Project Management Infrastructure

A Project Support Office (PSO) is different from a project management office. A PSO can be understood as a provisional, or long-lasting organizational unit that provides a range of services to provide support to project teams that are accountable for a defined group of projects (Wysocki, 2011). There are three kinds of PSOs. For starters, there is the directive PSO where project managers are administratively linked to the PSO and are allocated to projects from the PSO. In general, this structure is earmarked for enterprise-wide projects.

Second, there is controlling PSO and in this kind, the components, templates, and procedures are all provided by the PSO and all project managers, irrespective of their resident department are expected to utilize them. Lastly, there is the supportive PSO that provides any kind of assistance and specialty the project manager or members of the team might require when requested (Wysocki, 2011; Pemsel and Wiewiora, 2013). Mission of PSOs There are three possible mission statements, in relation to the types of PSOs.

The first mission is linked to directive PSO and it is to provide general management and administrative support to the ALPHA program. This is the characteristic mission statement of a PSO providing administrative support for a program, which takes into account a set of projects linked to the ALPHA Program. Once this program is finished, the PSO disbands. The second mission statement is linked to the controlling PSO, to institute and monitor amenability to the project management methodology.

The third mission linked to a supportive PSO to provide an extensive set of support services to all project managers on the basis of when entreated (Wysocki, 2011). Structure of PSOs There are different structures of Project Support Offices and can be listed as follows. 1. Virtual or Real Structure A virtual PSO undertakes all of the purposes and roles of any other kind of PSO; however, their personnel are assigned to the business units. In particular, these PSOs are largely accessible when their services are required.

They do not undertake any mundane functions. Aside from a director or an administrative support individual, the virtual PSO does not encompass any other budgeted personnel. On the other hand, the real PSO has a budgeted workforce of professionals, which might encompass numerous project managers. They undertake numerous routing roles, for instance project appraisals and software assessments. In particular, these appraisals are a proper way of monitoring the espousal of the methodology and discover the best practices.

Their prominence lies in providing a fitting project support services to project teams (Wysocki, 2011). 2. Temporary or Permanent Structure Temporary PSO structures are created to provide services for the administrative and managerial necessities of large projects. These projects are disintegrated into minor sub-projects and very one of them allocated a project manager. They are liable to the program manager via the program office. The remaining PSO structures are permanent and provide services to an incessantly changing number of projects (Hill, 2013). 3.

Reactive and Proactive Structure The reactive PSO structure is in close alignment with the virtual PSO structure whereas the proactive PSO structure is closely aligned with the real PSO structure. On one hand, the real PSO structure can be proactive because they have the workforce to perform leadership roles in an assortment of projects to augment project management processes and practices. On the other hand, the reactive PSO structure does not have the workforce and simply gives responses to appeals for assistance (Pemsel and Wiewiora, 2013). 4.

Enterprise or Functional Structure PSOs within an organization can be linked to the functional or enterprise level. At the functional level, PSOs are mostly liable to the enterprise PSO if there exists any, and in overall provides services of a particular discipline. On the other hand, at the enterprise level, PSOs have to provide services to all disciplines. In general, they are well financed and manned, have perceptibility at the project portfolio level, and might take part in strategic roles (Wysocki, 2011). 5.

Hub and Spoke Structure PSOs can have a hierarchical structure particularly in big organizations. At the central office, also referred to as the hub, there is a high level PSO that establishes course of action and criteria for the organization, also referred to as an enterprise PSO. This PSO notifies a C-level executive of any progress. Business unit PSOs provide service to different functional areas and take their bearing for course of action and standards from the hub (Pemsel and Wiewiora, 2013).

Characteristically, the hub consists of strategically motivated high-level project executives. At the end of a spoke, the divisional PSO encompasses operational roles for the unit they embody. Within the course of action and standards set by the hub, each division PSO has the freedom to establish and institute their own course of action and standards on condition that they are well-suited with the hub (Rosenhead, 2015). Methods to Establish Project Support Offices In order to establish a PSO, four vital elements t are taken into consideration and steps taken.

The first one is to delineate the envisioned future of the organization. Secondly, the gap that exists between the existing state and future state has to be identified. The removal or filling of this gap is done through the execution plan for the PSO. The four elements that ought to be taken into consideration are: where is the organization now, where the organization is headed, how it will get there and how will did it do it (Wysocki, 2010).

Growth and Maturation of PSOs There are five phases of growing and maturing Project Support Offices (PSOs). The first phase is the initial level in which essentially every individual does as he or she wishes. There might be a number of procedures and components for project management, and a number of them might be utilizing them on an informal basis. There does not exist any training on project management, and assistance might be accessible on a casual basis at best.

However, there does not seem to be any indication of a formal organization for backing project management. The second phase is the repeatable phase, which is differentiated from the first phase in that there is an accessible acknowledged project management procedure. It is utilized at the preference of the project manager. In this phase, training is accessible for those who wish for it. The sole indication of a PSO is by means of a kind of casual support that will assist a project team as and when requested.

Instituting this maturity level can take a project period of about 6 to 12 months (Wysocki, 2011). The third phase is the defined level. The changeover and shift that takes place between the second and third levels is intense. The processes of project management are laid out comprehensively, and project management has been acknowledged as vital to achievement of the business by senior management. In this level, there is the establishment and staffing of an official PSO and is handed the role of guaranteeing the utilization of the methodology across the enterprise.

What is more, a comprehensive training prospectus is accessible and implementation is taken seriously. There is also the indication that project management is being assimilated into other business practices. The key dissimilarity between the second and third levels of the maturity process is that in the latter, each individual is expected to apply the documented process. This is quite challenging for the reason that project managers will insist on various components, templates and procedures they deem to be ideal. It is recommended that these components be scrutinized diligently (Meredith, 2011).

The fourth phase is the managed level and here, the organization's perception of project management is that it is a vital success factor. Project managers are handed a comprehensive training and professional development program. The PSO is regarded as a business and management of the project portfolio of increasing significance. In particular, the project portfolio is a key and essential part of the business planning activities.

Therefore, the difference between the third and fourth levels of maturity is that in the latter phase, the project management method has been incorporated into other business procedures. The last phase of the growth and maturity process is the optimized level. The PSO is a vital element of continuous quality enhancement program for project management. Advancement in the efficacious use of project management is perceptible, measured and carried out.

This level is marked by an incessant process improvement program for the procedure and practice of the technique used in project management (Kerzner, 2013). Role of Project Support Offices in Encouraging Innovation Innovation is perceived as a vital component to create competitive advantage. At a strategic level, innovation involves new, more well-organized or efficacious means of undertaking things. On a strategic level, innovation lays emphasis on acumen and awareness. Both of them are dependent on an imaginative reaction compelled by necessity and framework (Mihailidis et al., 2011).

Project Support Offices play a vital role in encouraging innovation within the organization. To begin with, the.