Organizational project management, practice continuum!

In this episode of the 4PM Podcast, host Mounir Ajam unpacks the Organizational Project Management Practice Continuum—a roadmap showing how organizations mature in managing projects, programs, and portfolios.

You’ll hear insights on the PMO debate, the different forms PMOs can take, and why some organizations succeed (or struggle) without structured project management practices.

Mounir also introduces the concept of a Project Management Division (PMD) as a step toward institutionalizing project management as a core function.

If you’re curious about where your organization stands and how to move forward with purpose, this episode is for you!

Explore more project management insights at www.urukpm.com

Connect with Uruk Project Management:

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#UrukPM #ProjectManagement #Podcast

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the 4 pm podcast, where ideas take shape
and strategies find purpose.
I am Mounir Ajam, founder andCEO of Rook Project Management,
and I have a deep-seated passionfor project management and
community development, growingon decades of global experience

(00:24):
across diverse industries androles.
I am here to guide you throughthe transformative power of the
4PMs project program, productand portfolio management and our
focus on business integratedproject management.
Let's explore how integrationunlocks unparalleled value for
you and your organization.
Unparalleled value for you andyour organization.

(00:48):
Good day, welcome back to the4PM Podcast.
I am Munir Ajam, your host, andI'm delighted you're here with
me today.
In this episode, we'll explorean important concept in the
world of project management theorganizational project
management practice continuum.
At first, that phrase may soundtechnical, but it really speaks

(01:12):
to how organizations mature inmanaging projects, programs and
portfolios.
We'll walk through thedifferent stages of the
continuum, why they matter andhow you can assess where your
organization currently stands.
Part one the PMO debate.

(01:34):
I've recently seen many postsdiscussing PMOs project
management offices.
Many of these posts try to sella desirable image of a PMO or
what a PMO should be.
However, they fail to offer therecommended view and make a
recommendation on the idea'smerit.
Instead, they seem to lackenough persuasion, so they need

(01:59):
a villain.
It is the agile waterfallargument.
Again and again, they cannotpromote Agile on its own merits,
so they invented the waterfallvillain.
Back to the PMO.
It is like a memo came outinstructing many people or maybe
it is AI that value is good, soanything else is bad.

(02:20):
So we hear statements like thefollowing I am rephrasing A PMO
is much more than reporting.
People are making a mistake bythinking PMOs are about process.
Pmos are not about complianceand reporting.
The CEO thinks that our PMO isoverhead.

(02:41):
They do not understand what wedo.
They do not know that the PMOis strategic in nature.
Pmos are about value generation, etc.
The problem with thesestatements is that they try to
create a bad image of a PMO inorder to promote a rebrand value
management office, bmo or valuedelivery offices or something

(03:04):
similar.
Part two current practice.
Some organizations do not havea BMO or a structured way to
manage projects.
In these organizations,projects are likely managed
using ad hoc approaches.

(03:26):
In these organizations,projects are likely managed
using ad hoc approaches or everyperson manages projects
according to their common sense.
Maybe they do not even haveproject managers.
It depends on the organizationand the type of work they do.
Whether this is a good or poorpractice, which is another
subject.
Other organizations might havea basic PMO or a PMO focused on

(03:46):
reporting.
Again, whether these PMOs andthe practice are good or bad is
outside our scope today.
We only want to stress thatsuch PMOs exist.
So when someone claims a PMO ismuch more than reporting, they
are ignoring or not acceptingthat these PMOs exist.

(04:07):
Some organization might alsohave a department, division or
business unit PMO.
Once again, let us not discusswhether this is good or poor
practice or whether it is enough.
Then we might have a CPMO or aPMO.
We might have temporary PMOsfor a single project or program.

(04:28):
We could have PMOs acting asinternal consultancy, etc.
Part three project managementdivision.
On the right-hand side of thespectrum, at Uruk, we promote
the idea of Project ManagementDivision, department or business

(04:51):
unit, a function oforganization size and culture.
This is a form of institutionalproject management.
For more information about thisPMD, please take a look at the
blog article we wrote a whileago urukpmcom slash beyond the
project management office,institutionalizing project

(05:13):
management as a core functionslash.
If this episode helped shiftyour perspective, I invite you
to subscribe, leave a review andshare it with your teams.
For more episodes, tools andtemplates, visit urukpmcom or

(05:36):
connect with me directly onLinkedIn.
This is Munir Ajam for the 4PMPodcast.
Until next time, keep learning,keep leading and always deliver
with purpose.