In the first instalment of this article series, I outlined a five-step approach to launching a successful Project Management Office (PMO) in your organization – assessment and strategy, PMO initiation, establishing and developing, implementation of the plan, continuous improvement and feedback.

Find Full Guide: How to build a high-performing PMO

Following the proposed cycle, the first step focuses on assessing the status of projects in your organization before creating a PMO strategy.

Next, it’s time to move into the initiation phase.  Below is a practical walkthrough of four key actions to follow during this phase.

4 Key Steps for Project Management Office Initiation

Treat the initiation of your PMO as a project, and work on the elements typically associated with a project –  create a business case, a project charter, and a roadmap, decide on the scope, and so on.

1. Create a business case and the PMO charter

One of the first things you should do is create a business case for the PMO.  The business case explains why such a project is needed and outlines the expected business value. You can also create a project charter (a document outlining the objective of the project), a provisional timeline, and required resources.

Here’s a quick guide on what is a business case and project charter. The guide also includes the essential  questions you need to ask before starting projects.

PMO teams typically include:

• A PMO director or lead
• Project and Program Managers, who work within departments or teams.
• Administration staff.

2. Determine the PMO services scope

Project scope is particularly important for your PMO. As the PMO delivers value to your organization,  more people and departments will want to put their projects into your court.

Set expectations at the outset with a clear description of the initial responsibilities of the PMO and the roadmap for additional services.

During the fourth stage of launching your PMO, your team will begin to move projects into their ownership. It’s important to identify and approve only those projects that align with your strategic goals at this stage. This ensures higher success rate in projects that also deliver overall  business success.

3. Create a PMO services roadmap

Related to the Project Scope is the PMO services roadmap.  Decide on what services the PMO will offer at the start and the plan for rolling out more services in the future.

The roadmap should include items like project management training, a move towards standardized templates, and the change management plan.

Document the scope and proposed roadmap for services, and store this file in a central repository.

4. Gain approval and proceed to the next phase

As in step 1, get approval from stakeholders before moving to the next phase in the cycle, Establish and Evolve.

Launching a Project Management Office

This article is part of a four-part series, which looks at how to establish a successful PMO. If you want to jump to another part of the process, just follow the links below:

• Launching a Project Management Office: Assessment and Strategy
• Launching a Project Management Office: Establish and Evolve
• Launching a Project Management Office: Implementation and Improvement

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.