Project Management Office Management Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends PMO Analyst, PMO Coordinator and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-PM-060

Before you join: Participants should understand basic project terminology, including scope, milestones, risks, budgets and stakeholders.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

A PMO succeeds when it turns project information into reliable decisions, controls and services. PMO analysts and coordinators often inherit inconsistent status reports, unclear governance routes, incomplete risk records and schedules that do not support forecasting. The result is late escalation, weak portfolio visibility and senior meetings focused on debating data rather than deciding action.

This course develops the practical methods used to run and improve a project management office. Participants establish PMO mandates, service catalogues and governance structures; maintain RAID, schedule, cost and benefits controls; and produce decision-ready dashboards and board packs. They apply P3O and P3M3 concepts, critical path analysis, earned value management, portfolio prioritisation and resource capacity planning. The course also addresses data quality, PMIS records, document control and reporting automation boundaries.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with realistic project and portfolio cases, small-group analysis, reporting simulations and individual application planning. Participants work with examples such as a bank regulatory change portfolio, a public infrastructure programme and an NGO systems rollout. They leave with a reusable PMO operating pack containing templates for governance, reporting, RAID management, schedule health, portfolio scoring and service improvement. A certificate of completion is awarded to participants who attend the course.

The course suits professionals who support projects, programmes or portfolios and need to make PMO processes more consistent, measurable and useful to decision-makers.

What you will be able to do

  • Define a PMO mandate, service catalogue and governance model using P3O concepts
  • Build RAID logs, dependency maps and escalation routes for controlled project oversight
  • Assess schedule health using critical path, milestone trend and DCMA checks
  • Calculate earned value metrics and prepare cost forecast variance commentary
  • Design stage-gate packs, RACI matrices and decision logs for governance boards
  • Produce project dashboards and portfolio heat maps with measurable status criteria
  • Prioritise initiatives using weighted scoring, capacity analysis and scenario comparisons
  • Create a 90-day PMO improvement plan with service measures and ownership

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce decision-ready PMO reports rather than administrative status updates
  • Identify schedule and cost warning signs before formal escalation
  • Contribute confidently to stage-gate reviews and governance board preparation
  • Apply consistent methods for portfolio data, risk records and project controls
  • Build a practical improvement plan for an existing PMO service

For your organisation

  • More consistent project reporting and clearer executive decision requests
  • Earlier identification of schedule, cost, dependency and risk exposure
  • Stronger evidence trails for governance, assurance and audit reviews
  • Better portfolio choices through transparent prioritisation and capacity data
  • Reduced rework caused by incomplete records, unclear ownership and weak controls

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define a PMO mandate, service catalogue and operating model aligned with organisational needs.

  • PMO mandate, service catalogue and governance boundaries defined with sponsors
  • Centralised, controlling and supportive PMO models compared against organisational needs
  • P3O model roles, functions and decision rights mapped
  • PMO maturity assessment using P3M3 perspectives and evidence
  • Stakeholder mapping through power-interest grids and engagement priorities
  • Operating model choices for enterprise, portfolio and programme PMOs

Participants can establish consistent project control records and escalation routes for PMO oversight.

  • Project initiation data requirements aligned to approved business cases
  • Stage-gate criteria linked to funding, risk and delivery evidence
  • RAID log structure, ownership rules and escalation thresholds
  • Dependency mapping with predecessor logic, interface owners and due dates
  • Assumption validation and issue triage using impact and urgency
  • Change control workflow from request capture through authority decision

Participants can analyse project schedules, identify delivery threats and report forecast implications.

  • WBS decomposition linking scope packages, milestones and accountable owners
  • Critical path method calculations using dependencies, durations and float
  • Integrated master schedule quality checks using DCMA 14-point assessment
  • Milestone trend analysis for early schedule slippage detection
  • Baseline change assessment separating approved changes from execution variance
  • Look-ahead planning and schedule health indicators for PMO reporting

Participants can interpret project cost performance and prepare credible forecast commentary.

  • Cost baseline structure joining estimates, commitments, actuals and forecasts
  • Earned value metrics: PV, EV, AC, CPI and SPI
  • Estimate at completion methods using CPI, SPI and remaining work
  • Forecast variance commentary distinguishing timing effects from cost overruns
  • Funding profile analysis against annual budgets and approval limits
  • Benefits cost tracking tied to business case assumptions

Participants can maintain risk records, assess exposure and support timely management action.

  • Risk breakdown structures aligned to technical, commercial and delivery categories
  • Probability-impact scoring calibrated through defined rating criteria
  • Risk exposure calculations using expected monetary value and contingencies
  • Qualitative risk reviews separating threats, opportunities, issues and assumptions
  • Response planning: avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept and exploit
  • Risk appetite thresholds and escalation routes for governance boards

Participants can prepare governance structures and board materials that support accountable decisions.

