In a recent P3G workshop (Project, Programme and Portfolio Governance), several ePMO and PMO Managers and PMO Directors came together to learn how the PMO can become a more strategic partner to the organisation, starting with a focus on governance arrangements.
Governance often gets a bad name. It’s seen as the paperwork that slows things down, the meeting that drains energy, the checklist that no one really wants to follow. But that’s starting to change — quietly, and meaningfully — in places where the Enterprise PMO (ePMO) is stepping into a more strategic, enabling role.
This evolution came through loud and clear in the workshop where PMO professionals from across sectors shared their real-world challenges, insights, and shifts. What emerged was a picture of the ePMO not just as a compliance monitor but as a critical enabler of smarter governance — governance that supports decision-making, capability, and strategic alignment.
In this article we find out more about smarter governance – and what that means for the PMO.
From Control Tower to Strategic Glue
“Sometimes we’re the only ones who can connect the language of delivery with the language of strategy.”
— ePMO Lead, Governance Workshop
At the heart of the modern ePMO is its ability to join the dots — between strategy and execution, intent and insight, business need and delivery capability. It’s not just about monitoring projects from the top; it’s about making sure the right conversations happen at the right levels.
ePMOs are increasingly helping senior leaders navigate complexity by:
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Providing portfolio-level insight, not just project reporting
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Shaping decision-making forums so they’re efficient and purposeful
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Ensuring that governance isn’t just happening — but that it’s adding value
One participant described their ePMO as “the conscience of the organisation” — the only place where people paused to ask, Why are we doing this project at all?
That’s not control. That’s leadership.
Governance That Grows With You
“We use our maturity model not to judge, but to coach.”
— Senior PMO Practitioner
Smarter governance is also about right-sizing — tailoring controls and oversight to the capability and context of the teams delivering the work. The ePMO is perfectly placed to help with this, not by issuing rules, but by developing maturity.
Many organisations are shifting from one-size-fits-all frameworks to a scalable approach where:
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Governance requirements flex based on risk, complexity, and delivery method
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Teams are supported to grow their capability, not just comply with templates
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Governance is embedded into ways of working, not bolted on
In this model, the ePMO acts as a ‘capability catalyst’, providing guidance, training, and practical tools — and more importantly, coaching teams and leaders through change.
Smarter Governance Enables Better Decisions
“We didn’t need another delivery board. We needed a thinking space.”
— Workshop Participant
Effective governance isn’t about gatekeeping — it’s about ‘enabling confident, informed decisions’. And the ePMO, with its cross-cutting view, is increasingly the place where those decisions are supported.
Whether it’s helping the board understand trade-offs, or ensuring projects are genuinely aligned to strategic outcomes, the EPMO is becoming the backbone of organisational clarity.
By combining insight, coaching, and alignment, the ePMO helps shift governance from a burden to a business enabler.
Your ePMO Might Be More Powerful Than You Think
If your ePMO is still seen as the reporting police or template enforcers, it might be time to step back and ask: What else could we be?
Could we be the ones who create the space for reflection?
The ones who help others grow into governance, not just tick boxes?
The ones who enable strategy to land well, across the entire portfolio?
Smarter governance is possible. And the ePMO is already leading the way.
The P3G workshop was a special event bringing PMO Managers and Directors together from different regions in Europe. If you are interested in the themes explored here, take a look at the P3G course – the Project, Programme and Portfolio Governance model is helping PMOs across the globe to rethink the governance arrangements in their organisations today.
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