THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PMO SUPPORT FUNCTIONS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY LEVELS A CASE STUDY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY

This paper identifies the essential support functions of project management offices (PMO) for various organisational project management maturity (OPMM) levels. A case study of a South African petrochemical company compares a PMO within the company with a small projects department that is not supported by a PMO. OPMM development drivers and essential PMO support functions are identified for both structures. It is proposed that the requirements of essential PMO support functions depend on the OPMM level, but are also affected by business needs. The highest OPMM level is not required for every organisation, as the optimum OPMM level depends on the specific business’ requirements.