Adopting the Project Portfolio Perspective
Project Portfolio Management doesn't have to be complex and complicated. The EPM Solutions PPM Perspective is a scalable and flexible approach that provides any organization immediate benefit without investing in an extensive and lengthy implementation project.

Based on experience we find that clients need support in three areas:

Creating a Project Portfolio Map

The first step in developing the Project Portfolio Perspective is to Create a Project Portfolio Map. The Map is more than a simple list of projects(though in some organizations even that would be of tremendous value. Currently there are two competing views on how the initial portfolio map should be assembled. One view concentrates on a top-down approach, with everything flowing from formal statements of strategy that the top executives have developed. The other approach focuses on rolling up all project level detail in the hopes that aggregation will bring clarity.

As with most things, we at EPM Solutions believe that reality is to be found somewhere in the middle, therefore our approach focuses on high level project information and – where top level guidance isn’t available – imputed strategy.

Plotting the Course for PPM

The second step in developing the Project Portfolio Perspective is to Plot the Course. We’ve taken our analogy from the concept of a fitness landscape in Complex Adaptive System Theory. Every company has a mixture of unique strengths offset by competitive boundaries and infrastructure limitations.

The goal of this step is the realistic assessment of the strengths and limitations of the organization as compared to the requirements of current projects, and strategic objectives. Through the process of alignment and prioritization the optimal project portfolio for your organization can be defined.

This phase of the process will change with every major portfolio review cycle, which is one of the reasons we stress the image of traversing a changing terrain. One year market conditions may be robust with high turnover and a drive toward cutting edge requirements (the ecommerce boom of the late 90s), followed the next year by tight budgets, lay-offs and a batten-down-the-hatches mentality. For a process and a method to work for an organization, year in and year out, it must incorporate a high level of innate flexibility and aid in building a culture wherein change resiliency is a key component.

Navigating the Course for Project Portfolio Management

The third step in developing a Project Portfolio Perspective is that of Navigating the Course. Once the portfolio is established, it needs to be maintained. In our experience this is best done by focusing in two different areas. The first area is to monitor the progress and the results of the projects that are in the portfolio. Depending on the size of the organization this can be done through some form of status reporting, portfolio monitoring software and the creation of a Project Management Office depending on an organizations culture and maturity.

The second focus area involves making sure that the portfolio stays in alignment with current business and organizational realities In our experience this is best accomplished by establishing a Portfolio Management Committee.

We also offer a number of specialized services in addition to the PPM Perspective. They include:

	Project Reviews and Project Audits. The best portfolio in the world is still not worth anything if the projects in the portfolio don’t deliver the results they were chartered to deliver.
	Sox Compliance. With the advent of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, every project that touches the financial system needs to insure that adequate documentation and proof of internal controls is part of the project plan. We can offer a range of services to support you in this area.
	Facilitation of Portfolio Review Sessions. While it might be tempting to do PPM on an annual basis we’ve found that reviewing the portfolio at least quarterly increases the probability that the PPM process will take root in the organization. We’ve also found that these PPM meetings go much more smoothly during the first year if they’re run by experienced and trained facilitators.

Project Portfolio Management Training

We offer four courses on Project Portfolio Management:

	Scalable Portfolio Management. This course is a two day practicum that focuses on techniques for making PPM work at the department, program or line of business level. Regardless of the size of your project organization, by attending this course you can use the techniques of project portfolio management to create a flexible environment that accommodates rapid change without sacrificing strategic results.
	Enterprise Project Portfolio Management. This course is focused on creating a sustainable culture to make project portfolio work at the enterprise level. Whether you have 200 projects or 2,000 this class will give you the tools you need to be successful.
	PPM Executive Overview. This four hour overview focuses exclusively on the information senior executives need to achieve results from PPM. Specific focus areas are the impact of right timing, change management and strategic alignment.
	Setting up a Project Portfolio Management Office. The skills required of a good PPM support staff and the skills required of a good Project Support Office staff are not the same skills. This class focuses on the analytical, negotiation and presentation skills your staff needs to get the job done right.

EPM Solutions is an organization dedicated to helping you effectively manage your portfolio of projects.