Building Project Management Centers of Excellence

Summary

Documenting formalized project management standards in the form of a methodology, common processes, tools, and templates is a prerequisite to distributing the disciplines and best practices of this important business function across the organization. Using basic characteristics to classify projects into several categories provides a way to "scale" requirements to fit the project where they add value rather than impose unnecessary controls. Initial distribution of the standards is best done in face-to-face sessions to ensure they are reviewed in detail and clearly understood. It also provides an opportunity to answer questions and give specific instructions in their proper use.