Continuing the series of posts on establishing a Project Management Office, I’ll address some possible Risks, Constraints and Dependencies.

Risks

As always with identifying risks, ask yourself “What worries me about this?”. Here are a few possible risks. You will likely have more, depending on your unique situation.

• Not finding qualified people (ones that match the experience, people skills and project vision)
• We find qualified people but their salary demands exceed our budget
• Some departments in the company may see this as an intrusion on their project authority
• Creating “too much” documentation
• Creating a Project Management Methodology that is “too rigid”

When you have identified your initial risks, you will apply the usual Risk Management practices (identifying triggers, assessing probability and impact, creating mitigation and contingency plans. assigning a risk owner).

Constraints

Every project has constraints, which are conditions that limit the solution. In establishing a PMO, here are a few possible constraints:

• Staff size
• Staff budget
• Work location
• PMO “up and running by” date

Dependencies

Some possible external dependencies that could delay the establishment of your PMO:

• Budget approval
• Establishing work location (may need an addition or remodel)
• Getting projects approved to justify the hiring