PMO Charter: Development and Buy-in, Who and How?

Developing a PMO Charter is important for most PMO´s. At a recently held PMO network meeting in Copenhagen, the big "How to get buy-in to your PMO Charter" question, was discussed by experienced PMO people. Although having a significant + 150 years of PMO experience and participating in + 50 PMO set-up and development, they all agreed that this is a very difficult question.

However very good and innovative suggestions for activities, processes and "Must do´s" came up, and I would like to share some of them with you.

Your PMO Charter must contain a "burning platform" like PMO justification. It is OK to look for stories about projects gone totally wrong or important customer complaints. This could create the basis for a well argues PMO Justification.

Go drink a lot of pre project coffee. The reason being that before a meeting or an important workshop there is a window of opportunity to interact, get important people to listen, to create friendship. Once the meeting is running and every one is gathered people are less likely to give in and make a compromise regarding important topics as developing a PMO.

Try and get the buy-in to important sections of your PMO Charter by interacting with your customers customer. Clarify how you can make their project life easier. Make them your advocate regarding important project issues and make them speak up and request the use of good transparent PM tools (or what ever is relevant for them).

Of course many other suggestions for how and who to interact with in order to get buy-in for you PMO Charter. If you want the full list. Send an E-mail to

HAR@projectgovernance.dk