  • RACI matrices clarifying sponsor, steering committee, project and PMO accountabilities
  • Terms of reference defining board decisions, cadence and quorum
  • Stage-gate packs structured around progress, forecast, risk and decisions
  • Decision logs recording authority, rationale, actions and implementation dates
  • Exception reporting against tolerances for time, cost, scope and risk
  • Assurance reviews using evidence sampling and follow-up tracking

Participants can design clear reporting products with defensible data and meaningful management indicators.

  • KPI hierarchy connecting portfolio objectives, programme outcomes and project measures
  • Traffic-light status criteria supported by measurable thresholds and commentary
  • One-page project dashboards combining milestones, finances, risks and decisions
  • Portfolio heat maps showing delivery confidence, exposure and intervention priorities
  • Data quality controls for reporting completeness, timeliness and traceability
  • Executive narrative techniques separating facts, implications and requested decisions

Participants can support portfolio decisions using prioritisation, capacity and scenario analysis.

  • Portfolio prioritisation scoring using strategic fit, value, risk and feasibility
  • Weighted scoring models with agreed criteria, scales and decision rules
  • Resource capacity planning by role, demand, availability and utilisation
  • Scenario analysis comparing funding limits, resource constraints and delivery dates
  • Portfolio balancing across mandatory, discretionary, risk-reduction and growth initiatives
  • Benefits dependency maps linking initiatives, capabilities and measurable outcomes

Participants can specify reliable PMO data, reporting and document control requirements.

  • PMIS data fields supporting consistent project records and audit trails
  • Excel pivot tables for status consolidation and variance analysis
  • Power BI dashboard requirements, measures and source-data refresh controls
  • Document control conventions for versions, approvals and retained records
  • Data governance roles covering ownership, validation, access and retention
  • Automation boundaries requiring human review of exceptions and decisions

Participants can measure PMO service performance and plan targeted improvements for their role.

  • PMO service catalogue metrics covering demand, timeliness, quality and satisfaction
  • Service-level measures for reporting cycles, gate reviews and data corrections
  • Lessons learned taxonomy converting recurring problems into process improvements
  • Root cause analysis using five whys and fishbone diagrams
  • Continuous improvement backlog prioritised by benefit, effort and control risk
  • Personal 90-day application plan with stakeholders, milestones and measures

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. PMO mandate and service catalogue template
  2. RAID log and dependency management template
  3. Schedule health and milestone trend analysis checklist
  4. Governance board pack and decision log template
  5. Project dashboard and portfolio heat map model
  6. 90-day PMO service improvement plan

Who should attend

  • PMO Analyst — needs reliable methods for reporting, controls and portfolio data
  • PMO Coordinator — supports governance meetings, project records and assurance activities
  • Project Coordinator — requires structured tools for tracking delivery information and actions
  • Project Manager — needs to meet PMO reporting, gate and forecasting requirements
  • Programme Support Officer — coordinates cross-project dependencies, risks and board documentation
  • Portfolio Analyst — supports prioritisation, capacity planning and investment reporting

Skills and tools covered

PMO governance designPortfolio reportingSchedule health analysisEarned value managementRisk and issue controlResource capacity planning

Tools and standards

P3O, P3M3, DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment, Power BI

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by case-based analysis, group exercises, reporting simulations and facilitated review. Participants examine realistic PMO artefacts, including status reports, RAID logs, schedules, cost data, governance packs and portfolio demand information. Teams interpret delivery evidence, identify control weaknesses and prepare clear decision material for senior stakeholders. The final sessions focus on adapting the methods, templates and service measures to each participant's PMO or project support role.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic project terminology, including scope, milestones, risks, budgets and stakeholders. Six to twelve months of experience supporting projects, programmes, operational change or reporting is useful. Participants should be comfortable reading project plans and using spreadsheet data, although advanced Excel skills are not assumed. Prior experience in a formal PMO is helpful but not required. PMP, PRINCE2, MSP, Agile or earned value qualifications are not required. The course does not assume responsibility for managing a full project budget or leading a project team.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand basic project terms and have some exposure to projects, programmes, change work or project reporting. Formal project management certification and prior PMO employment are not required.

Bring a laptop if possible, plus examples of anonymised reports, templates or PMO problems you want to improve. Course materials are provided, and no specialist software licence is needed.

It is designed primarily for PMO analysts, PMO coordinators, project coordinators and programme support staff. Project managers and portfolio analysts also benefit when they work within formal governance and reporting arrangements.

Project management fundamentals courses focus on leading an individual project from initiation to closure. This course focuses on the PMO role: standards, controls, reporting, governance, assurance and portfolio-level decision support.

Participants can adapt the provided templates to improve reporting, RAID management, stage-gate packs and service measures. The final application plan identifies practical actions, owners, milestones and measures for the next 90 days.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30, with approximately 6.5 contact hours. The five days cover ten modules in teaching order, moving from PMO design and controls through reporting, portfolio management and service improvement.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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