Criteria for sustainably implementing Project Management Offices (PMOS) in Federal Institutions of Higher Education (FIHES)

Abstract

Many areas have emerged that specifically seek to plan and manage projects in educational institutions to create and achieve their established strategic planning objectives. This study sought to identify criteria for sustainably implementing Project Management Offices (PMOs) in Federal Institutions of Higher Education (FIHE). Actions were established related to: (a) identifying Brazilian FIHEs that have implemented PMOs; (b) surveying the macro steps used at these institutions for implementing PMOs, and the software and methodologies they used to do this; c) listing the main PMO attributions implemented at the FIHEs, and finally (d) assessing what these institutions think are the best PMO practices to sustainably replicate and implement PMOs at other institutions. We identified FIHEs that had implemented PMOs, along with the best practices and lessons learned that impacted sustainable growth for future PMOs using a survey. We also presented the main steps used by some institutions to structure the implementation and consolidate PMOs within institutional environments. The results contribute to reducing the knowledge gap on implementing PMOs in FIHEs and can direct further research in this area.