The short answer
"PMO" is the umbrella term, and the other names describe what the office supports. A project office supports one project. A programme office supports a group of related projects working towards the same outcome. A portfolio office looks across everything the business is delivering and helps decide what to fund. Most mid-sized businesses need one permanent PMO that does a little of each, not separate offices.
The four types of office
UK guidance on project offices, known as P3O, describes four types:
- Project office. Supports a single project with planning, reporting, the RAID log and document control. It's usually temporary and closes when the project ends.
- Programme office. Supports a programme: several related projects delivering a shared change. It coordinates dependencies between projects and tracks whether the expected benefits are being delivered. It lasts for the life of the programme.
- Portfolio office. Looks across every project and programme in the business. It gives the board the information to decide what to start, continue, pause or stop, and where to put people and money. It's permanent, and there's usually only one.
- Centre of excellence. Focuses on capability rather than delivery. It owns the standards, methods, templates and training that every project and programme uses. In smaller businesses, this role usually sits inside the main PMO.
How they compare
| Office | Supports | How long it lasts | Main question it answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project office | One project | Life of the project | Is this project on track? |
| Programme office | A group of related projects | Life of the programme | Are we delivering the change and its benefits? |
| Portfolio office | Everything the business delivers | Permanent | Are we doing the right projects? |
| Centre of excellence | How delivery is done | Permanent | Are we doing projects the right way? |
Project office
- Supports
- One project
- How long it lasts
- Life of the project
- Main question it answers
- Is this project on track?
Programme office
- Supports
- A group of related projects
- How long it lasts
- Life of the programme
- Main question it answers
- Are we delivering the change and its benefits?
Portfolio office
- Supports
- Everything the business delivers
- How long it lasts
- Permanent
- Main question it answers
- Are we doing the right projects?
Centre of excellence
- Supports
- How delivery is done
- How long it lasts
- Permanent
- Main question it answers
- Are we doing projects the right way?
The name matters less than the job
“I've seen teams spend months debating what to call their PMO. The name matters far less than agreeing whether it supports projects, controls them, or decides which ones get funded.”
That choice is about how much control the office has. PMOs are commonly described as supportive (templates and guidance), controlling (standards that projects must follow) or directive (managing projects directly). Our guide to what a PMO does explains each type.
What a mid-sized business usually needs
A business running somewhere between 5 and 30 projects rarely needs separate project, programme and portfolio offices. One permanent PMO typically:
- sets the standards and templates (the centre of excellence role)
- runs consistent reporting across all projects (the project office role)
- gives the board one view to prioritise from (the portfolio office role)
A temporary programme office is worth adding only when a single large change, such as a system replacement or a merger, needs its own coordination for a year or more.
About the author
Stuart Lester
Founder and CEO
Reviewed by Martin Brodie-Lynch