What a Catalyst PMO does
Six functions a traditional PMO leaves to someone else.
Catalyst PMO combines portfolio, program and project management office functions in one operating model and gives that office the accountability the P5 Standard describes for PMOs: standards and guidance, decision support, performance measurement and continuous improvement for sustainability across every project.
Aligns corporate, ESG and sustainability goals with delivery
Sustainability targets become portfolio KPIs, gate criteria and reporting lines, so the commitments in the annual report are the same ones projects are managed to.
Selects and prioritises projects on impact
A sustainability-adjusted business case and a consistent option comparison, so social, environmental and financial impact sit alongside scope, schedule, cost and risk when the portfolio is set.
Holds the criteria at every gate
A required P5 Impact Analysis and Sustainability Management Plan by project type, spend or footprint, reviewed at stage gates, with the PMO accountable for their quality.
Reports one view
Portfolio, program and project status combined with ESG and sustainability metrics in a single report, aggregated from project-level data rather than re-keyed for the sustainability team.
Equips project managers
Tools, templates, training and the PRiSM™ method, so sponsors and project managers reach threshold competence and apply the criteria without a consultant present.
Connects strategy, CSR and EHS
Corporate social responsibility, environment, health and safety, and executive strategy meet in one delivery system, with lessons learned and recurring P5 findings fed back into playbooks and templates.
The Catalyst PMO process
Discover, design, agree, deliver, assess.
Whether you are establishing a PMO from scratch or enhancing one that exists, the sequence is the same and each stage leaves you with something you keep.
1. Discover
Current capability and sustainability imperatives assessed, usually with a PSM3™ baseline. You receive a report of strengths, gaps and opportunities.
2. Design
A tailored roadmap and operating model that uses the assets you already have: your method, your governance forums, your reporting cycle.
3. Agree
The approach finalised with sponsors and the leadership team, so the PMO's mandate and decision rights are settled before delivery starts.
4. Deliver
GPM consultants work alongside your team on live projects, with knowledge transfer built in so your people run the PMO after we leave.
5. Assess
Progress reviewed throughout and re-measured with PSM3™, so the board sees a maturity trajectory rather than a completed project.
Why only GPM can build it
The PMO chapter of the standard was written here.
GPM wrote the P5 Standard, now published with the Project Management Institute as Version 4.0, including the chapter that sets out what a PMO does with sustainability: minimum artifacts by project type, decision support at stage reviews, standardised metrics and dashboards, and continuous improvement from recurring findings. GPM also wrote PRiSM™, the delivery method those artifacts sit in, and PSM3™, the instrument that measures whether a PMO applies them. No other organization in the world holds all three.
A Catalyst PMO is therefore built to the standard by its authors, measured on the authors' instrument, and able to bring projects to the point where they can be certified under GPM360°.
What you receive
PMO charter, operating model and decision rights, agreed with sponsors
Gate criteria with required P5 Impact Analysis and Sustainability Management Plan by project type
Portfolio prioritisation model with a sustainability-adjusted business case
Unified reporting pack: portfolio, program, project and ESG metrics in one view
Training for sponsors, PMO staff and project managers
A PSM3™ baseline and re-assessment that show the trajectory
Who this is for
Any organization whose commitments are delivered through projects.
Organizations establishing a PMO
that want sustainability built into the operating model from the first day rather than added later.
Existing PMOs adding accountability
that monitor and report today and need to own sustainability criteria, selection and reporting tomorrow.
Portfolio leaders with net zero or ESG targets
who need the capital portfolio balanced against those targets, with a number to report each year.
Sustainability teams without delivery reach
who set the commitments but have no mechanism inside project governance to see them applied.
Questions we are asked
Before you request a scoping call.
Do we need an existing PMO?
No. Catalyst PMO covers four situations: strategize a PMO that does not exist yet, establish one, scale one that has outgrown its remit, or optimize one that reports but does not decide.
Portfolio, program or project office?
All three functions are combined in one operating model, scaled to your size. Small organizations run it as one team; large ones as a federated structure with common criteria and reporting.
How does it relate to PSM3™?
PSM3™ is the measurement. Its Practice criteria describe the governance, portfolio, benefits, risk and delivery practices a Catalyst PMO puts in place, so the baseline sets the priorities and the re-assessment shows the trajectory.
Will it work with our delivery method?
Yes. The criteria attach to your gates and cadence, whether predictive, agile or hybrid. Version 4.0 of the P5 Standard addresses agile and hybrid delivery directly.
What does the PMO report to the board?
Portfolio, program and project status alongside the ESG and sustainability metrics that projects generate: P5 Impact Analysis ratings, progress against thresholds, exceptions, and the PSM3™ maturity trajectory.
How does an engagement start?
With a discovery session of two to three hours, followed by a written scope, timing and team. Most engagements open with a PSM3™ baseline.
Request a scoping call
Tell us where your PMO is today.
Describe your organization, whether a PMO exists, what it reports today and the sustainability targets it should be delivering. Select Catalyst PMO in the form. A certified GPM consultant will come back to you with a proposed scope and timing.