Project Portfolio Management

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All too often, the portfolio of programs and projects looks more like a random heap than a strategically organized and balanced collection of investments that will drive the business forward.
Portfolio managers know that with the right kind of information and the right level of process maturity they can get better results through the portfolio; however, organizations often assume (falsely) that the required level of maturity is out of reach from their current state and perpetually delay improvements.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

The information needed to define clear and usable criteria for organizing the portfolio of programs and projects already exists. Portfolio managers only need to identify the sources of that information and institute processes for regularly reviewing that information in order to define those criteria.
Once a portfolio manager has a clear idea of the goals and constraints that shape what ought to be included (or removed) from the portfolio and once these have been translated into clear and usable portfolio criteria, basic portfolio management processes can be instituted to ensure that these criteria are used consistently throughout the various stages of the project lifecycle.
Portfolio management frameworks and processes do not need to be built from scratch. Well-known frameworks – such as the one outlined in COBIT 5 APO05 – can be instituted in a way that will allow even low-maturity organizations to start organizing their portfolio.
Organizations do not need to grow into portfolio management frameworks to get the benefits of an organized portfolio; instead, they can grow within such frameworks.

Impact and Result

An organized portfolio will ensure that the projects and programs included in it are strategically aligned and can actually be executed within the finite constraints of budgetary and human resource capacity.
Portfolio managers are better empowered to make decisions about which projects should be included in the portfolio (and when) and are better empowered to make the very tough decisions about which projects should be removed from the portfolio (i.e. cancelled).
Building and maturing a portfolio management framework will more fully integrate the PMO into the broader IT management and governance frameworks, making it a more integral part of strategic decisions and a better business partner in the long run.

Maintain an Organized Portfolio Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should maintain an organized portfolio of programs and projects, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Maintain an Organized Portfolio – Executive Brief

1. Assess the current state of the portfolio and PPM processes

Analyze the current mix of programs and projects in your portfolio and assess the maturity of your current PPM processes.

2. Enhance portfolio organization through improved PPM criteria and processes

Enhance and optimize your portfolio management processes to ensure portfolio criteria are clearly defined and consistently applied across the project lifecycle when making decisions about which projects to include or remove from the portfolio.

3. Implement improved portfolio management practices

Implement your portfolio management improvement initiatives to ensure long-term sustainable adoption of new PPM practices.

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

9.5/10

Overall Impact

$8,029

Average $ Saved

Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

City of Frisco

Guided Implementation

10/10

$12,999

Ideal Boilers Limited

Guided Implementation

9/10

$3,059

I think the tool works very well, my main issues are possibly into the follow-on actions. I think the tool in isolation is great, but it's rarely d... Read More

Rooms To Go

Guided Implementation

8/10

$19,302

The templates presented were really well designed, and explained well by Matt Burton as needed. It was super helpful to have a guide through the t... Read More

Mutual Benefit Group

Guided Implementation

6/10

$3,719

AltaGas Ltd.

Guided Implementation

10/10

$9,000

City of Alexandria, VA

Guided Implementation

5/10

N/A

Alabama Department Of Human Resources

Guided Implementation

8/10

N/A

Gokul is extremely knowledgeable in the topic area. His insight and recommendations will certainly pay dividends for our organization down the road... Read More

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Guided Implementation

10/10

$31,833

Working with Travis was great, he understand what we were working through and was able to help us greatly in this area.

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Workshop: Maintain an Organized Portfolio

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Assess Portfolio Mix and Portfolio Process Current State

The Purpose

Analyze the current mix of the portfolio to determine how to better organize it according to organizational goals and constraints.
Assess which PPM processes need to be enhanced to better organize the portfolio.

Key Benefits Achieved

An analysis of the existing portfolio of projects (highlighting areas of concern).
An analysis of the maturity of current PPM processes and their ability to support the maintenance of an organized portfolio.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Pre-work: Prepare a complete project list.

1.2

Define existing portfolio categories, criteria, and targets.

1.3

Analyze the current portfolio mix.

Analysis of the current portfolio mix

1.4

Identify areas of concern with current portfolio mix.

1.5

Review the six COBIT sub-processes for portfolio management (APO05.01-06).

1.6

Assess the degree to which these sub-processes have been currently achieved at the organization.

1.7

Assess the degree to which portfolio-supporting IT governance and management processes exist.

1.8

Perform a gap analysis.

Assessment of COBIT alignment and gap analysis.

Module 2: Define Portfolio Target Mix, Criteria, and Roadmap

The Purpose

Define clear and usable portfolio criteria.
Record/design portfolio management processes that will support the consistent use of portfolio criteria at all stages of the project lifecycle.

Key Benefits Achieved

Clearly defined and usable portfolio criteria.
A portfolio management framework that supports the consistent use of the portfolio criteria across all stages of the project lifecycle.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Identify determinants of the portfolio mix, criteria, and constraints.

Portfolio criteria

2.2

Define the target mix, portfolio criteria, and portfolio metrics.

Portfolio metrics for intake, monitoring, closure, termination, reprioritization, and benefits tracking

2.3

Identify sources of funding and resourcing.

2.4

Review and record the portfolio criteria based upon the goals and constraints.

2.5

Create a PPM improvement roadmap.

Portfolio Management Improvement Roadmap

Module 3: Design Improved Portfolio Sub-Processes

The Purpose

Ensure that the portfolio criteria are used to guide decision making at each stage of the project lifecycle when making decisions about which projects to include or remove from the portfolio.

Key Benefits Achieved

Processes that support decision making based upon the portfolio criteria.
Processes that ensure the portfolio remains consistently organized according to the portfolio criteria.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Ensure that the metrics used for each sub-process are based upon the standard portfolio criteria.

3.2

Establish the roles, accountabilities, and responsibilities for each sub-process needing improvement.

A RACI chart for each sub-process

3.3

Outline the workflow for each sub-process needing improvement.

A workflow for each sub-process

Module 4: Change Impact Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement Plan

The Purpose

Ensure that the portfolio management improvement initiatives are sustainably adopted in the long term.

Key Benefits Achieved

Stakeholder engagement.
Sustainable long-term adoption of the improved portfolio management practices.

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Conduct a change impact analysis.

Change Impact Analysis

4.2

Create a stakeholder engagement plan.

Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Completed Portfolio Management SOP

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Table of Contents

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Guided Implementation 1: Assess the current state of the portfolio and PPM processes

Call 1: Assess portfolio mix.
Call 2: Assess portfolio management practices.

Guided Implementation 2: Enhance portfolio organization through improved PPM criteria and processes

Call 1: Integrate standard portfolio criteria across all portfolio management sub-processes.
Call 2: Review the SOP.

Guided Implementation 3: Implement improved portfolio management practices

Call 1: Create a stakeholder engagement plan.
Call 2: Initiate the projects and engagement.

Author

Trevor Bieber

Contributors

Ross Eagar, Associate Director – Project Sourcing & Fulfilment Office, ArcBest Technologies
Angela Johnson – Director of Portfolio Management, EHealth Saskatchewan
Three anonymous contributors