Why your PMO and change initiatives can benefit from focusing on people, next to processes and tools

Regulations shift, technology evolves, expectations rise and financial organisations are expected to keep up. Many turn to a Project Management Office (PMO) to stay in control and deliver at pace. A PMO brings structure, alignment, transparency, and supports strategic decisions (see “Top 5 Benefits of Having a PMO”).

Whether your PMO is supportive, controlling, or operates as a centre of excellence (see “7 Types of PMOs”), creating impact is not always guaranteed. We already explored how the right technologies and AI use cases can significantly empower the PMO to drive efficiency and insight (read the article).

But even with the right tools and frameworks in place, one critical element often remains underdeveloped, the people doing the work. Most PMOs are built around processes, not people. And that’s where things often go wrong.

People deliver projects. Templates  don’t.

PMOs are great at setting governance, shedding light on alignment of delivery on strategy, bringing clarity on where the change agenda stands and what are the key challenges and attention points for the Management. But they are often limited to setting up a reporting chain, using planning & analysis tools as well as control & remediation processes. These things help create consistency and control, but they don’t deliver change on their own. It’s the people, delivery leads, analysts, change managers, … who bring the work to life.

Yet in many organisations, those people are expected to succeed without the right support, coaching, or clarity. Even the best-designed process can break down when teams are overstretched, not fully equipped or worst, disengaged. This is the human gap that often gets overlooked and it’s where delivery truly stalls.

So instead of assuming everyone is equipped to lead change, what if you had clear visibility into where your key PMO and delivery roles stand today? And what if you could give them the opportunity to build the exact skills they need not only to succeed in their role, but to help drive the broader change agenda forward?

How can you strengthen your delivery teams?

That’s where approaches like Delivery Maturity Uplift (DMU) come in. It focuses on strengthening the delivery layer from within, helping teams build confidence, clarity, and capability to deliver effectively. It’s about spotting the moments where structure alone isn’t enough and enabling the people behind the projects to take ownership and thrive.

It first analyses a team’s delivery maturity through a scalable framework of interviews and gamified self-assessments, providing clear recommendations and a tailored action plan to boost performance. Then, personalised coaching and trainings can be used to upskill, reskill, or repurpose individuals as needed, enhancing capabilities and building a more reliable, capable delivery team for sustainable improvement in delivery maturity.

Time to evolve to the people-centric PMO

PMOs have the potential to be more than control towers. They can become true enablers of change by supporting the people who drive them. That means not just tracking progress, but empowering individuals with stronger leadership skills including autonomy, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively.

It starts with small steps:

• Offer mentoring, coaching, and learning opportunities
• Create space for feedback, conversation, and collaboration
• Recognise the contributions of people, not just the % complete

Why this matters now

The financial sector is only getting faster and more complex. Compliance pressure, tech disruption, and resource constraints are here to stay. Having tools and frameworks in place is essential but not enough. What organisations really need are people who can adapt, lead, and deliver with confidence.

When PMOs focus on people, projects move faster and with fewer issues, teams are more engaged, motivated, and self-driven, and change becomes something people own, not something they resist. That’s not just good for the PMO. It’s good for the entire business.

Conclusion: processes support change but people with the right capabilities deliver it.

If you want a PMO that truly supports transformation, start by aligning processes, tools, and people. Focus on building skills, listening to the needs of your PMO and key delivery roles, and creating the space for them to grow. That’s how you build the confidence needed for sustainable change.

Want to find out how mature your delivery organisation really is? Connect with us to explore your tailored Delivery Maturity Uplift journey.