Why Every PMO Needs an Annual Check-Up (Yes, Even the Veterans)
Running a Project Management Office (PMO) isn’t a “set it and forget it” operation. Whether your PMO is brand new or a seasoned veteran with years of experience under its belt, success comes from one key mindset: continuous evolution. Like any high-performing machine, a PMO needs regular maintenance, alignment, and maybe even the occasional tune-up. That’s where the magic of the PMO cycle comes in—ideally, a 12-month rhythm that keeps everything firing on all cylinders.
The PMO Cycle: Not Just a Buzzword
Let’s start here: PMOs operate best when they follow a consistent, annual cycle. This isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about ensuring that your PMO is actually delivering what the business needs today, not what it needed 12 months ago. Because let’s face it: if your PMO is still chasing last year’s goals, you’re not leading the charge—you’re playing catch-up.
That’s why PMO leadership has a critical responsibility to keep a close eye on performance, maturity, and alignment with the ever-evolving business landscape. This is the engine behind long-term success and organizational trust.
Evolving Expectations: It’s Not Just You—It’s Business
When a PMO is launched, it typically answers to a specific set of needs outlined by leadership. Job well done, right? Yes—but also, not quite.
As your PMO meets and exceeds those original expectations, leadership’s vision naturally becomes more sophisticated. They begin to see the PMO not just as a project tracker, but as a strategic enabler. The stakes get higher, the asks get bigger, and your PMO’s role becomes even more central to organizational growth.
Add to this the ever-changing tides of business cycles—market shifts, organizational restructuring, digital transformations, and so on—and suddenly your PMO isn’t just running projects. It’s navigating a moving target. That’s why flexibility and regular reassessment are essential.
The Power of the Annual PMO Assessment
We recommend that PMO leaders conduct a comprehensive assessment at least once every 12 months. This isn’t just a health check—it’s an opportunity to ask three game-changing questions:
Are we still delivering the benefits leadership expects?
How mature are we in delivering those benefits?
Are those benefits still aligned with the business’s current goals?
If you can answer those confidently—congrats, you’re in good shape! But if not, don’t stress. Even if your organization can’t commit to an annual review, completing the assessment at whatever frequency works best for your team is still a win. After all, a little reflection is better than none. Like so many things in life, nothing should stay still—and your PMO is no exception.
Enter the Tricon Army: Tricon’s PMO Assessment Service
At Tricon, we live for this stuff. Our PMO Assessment service is designed to guide PMO leaders through a structured, insightful evaluation of where your PMO stands today—and where it needs to go next. Whether you’re a lean team just getting started or a complex organization managing hundreds of projects, we tailor our approach to fit your unique environment.
With our help, you’ll gain clarity, direction, and a roadmap that ensures your PMO remains a powerhouse of value for the business.
The Tricon Army Marches Forward
In the end, running a PMO is a journey—not a destination. Keeping it aligned, responsive, and future-ready takes intention and a bit of strategy. But with the right tools, the right mindset, and the right partner (ahem, Tricon), your PMO will do more than survive—it will thrive.
So here’s your next mission: schedule that PMO assessment. Whether it's annual, biannual, or just whenever you can squeeze it in, the important thing is to start. We’ve got your back.
Want help getting started? Drop us a line—we’d love to be part of your PMO’s success story.