PMO Framework Transformation

Context

Following major leadership shifts, budget cuts, and a 40% workforce reduction, the IT organization at a mid-sized biotech firm had no functional portfolio structure. Projects were being run ad hoc, with no intake process, no oversight, and no visibility into status or value. The business was demanding speed and accountability - while IT had neither the headcount nor the infrastructure to deliver it.

Challenge

• No formal project intake, gating, or prioritization process
• No standardized documentation or chartering system
• Inconsistent project execution with little cross-functional visibility
• Leadership had no clean way to assess project health, pipeline, or resourcing
• Technical IT leads with limited PM experience were expected to run projects
• Unclear distinction between project work and operational activities

Approach

I inherited an overbuilt project framework that had been designed for a very different stage of the company. Rather than replacing it outright, I redesigned it into a risk- and impact-based operating model, keeping shared language where it helped adoption and stripping rigor where it slowed delivery. I built upon the capabilities of technical IT leads who weren't PMs by trade but were expected to run projects effectively.

Within 60 days, I stood up a functional baseline PMO. Over the following 4-6 months, I matured and simplified it through iteration, training, and feedback loops that empowered our people to think about projects in ways that translated to their language.

What I Built:

1. Portfolio Signal & Intake
   • Intake form → request queue → charter workflow → dynamic dashboards
   • User-friendly interface for simplified stakeholder interaction (no training required)
   • Weekly automated status update cycles with compliance reminders
   • Exec-facing visibility into ongoing efforts and spend
2. Right-Sized Delivery Framework
   • Multiple delivery methods allowed (waterfall, agile, Kaizen, Lean, JDI)
   • Baseline artifacts for most work
   • Increased rigor only for higher-risk initiatives
   • Document governance standards: folder structure, naming conventions, role-based SharePoint access, archiving policy
   • Final deliverables gated by quality reviews and handoff checklists
3. Enablement & Sustainability
   • Mentorship for non-PM leads through the framework
   • Created playbooks and FAQ guides to onboard new staff fast
   • Clear project vs operations boundary
   • Bi-weekly governance meetings with clear roles for CIO, sponsors, and PMs
   • Structured approvals for charters, resource assignments, and project closures
   • Durable governance that survived turnover

Result

• Portfolio went from zero governance to fully operational within 60 days
• Enabled full project visibility across $10M+ in annual IT work
• Reduced project intake cycle time from "whenever someone chased someone" to < 7 days
• Built a governance structure that scaled with zero additional headcount
• Created a durable operating system that continues to function independently of individual contributors

Skills Demonstrated

• Portfolio automation and workflow development
• Governance model design and implementation
• Process optimization and standardization
• Cross-functional alignment and buy-in
• Documentation and knowledge transfer

Lessons Learned

• Simple, usable systems beat complex theoretical models
• Automation is essential for small teams managing large portfolios
• Stakeholder experience must be frictionless for adoption
• Documentation standards pay dividends during staff transitions
• While this was implemented in a mid-sized organization, the principles - signal integrity, risk-based rigor, and decision clarity - are intentionally scale-agnostic

Supporting Artifacts

For readers interested in seeing how this framework was operationalized, the project management playbook developed during this engagement is available below. This document demonstrates the baseline expectations, risk-based tailoring, and practical enablement approach described in the case study.

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