Project Management Office (PMO) & Portfolio Management
AIA's PPPM (Portfolio, Programme, Project Management) framework: setting up a PMO, defining portfolio management processes for prioritisation, resource allocation and strategy alignment, and assessing maturity across five levels from Undefined to Comprehensive.
What it is
A layered framework covering Portfolio Management (prioritisation, resource allocation, sequencing, alignment to strategy), Programme and Project Management, and Programme Assurance, underpinned by a five-level PMO maturity model (Undefined, Ad-hoc, Defined, Measured, Comprehensive) assessed across People, Process, System and Governance domains.
Problem it solves
Organisations delivering many projects without a PMO struggle with inconsistent methodology, poor visibility, weak reporting and siloed culture; this framework diagnoses maturity and builds the roadmap to a fit-for-purpose PMO.
When to use
- A client needs to set up, reorganise or mature its PMO or portfolio management function
- Multiple projects/programmes need to be governed consistently against strategy
Key questions
- What is the organisation's current PMO/PPPM maturity, by domain (People, Process, System, Governance)?
- How are projects prioritised, resourced and sequenced against strategy?
- What decision flows and standardisation are needed for vertical (reporting) and horizontal (collaboration) alignment?
Inputs
- Current project/programme/portfolio inventory
- Existing PMO structure and processes (if any)
- Strategic objectives and performance framework
Steps
- 1Baseline current practiceEstablish a common-truth baseline of current PPPM practice through document review, interviews, workshops and surveys, benchmarked against best practice (e.g. PMI/OPM3, PMBOK).
- 2Assess maturityRate maturity from Level 1 (Undefined) to Level 5 (Comprehensive) across People, Process, System and Governance domains.
- 3Define the future-state PPPM operating frameworkDesign standardisation at each portfolio/programme/project level while allowing flexibility, using both top-down and bottom-up input.
- 4Establish/mature the PMOSet up PMO governance, standardise the project delivery methodology, and design resource-management processes.
- 5Roadmap to future stateSequence the transition from current to desired maturity per domain.
Outputs
- PMO/PPPM maturity assessment
- PMO design and governance model
- Portfolio prioritisation and resource-allocation process
Source visuals
