What is a Project Management Office? Mitigating Compliance and Claims Risks in Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects

As state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments across the country pursue strategic planning for eligible projects funded by the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other public and private sources, the need for streamlined and transparent project management practices has never been greater. Without the right processes and procedures, your organization could be exposed to significant compliance and claims risks.

Many are considering hiring a third-party company to help manage their project, but they may not know where to start, or be able to define what they truly need. Especially in programs involving multiple contracts, partnering with a PMO can standardize the entire process to dramatically mitigate your risk and ensure compliance across all facets of the program, from funding to design and construction. 

What is a project management office (PMO)?

Project Management Offices (PMOs) are an essential part of delivering whole portfolios of cross-functional projects within prescribed budgets, while improving productivity, and bringing order to complex requirements to increase compliance. The PMO provides a critical backbone to the operational environment while maintaining best practices and documenting standardized project policies, procedures, processes, and metrics for executing projects.

PMOs Standardize Processes to Mitigate Risk 

In rapidly changing project environments with tight deadlines and critical dependencies, the right PMO focuses on setting projects up for success by establishing and maintaining discipline within each project. Most importantly, they standardize contracting and execution processes which dramatically minimizes the risk of claims or delays. 

A solid PMO will organize your portfolio of projects and customize information related to project portfolio health, change management, strategic planning, workflows, policies, standard operating procedures, reporting, and the systems that power it all. When portfolios are optimized in real time, your organization is better equipped to adapt quickly to changing business requirements.

How to Choose a PMO

When interviewing potential PMO’s, focus on how their services and approach will drive value at each stage of a complex project. A good PMO should be able to explain how they can: 

• Identify and align program requirements with your goals to enhance agility, responsiveness, and control of your portfolio of projects. 
• Use state of the art technology that supports visualization of data driven metrics and dashboards to keep production of the portfolio firing on all cylinders through reporting on progress to milestones, estimates to completion, and program/project successes. 
• Provide both innovation in program management to gain efficiencies and stability of management processes over time. 
• Strategically tackle risks and issues posed to scope, schedule, and budget, through proactive solutions that maintain compliance with funding requirements and minimize process blockage. 

At Plexos Group, our PMO professionals have decades of industry specific experience related to infrastructure, economic revitalization, and housing, with a particular emphasis on program set up and project prioritization and implementation. Contact us to connect to our professionals and see how we can assist you.

About plexos group

At Plexos Group, we draw on decades of experience in program and construction management, disaster recovery, and grant funding to help clients achieve their goals with best-in-class resources and innovated technology solutions. 

As state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments contemplate the best use of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other federal funds to rebuild and revitalize our country's infrastructure, we are ready to ramp up quickly to fulfill their needs from inception to closeout. And with our deep policy insight and federal funding expertise, we're positioning our clients to identify high-impact projects, pursue maximum funding, and retain those funds for the long-term.