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Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Hub

Project portfolio management (PPM) is the process of strategically managing an organization’s projects and resources to achieve specific business goals. It involves selecting and prioritizing the projects that will provide the most value to the organization, allocating resources effectively, and managing risks and dependencies across the portfolio of projects.

PPM typically involves the following key steps:

  1. Portfolio Definition: This involves defining the portfolio of projects and the criteria for selecting and prioritizing them. This can be done based on factors such as alignment with business strategy, resource availability, risk and complexity, and potential return on investment.
  2. Project Identification and Selection: This involves identifying potential projects that could be included in the portfolio, evaluating them based on the defined criteria, and selecting the ones that will provide the most value.
  3. Resource Allocation: Once the projects have been selected, resources such as personnel, funding, and equipment need to be allocated in a way that maximizes the overall value of the portfolio.
  4. Risk Management: Managing risks and dependencies across the portfolio is essential to ensure the organization can achieve its business goals. This may involve monitoring and mitigating risks at the portfolio level and managing risks at the individual project level.
  5. Performance Management: Tracking and reporting on the portfolio’s performance are essential to ensure that the organization is on track to achieve its goals and identify any issues that need to be addressed.

PPM can be a complex and challenging process, requiring a deep understanding of the organization’s strategic goals, project management best practices, and the capabilities of the resources available. However, effective PPM can lead to significant benefits, including improved alignment between projects and business goals, more efficient use of resources, and better management of risks and dependencies.

This Project Portfolio Management (PPM) hub has an extensive collection of resources, articles, and information related to managing and optimizing a portfolio of projects to ensure alignment with business objectives, maximize return on investment and achieve strategic goals. 

This section of our CIO Reference Library provides valuable guidance for CIOs, IT executives, and other decision-makers exploring PPM methodologies, tools, and best practices to enhance their organization’s capabilities, prioritize resources and deliver successful projects.

Project Portfolio Management involves the central management and coordination of projects across an organization, ensuring the most effective allocation of resources, alignment with strategic goals, and efficient execution of projects. PPM encompasses a range of activities, including project prioritization, resource management, risk assessment, and performance tracking.

Key topics within the Project Portfolio Management category include:

  1. PPM Overview and Fundamentals: Gain an understanding of PPM’s core concepts, benefits, and objectives and how it can help organizations achieve their strategic goals and maximize the value of their project investments.
  2. PPM Methodologies and Best Practices: Learn about various PPM methodologies and best practices for successful implementation, ensuring the effective management of projects and alignment with business objectives.
  3. PPM Tools and Software: Explore the range of PPM tools and software solutions available in the market, their features, and the benefits of implementing a PPM tool within your organization.
  4. PPM Governance and Processes: Discover the importance of establishing effective PPM governance structures and processes, ensuring proper oversight, decision-making, and alignment with business objectives.
  5. PPM Metrics and KPIs: Understand the various metrics and key performance indicators used to measure the effectiveness and success of PPM initiatives and how to track and optimize them.
  6. PPM Case Studies and Examples: Learn from real-world examples of organizations that have successfully implemented PPM, including their challenges, solutions, and achieved outcomes.

The Project Portfolio Management category offers valuable insights and guidance for IT leaders seeking to implement PPM methodologies, tools, and best practices within their organizations. By leveraging the knowledge and resources shared within this category, IT professionals can effectively manage their project portfolios, ensure alignment with strategic goals, and ultimately deliver successful projects that create value for their organizations.

Must Have Project Portfolio Management Templates
These comprehensive project portfolio management templates will help you gain insights into effective PPM practices, understand how to build a robust project portfolio, learn to govern your PPM processes, and leverage our templates for managing different types of projects. Equip your organization with the right tools and strategies to optimize resources, align projects with business objectives, and deliver superior results.

Project Portfolio Management Trends

This research explored the state of Project Portfolio Management (PPM), and emerging trends in its practice. Excellent resource for a CIO to understand what other organizations are doing in PPM, how they have implemented it, where is the discipline headed, and what are some practices that might produce better outcomes.

PPM Guide and Templates

This guide is a thorough resource for IT project management in higher education, detailing processes from initiation to completion.

Project Portfolio Management Best Practices Performance Trends

This research studied the connection between project performance, and PPM Maturity in an organization. It discusses frameworks for both project/program portfolio management maturity, and performance to highlight practices that work, and create value for the enterprise.

Empowering CIOs with Enterprise Portfolio Management: Aligning Strategy and Execution

Explore the practical application of Enterprise Portfolio Management (EPM) for CIOs. Discover how aligning strategy and execution through EPM can transform your IT landscape, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation. This presentation discusses how CIOs can apply Enterprise Portfolio Management to align IT with business strategy, enhance decision-making, and drive transformation

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Tips and Tricks

If there was a single thing that Project Portfolio Management (PPM) must get right it is: right from the start i.e. getting the right projects to invest in. This ensures success without the waste associated with failed projects. So, how does a CIO ensure that they have selected the "right" projects? This paper discusses tips to project selection – use them to ensure that you pick only gems in your portfolio and deliver higher business value to the enterprise.

Common Mistakes in Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Implementation

Project Portfolio Management aka PPM is designed to create business value. However, often it fails to deliver on this promise? Why? The author contends that PPM initiatives fail because they do not overcome specific challenges. This whitepaper details what those common pitfalls are and provides guidance on how to avoid them to ensure successful delivery of business value.

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Best Practices

This presentation introduces Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and guides you through an implementation process. The author stresses the fact that PPM tools are important but they alone do not ensure success of your initiative – you must have the right skills to get the job done. What are the specific skills needed to ensure success? The presentation details each skillset required and how to source it.

Measuring Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Success

Dude, where are my benefits? A CIO is sure to ask this question after the completion of a project or PPM initiative. This white paper helps you understand best practice process on how to identify, and measure the success of a project – what are the benefits accrued? how do we calculate them? It provides examples to illustrate the approach and help you implement it in your organization.