Steve's post — est. reading time: 12 min

Project Management Offices (PMOs) are created to bring discipline, alignment, and assurance to delivery. But in many organisations, PMOs fail to earn their place — adding cost, creating friction, or failing to influence outcomes. This article explores why PMOs fall short and outlines how business and technology leaders can begin recovery.

Why Project Management Offices Fail

Despite good intentions, many PMOs underperform because they are disconnected from the realities of delivery or the priorities of the business. Here are the common reasons they fail:

Lack of Purpose and Alignment

Some PMOs are established as a formality — created without a clear mandate or value proposition. When not tied to strategic objectives, the PMO becomes a passive reporting layer, unable to guide or influence delivery outcomes. Without a purpose that resonates with the business, it quickly loses relevance.

Over-Engineered or Under-Developed

PMOs often swing to extremes: either enforcing rigid, bureaucratic processes that slow teams down or offering too little structure, leading to inconsistency. Neither model builds confidence. Over-governance alienates delivery teams, while under-governance leaves leadership blind to risk and progress.

Weak Leadership and Authority

PMOs frequently lack leaders with the experience, credibility, and influence required to operate cross-functionally. Without strong leadership, they can’t uphold standards, advocate for change, or provide value beyond compliance checklists.

Low Stakeholder Engagement

When stakeholders perceive the PMO as a blocker instead of an enabler, they bypass it. A failing PMO often struggles to build trusted relationships with project managers, delivery teams, or executive sponsors — leading to isolation and diminished impact.

Reporting Without Insight

Too many PMOs focus on producing data, not driving decisions. Static dashboards and status updates become routine noise, offering little insight into risk, delivery confidence, or strategic value. In these cases, reporting becomes an exercise in bureaucracy rather than a tool for action.

How to Start Recovering a Failing PMO

Turning around a PMO doesn’t require starting over — but it does require refocus, leadership, and clear intent. Recovery starts with pragmatic steps:

Reestablish the Purpose

Clarify why the PMO exists and align it with business outcomes. Shift the focus from enforcing process to enabling delivery. Redefine success not by how many templates are used, but by how well projects deliver value, manage risk, and meet strategic goals.

Install Credible Leadership

Appoint a PMO lead with hands-on delivery experience and the authority to influence senior stakeholders. They should be a peer to programme and project leaders, not a distant administrator. The right leader will reset expectations and rebuild trust.

Right-Size Governance

Design governance that supports delivery instead of constraining it. Focus on a few critical checkpoints, not exhaustive gatekeeping. Give teams room to adapt while maintaining visibility and consistency. A lighter, smarter approach earns buy-in and speeds outcomes.

Reconnect with Stakeholders

Listen to the delivery teams, sponsors, and executives. Understand their challenges and reshape the PMO as a service that helps solve real problems. Build partnerships, not policing. Influence grows through collaboration, not control.

Shift Focus from Data to Insight

Move beyond raw reporting. Translate status into meaning — highlight risks, spot delivery gaps, surface actionable intelligence. Provide leaders with the information they need to make confident decisions. Insight creates value; volume does not.

Deliver Visible Wins

Find two or three key projects where the PMO can make a measurable, visible difference — faster delivery, better risk management, clearer reporting. Use these success stories to prove the PMO’s value and start changing perceptions across the business.

Conclusion: Make the PMO a Strategic Enabler

PMOs don't need to be scrapped — they need to evolve. With purpose, leadership, and a focus on outcomes, the PMO can become a trusted engine of delivery assurance and strategic alignment. For CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders, recovery starts with a single decision: make the PMO matter again.