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“We Give P3 a New Name”: A Collaborative Partnership between PMO and Product Management
Here´s a PMO team that is passionate about Product delivery, as they use their myriads of skills to interact with multi-disciplinary teams to make success possible. Beyond the meetings, metrics and methodologies, what keeps this team engaged and motivated? And how do they engage and motivate their stakeholders?
Join us as we have a quick glimpse on how the Risk and Finance PMO came together during the pandemic, and how they´ve since established the working relationship with Product Management to build Insurance Solutions. We will focus on the PMO´s aspirations, the challenges they´ve faced, and the best practices and lessons learned from overcoming these hurdles.
All this, and so much more, in the pursuit of Product Management-PMO Partnership.
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The presentation “We Give ‘P3’ a New Name” by Monie Manugue of Moody’s focuses on the evolution of a PMO from a support role to a strategic partner with Product Management, referred to as ‘P3: Product Management-PMO Partnership’
This transformation is based on understanding the product management landscape, leveraging PMO skills, and iteratively optimising processes. Let’s take a look at the key themes covered:
1. The PMO’s Evolution: From Reactive to Proactive
The core narrative was about shifting the PMO’s role from a reactive administrative function to a proactive, strategic contributor. The initial perception of the PMO was negative,
“The perception then for PMO was they’re just ticking the boxes. They’re just there for reporting. Do we even need PMO?”
The goal was to achieve a “PMO Vision: To transition PMO from a Support Function to Strategic/Delivery Function, with teams trusting the PMO as partners from the inception to the implementation of business-critical initiatives.”
2. The ‘P3’ Vision
In the session, Monie shares the PMO’s mission and vision. If your PMO hasn’t got one it can be a worthwhile exercise for the team, not only does it make clear to everyone within the team what the PMO is there to do, but can also inspire where the PMO is heading to.
The presentation introduces ‘P3’ as “Product Management-PMO Partnership.” This partnership entails the PMO actively participating in strategic initiatives, leading programs, owning workstreams, designing governance, proposing options, and mitigating risks and issues, rather than simply setting up meetings, reporting status, and gathering inputs.
3. Understanding the Arena (Product Management)
The PMO needed to deeply understand the environment they were working in and the differences from project management. In this case product management principles and processes. More and more organisations are managing change, especially customer-led product change which is focused on software development, using Agile and Lean approaches. Product management – where there is a continual update and changes to products, requires a different approach to project management where there is a definite start and end date.
Monie defines a product as “an item or a service offered on the market and designed to meet the needs or wishes of customers.” Product Management is defined as “a strategic function that involves guiding a product’s lifecycle, from determining market needs to defining the vision and prioritising features. It requires a blend of business, technology, and user experience skills.” The PMO needs to understand the full product lifecycle, from “Discovery” to “Scale,” and the various stages of innovation.
The process emphasises continuous improvement and adaptation based on feedback. “after we’ve implemented the first two steps, we needed to make sure that we reviewed, we needed to make sure that we optimised so that we can improve based upon the feedback that we got from our stakeholders.” This involves actively soliciting feedback from stakeholders and adjusting PMO processes and approaches accordingly.
4. The PMO’s Role in Supporting Product Management
The document outlines specific ways PMOs contribute to product management, including:
A. Understanding Product Management
- PMOs must learn about product management, including:
- Customer needs
- Market trends
- Product development cycles
B. Agile & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- PMOs working in product-centric organisations need to integrate Agile principles.
- The PMO can facilitate Scrum ceremonies, retrospectives, and stakeholder communication.
C. Supporting Go-To-Market Strategies
- The PMO plays a role in coordinating the launch process, ensuring that teams:
- Work towards a clear roadmap.
- Align their efforts with business priorities.
- Gather and implement customer feedback efficiently.
D. Resource and Cost Management
- The PMO ensures that product teams have the right resources at the right time.
- It manages budgets, tracks return on investment (ROI), and helps balance competing priorities.
E. Governance & Risk Management
- By designing governance models that fit product teams, PMOs help product managers stay compliant without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Proactive risk identification and mitigation is crucial in fast-moving product teams.
5. Product Management Frameworks and Lifecycles
Here are some of the most well-known product management frameworks, categorised based on their purpose and some of the leading organisations who use them:
Selecting a framework depends on:
- Your product’s maturity (startup vs. enterprise)
- Team size (small vs. cross-functional teams)
- Development style (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid)
- Industry and customer needs
You can read more about each framework by downloading the guide here.
6. Identifying and Leveraging PMO Skills
The PMO is positioned as possessing a diverse range of skills (Certified Scrum Masters, Project Managers, Business Analysts, etc.). However, the challenge lies in strategically applying these skills to support product management effectively. It’s about matching PMO specialisations to product development and delivery needs.
The presentation highlights the critical role of executive sponsorship in elevating the PMO. One pivotal moment was when the PMO was not recognised for contributing to a successful project. This led to discussing how the PMO could gain a “seat at the coveted table.” Securing sponsorship requires demonstrating the PMO’s value to product strategy and the overall business. “We needed to publicise what we were doing. We needed to publicise or put public relations into the successes, the value that the PMO added. And that’s where our sponsors came in.”
The presentation also acknowledges the persistent perception of the PMO as simply a “support function” or even as “super assistants.” Overcoming this requires setting boundaries, declining low-value tasks, and proactively contributing to high-value activities that drive business outcomes. It’s about strategically saying “no” to certain tasks to free up resources for more impactful work.
Key Takeaways
- Forming the Team and Maintaining Motivation: Establishing trust, open communication, and rapport within the PMO team are essential, especially when team members are geographically dispersed.
- Transitioning from Support to Partnership: This requires proactivity, initiative, and a willingness to step outside of comfort zones.
- Elevating the PMO: This involves publicising the PMO’s successes, securing executive sponsorship, and strategically using PMO skills for collaboration.
The journey from a support function to a strategic partner requires a PMO to deeply understand the business, proactively apply its skills, continuously improve its processes, and cultivate strong relationships with stakeholders and sponsors. The ‘P3’ vision represents a significant shift in how PMOs can contribute to organisational success, particularly in product-driven environments. The key is strategic alignment, demonstrable value, and effective communication.
Resources
> The overview of product frameworks
