The path towards discovering PMO: an exploratory analysis of the Italian banking sector

Directly acting on Project Management practices, PMO provides companies with help to innovate, reaching competitive advantage and growth in the long run, ceteris paribus, and attempts to reduce uncertainty. Even though PMO is a more consolidated practice in some countries, the phenomenon has lately been introduced in Italy, and it is still evolving. Not all organizations and not all individuals clearly understand the potential of PMO, and its role is often limited to simple Project Management in its strict meaning, while areas for improvement are many and varied. The paper analyses the status of PMO through a survey conducted inside the Italian banking sector, trying to frame the role of PMO, throwing light on its importance for a company as a whole, and not just for a single project. A discussion of the results and future work concludes the paper. Keywords: PMO; uncertainty; innovation; Italy; implementation; impacts; benefits; cultural change management