Project Manager vs. PMO

Project manager and PMO pursue different objectives, as such, are driven by different requirements. All of these efforts, however, are aligned with the strategic needs of the organization.

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge  (PMBOK), the differences between the role of project manager and PMO may include the following:

• The project manager focuses on the specified project objectives, while the PMO manages major program scope changes which may seen as potential opportunities to better achieve business objectives.
• The project manager controls the assigned project resources to best meet project objectives while the PMO optimizes the use of shared organizational resources across all projects.
• The project manager manages the constraints (scope, schedule, cost, and quality, etc.) of the individual projects while the PMO manages the methodologies, standards, overall risk/opportunity, and interdependencies among projects at the enterprise level.