Unless an organization is too small to support the additional expense, it makes sense to support the project management function by setting up a central project management services group. This group, often known as the 'project office', is staffed with people (not too many!) who are capable of taking on the day-to-day chores of planning, resource scheduling, cost estimating, cost reporting, cost control, work progressing, progress reporting, and general supervision of the company's project management computer systems. A project services group can be used in most kinds of project organizations. The group can be a functional department within a pure project team, where it will serve and report directly to the project manager. If the organization is a multi-project matrix or a hybrid organization, the services group can be established as one of the departmental functions.



For a company that handles a relatively large number of small projects, none of which is big enough to justify its own full-time project manager, the project services group can take the place of project managers, at least as far as the cost and time objectives are concerned. When the project services group has this coordinating role, its leader must be given sufficient seniority in the organization for the coordination and control to be effective.

A project services group concentrates a company's expertise in the techniques of project management just as any other functional grouping can enhance a particular professional discipline. Centralization helps to standardize project administration procedures across all projects in a company. A project services group can be the logical plane in the organization from which to coordinate all parts of the project cycle, from authorization to shutdown. It can administer procedures such as project registration and change control. A well-motivated and expertly staffed services group can also spearhead the development and effective implementation of some advanced methods, so that the organization will be able to save time and money by exploiting methods such as templates and standard networks.

Some powerful project management computer systems, especially those handling multi-project scheduling, are best placed under the supervision of specially trained experts. Those experts must have a good working knowledge of all the organization's projects, and combine that with special training in using the system and safeguarding the integrity of its database and backup files. A central project services group is an excellent choice to bear the burden of that responsibility.

Just as important as the project manager's training and a project services group is the creation of an enlightened and informed attitude to modern project management methods among all those in the project organization. Ideally, when the objectives of a particular project are outlined, the project manager should ensure that participating managers, engineers, and line supervisors have a least been given an elementary grounding in the appreciation of network analysis, scheduling, principles of cost and progress control, and the interpretation of associated computer reports. This should all be with specific relevance to the procedures chosen for use on the actual project. Training or instructions should be given in the use of the various forms and other documents to be used, and in the active use of relevant computer systems. There is a serious danger that people who are suddenly asked to work with unfamiliar techniques and procedures, without sufficient training or explanation, will fail to cooperate. People neglected in this respect cannot be expected to provide the necessary feedback and other responses. If participating staff understand the procedures and the reasons for them, their cooperation is far more likely to be forthcoming and effective.