-          Usually a centralized organizational unite that oversees the management of projects and programs throughout the organization

-          Most common reason for establishing: To establish and maintain procedures and standards for project management methodologies and to manage resources assigned to the projects in the PMO

-          Can exist in all organizational structures – functional, projectized or matrix

-          Usually has the responsibility for maintaining and archiving project documentation for future reference

-          Compares project goals with project progress and gives feedback to the project teams

-          Measures the project performance of active projects and suggests corrective actions

-          Evaluates completed projects for their adherence to the project plan

-          Responsible for managing the objectives of a collective set of projects, managing resources across projects and the managing the interdependencies of all the projects within the PMO’s authority