P3O - Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices

Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) is the latest best practice guidance from the UK's Office of Government Commerce.

The new P3O guidance - which is aligned to OGC's PRINCE2®, MSP™, and M_o_R® - brings together in one place a set of principles, processes and techniques to facilitate effective portfolio, programme and project management through enablement, challenge and support structures.

P3O Lifecycle

P3O looks at the lifecycle of a portfolio, programme and project office and describes the use of a project-based approach to scoping and setting up a suitable portfolio, programme and project office model within an organisation. The core P3O Manual includes checklists for start-up, continuous improvement, and reviving and closing down temporary offices. Additionally, it looks at the functions and services carried out within P3O, and the techniques and tools used to facilitate them.

P3O Manual

The Official P3O Manual is available through this site in a number of formats:

P3O Training and Qualifications

As might be expected, there is a solid range of qualifications linked to the P3O framework

P3O Foundation

The Foundation qualification focuses on the concepts, structures and duties of a P3O.
The exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions to be answered in 40 minutes. It is a closed-book examination and has a pass mark of 60%. There is a growing range of accredited P3O Foundation Training Courses

P3O Practitioner

The P3O Conversion to Practitioner is a two-day course that provides delegates with a thorough understanding of the P3O framework and prepares them for he Practitinoer exam. There is a growing range of accredited P3O Practitioner Conversion Courses.