to infrastructure delivery and resiliency and disaster response and rebuilding. Until 2006 he served as one of three U.S. presidential appointees to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and previously served as chairman of the Engineering and Construction Governors of The World Economic Forum and co-chair of the infrastructure task force formed after September 11th by the New York City Chamber of Commerce. He recently completed a ten year tenure as a member of the board of trustees of Polytechnic University of New York culminating in its merger with New York University. Bob is the author of “Strategic Program Management” published by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).