Appointing an Interim PMO Lead to Drive Strategic Transformation and Deliver Organisational Alignment in a Not-for-Profit Organisation
The Brief
A public benevolent organisation dedicated to a community required an Interim PMO Lead to drive its transformation roadmap, addressing critical gaps in project and programme management. This need emerged from a strategic organisational review that outlined key transformation goals, including enhancing operational efficiency, aligning projects with long-term objectives, and improving stakeholder engagement.
The ideal candidate needed:
- Extensive experience in PMO leadership within complex organisations.
- Proven expertise in managing transformation initiatives and delivering measurable outcomes.
- Strong stakeholder management skills to coordinate between the CEO, Executive Committee, and operational teams.
Increase in General Management Skills
According to the American Management Association, only 14% of businesses consider themselves “well prepared” to handle a sudden loss in senior management. Add to that the fact that it takes at least four months to fill an executive role, and an Interim Executive experienced in operations makes a lot of sense!
Increase in Customer Experience Skills
These days experience is everything. What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And human touch. Our Interim Executives deliver a great experience while improving your customer experience!
Increase in People & Culture Skills
Organisations are constantly changing as they respond to internal and external pressures. Continual process improvement can enable team engagement and lead to growth. Interim Executives bring fresh eyes and effective industry best practice to the execution.
Increase in Data Analytics
Complex challenges require critical thinking and in the age of information-overwhelm it is imperative to have analytical minds at the table. These skills range across finance, data science, systems and more. An Interim Executive can be the right person to optimise your inputs to maximise your output.
The Process
Future Leadership implemented a rapid and targeted search process:
- Day to Shortlist: Within one day, six qualified candidates were shortlisted.
- Candidate Pool: Engaged 10 candidates from our interim associate list and through a dedicated Project-PMO Search Partner.
- Final Shortlist: Narrowed down to three exceptional candidates, all with significant experience in leading large-scale transformation programmes.
- Each candidate was assessed for their ability to deliver strategic oversight, foster collaboration across diverse teams, and adapt to the organisation’s unique organisational context.
Emerging Capabilities
Governance and Compliance
Establishes, champions, and measures the effectiveness of an organisation’s regulatory and reporting systems.
Critical Thinking
Gathers and examines diverse data points, presenting well-reasoned insights and reframing challenges.
Adaptability and Resilience
Demonstrates positivity, curiosity, and the ability to pivot when confronted with change, pressure, adversity, and disruption.
Stakeholder Relations
Builds and sustains trusted relationships, integrating diverse perspectives to support productive interactions.
Strategy and Purpose
Develops and leads strategy for the function/organisation, taking a broad and long-term perspective.
The Outcome
The appointed Interim PMO Lead brought over 15 years of experience in project and programme leadership across healthcare and not-for-profit sectors. Over a 12-month fixed-term assignment, they achieved:
- Implementation of Governance Frameworks: Established robust governance structures to oversee the transformation roadmap, ensuring accountability and progress tracking.
- Operational Alignment: Improved alignment of project initiatives with the organisation’s strategic objectives, resulting in enhanced resource allocation and efficiency.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthened relationships with the Executive Committee, operational leaders, and external stakeholders, fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration.
Their outstanding performance led to the successful delivery of key transformation milestones and set a strong foundation for sustained organisational growth.
