Use this as your last-mile PMI-PMOCP™ review. Pair it with the Syllabus for coverage and Practice for speed.
For exam format and official policy details, see Overview.
PMO in one picture (design → operate → measure → improve)
flowchart TD
A["Strategy + mandate"] --> B["Governance (decision rights + thresholds)"]
B --> C["Design services (catalog + workflows)"]
C --> D["Operate (onboard + deliver + support)"]
D --> E["Measure (KPIs + dashboards + feedback)"]
E --> F["Improve (maturity + competencies + value)"]
F --> A
If you can state these three items from any question stem, you’re usually close to the best answer:
- Customer outcome: what decision or capability must improve?
- Right-sized control: what governance is needed (not more, not less)?
- Evidence: what metric or artifact proves it works?
“Best answer” elimination rules (fast)
- If a response adds control without a risk/need, it’s usually wrong.
- If a response adds metrics without decisions, it’s usually wrong (dashboards exist to change behavior).
- If the scenario is unclear, clarify mandate / customer needs / success measures before redesigning services.
- If multiple choices seem fine, choose the one that improves decision quality + value outcomes with the least added friction.
PMO types and scope (concept table)
| Dimension | Common options | What it changes |
|---|
| Control level | Supportive / Controlling / Directive | how much enforcement vs coaching |
| Scope | Project / Program / Portfolio / Enterprise | breadth of services + governance |
| Placement | Centralized / Federated / Embedded | consistency vs local fit |
| Service style | Self-service / Shared services / Center of excellence | how customers consume PMO value |
Best-answer pattern: choose the operating model that matches constraints (compliance, risk, scale) and maturity.
Mandate and charter (what “good” looks like)
Mandate essentials checklist
- Purpose and outcomes (why the PMO exists)
- Customers and service boundaries (who/what is in scope)
- Authority and decision rights (what PMO can approve/deny)
- Governance touchpoints (forums, cadence, escalation)
- Metrics for success (value measures + service KPIs)
- Review cycle (how mandate evolves with maturity/strategy)
Anti-patterns
- Mandate is “everything PM-related” with no boundaries
- Success metrics are activity volume (templates created, meetings held)
- Authority is unclear (PMO “owns” governance but can’t enforce decisions)
Governance quick design (decision rights + thresholds)
| Governance element | Define | Example outputs |
|---|
| Decision rights | who decides what | approval matrix, RACI, decision log |
| Thresholds | when escalation is mandatory | budget delta, risk tier, compliance trigger |
| Forums | where decisions happen | portfolio board, steering committee |
| Cadence | how often, for what | monthly portfolio review; weekly triage |
| Evidence | what must be presented | business case, benefits, risk, capacity |
| Enforcement | how compliance is managed | audits, health checks, stage gates |
Rule: governance should reduce risk and improve decisions, not create “status theatre.”
Service catalog (a simple service card template)
For each PMO service, define:
- Service name + purpose
- Customer segment (who it’s for)
- Inputs (what customers provide)
- Outputs (what PMO delivers)
- Workflow (key steps + handoffs)
- Success measures (KPIs + customer outcomes)
- SLAs/expectations (response time, cadence)
- Escalation path (when/how to escalate)
Intake and prioritization (decision flow)
flowchart LR
A["Request / need"] --> B["Qualify (in scope?)"]
B -->|no| C["Redirect / decline"]
B -->|yes| D["Classify (risk + impact)"]
D --> E["Prioritize (value + urgency + capacity)"]
E --> F["Assign service + owner"]
F --> G["Onboard + deliver"]
G --> H["Measure + improve"]
Common decision cues
- compliance/safety → prioritize and add governance
- low-risk/low-impact → keep lightweight, favor self-service
- chronic bottleneck → improve workflow/capacity, not just escalation
Operating metrics (what to measure, and why)
Service KPIs vs value outcomes
| Category | Examples | Why it matters |
|---|
| Service KPIs | cycle time, throughput, SLA adherence, adoption | tells you if services run well |
| Value outcomes | benefits realized, decision latency, predictability, risk exposure | tells you if PMO matters |
Dashboard sanity checks
- Every metric should link to a decision (start/stop, escalate, invest, improve).
- Include leading indicators (quality of intake data, governance adherence) not only lagging outcomes.
- Prefer trends over single-point status.
Maturity and continuous improvement (practical loop)
- Assess baseline (what’s real, not what’s written).
- Prioritize improvements (risk/value first).
- Implement with change management (adoption is the point).
- Measure impact (before/after with evidence).
- Standardize what works; retire what doesn’t.
Improvement anti-pattern: “raise maturity” with new process steps but no adoption plan and no measurable outcomes.
People domain (fast reminders)
- Customer-centricity: start from the decision the customer needs to make, not the artifact you want them to fill in.
- Conflict: surface trade-offs explicitly; don’t hide them in status reports.
- Objectivity: use evidence-based criteria for prioritization and governance decisions.
- Influence: align on outcomes, then offer options with clear pros/cons and risks.
Glossary (PMOCP quick)
- Mandate/Charter: the PMO’s purpose, boundaries, authority, and success measures.
- Service catalog: documented PMO offerings with definitions, workflows, and success measures.
- Decision rights: who can approve, reject, or escalate a decision.
- Threshold: trigger point that requires escalation or governance review.
- Maturity model: staged view of capability progression used to prioritize improvements.
- Value realization: evidence that PMO work produced meaningful outcomes (benefits, risk reduction, faster decisions).