Portfolio Management Office (PMO) Strategy
Improvement Team
2025 – 2030
| Version Number: | 1.0 | Issue date: | 28/05/2025 | Next Review Date: | 01/03/2026 |
| Lead Author(s):
Name(s) & Job Title(s) |
Gabrielle Lester-Smith
Programme Manager |
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| Owner(s):
Name(s) & Job Title(s) |
Kate Goodwin
Head of Portfolio Management Office (PMO) |
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| Approval Date: | 28/04/2025 | ||||
Contents
2. Context
Who are the PMO Team?
The Portfolio Management Office (PMO) Team provides project and programme management support to all service groups and corporate teams within the Trust.
The team align with professional bodies such as the Association of Project Management (APM) to offer expert services and engage in networking both locally and nationally within the NHS. This helps foster a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge-sharing.
The team’s connections have primarily grown through word of mouth and direct support, rather than a formal launch of their services. The team have developed a communication plan to promote their offerings.
The Improvement Team
The PMO Team work within the Improvement Team, alongside Quality Improvement, Data Science, Benefits Advisors, Clinical Transformation and Evidence and Research Teams.
The Improvement Team Vision is working together to continuously improve care and health outcomes for the people of Somerset.
3. Purpose
Transformation PMO Strategy
Our PMO Strategy for Somerset Foundation Trust aims to describe the teams current service offer, and how this might evolve in the coming years.
Transformation PMO Vision
Our Team vision is to provide a range of project services to support the delivery of transformation, aligned to strategic objectives to improve patient outcomes.
This vision will be achieved within three service areas, PM Training and Education, PMO and PM Services. Each service area will provide a range of project support services accessible to all trust staff.
To enable the vision to be a success, strong local and regional networks have been established, enabling the sharing of best practices and collaboration with both internal PMO Teams and external NHS PMO Teams. Another key enabler for this vision is embedding the digital project, portfolio management (PPM) platform, which is a quality management system that provides oversight and transparency of project activities across the trust, enabling improved decision-making and project outcomes at both project and organisational level.
To support raising capabilities across the organisation our aims are;
PM Training & Education Service aim
• Provide training and education in project management enabling “occasional PMs” to deliver well managed and visible projects
PM Service aim
• Deliver high-impact project management services providing expert immersive project management for trust priority projects and providing coaching and advice to support project leads achieve success
PMO Service aim
• Practical project management oversight and assurance providing a clear, evidence-based framework that fosters continuous improvement. Working with Digital, Capital and other internal PMO teams creating a centre of excellence
PPM Platform aim
• Provide an integrated digital project, portfolio management platform to support strategic project and programme planning, execution and oversight
Networking aim
• Local, regional and national collaboration. Sharing best practice and using benchmarking to inform change
4. Related strategies and objectives
Our PMO Team Strategy links to the Trust our overarching strategy for the merged trust.
Sitting within the Improvement and Transformation / Strategy Service Area, the PMO Team helps clinical and corporate colleagues manage change effectively.
The PMO Team will directly support and facilitate a move to the 3 shifts as part of the 10-year long term plan for health and care The Government’s 10-Year Plan | Health And Care | The King’s Fund
- from hospitals to community
- from sickness to prevention
- from analogue to digital
5. Where are we now?
The PMO Team currently offer an established range of support services:
- A project management training programme for occasional project managers
- Coaching for occasional programme and project managers
- Immersive programme and project management support according to Trust priorities
| Service or Enabler Aims | Examples of our work |
| Provide training and education in project management
Enabling “occasional PMs” to deliver well managed and visible projects |
· CPD Accredited Training Programme for Occasional Project Managers
· Project Design Workshop coaching and advice · Programme Management, SRO and ‘People with Lived Experience’ training programmes in development |
| Deliver high-impact project management services
Providing expert immersive project management for trust priority projects and providing coaching and advice to support project leads achieve success |
· Programme management of TST/SomPar merger
· Programme management for YDH/SFT workstreams during merger · Urgent Treatment Centre Project · Martha’s Rule Programme · Winter Planning Programme |
| Practical project management oversight and assurance
Clear, evidence-based framework that fosters continuous improvement |
· Reporting support for both mergers
· Reporting support for productive care service groups |
| Provide a digital project, portfolio management system
Provide a digital platform to support strategic project and programme planning, execution and oversight |
· Mergers information is centrally held within the PPM Platform
· Working with specific services who require an online project management platform
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| Local, regional and national collaboration
Sharing best practice and using benchmarking to inform change |
· SFT PMO network, working with Digital and Capital creating a centre of excellence
· SW regional and national NHS PMO networks · Regional and national Healthcare forums · Member of House of PMO (professional body) · Working with specific services who require an online project management platform |
6. Where do we want to be?
We plan to grow our offer to include a greater variety of services to Trust staff whilst continuing to align to the Improvement Team approach of upskilling and spreading innovation and knowledge.
We have collected anecdotal evidence, listened to what colleagues find helpful through coaching, workshops and by undertaking a staff survey.
Using this analysis we have been able to shape a 5-year plan which aligns to our vision and service area aims, providing additional and tailored services to Trust staff.
7. How do we get there?
The development of new PMO services will be achieved by through teamwork and collaboration, utilising the unique talents and skills of each team member to ensure success.
We will communicate our offer working with corporate communication colleagues to share progress and services.
5 Year Plan 2025-2030
Our 5 Year Plan sets out the key activities we aim to achieve, according to priority and listened to what colleagues would find the most helpful.
Year one – come together
Year two – Build as one
Year three – Five – Improve
We will measure our aims
The three Service Areas aim to provide the following.
- PM Training and Education Aim – to provide training and education in project management to 120 Trust staff members each year.
- PM Services Aim – the goal is to deliver impactful project management services for up to 20 projects each year.
- PMO Services – to drive collaboration in the development of trust-wide project management standards and assurance to facilitate timely delivery of project in the next 5 years.