Rescue Starts with Readiness

The PMO's Role in Troubled Projects

Turnarounds don’t start with rescue, they start with readiness.

The most effective PMOs are ones that shift from firefighting mode to preparedness mode. They build systems that prevent the fire, or at least catch the smoke early.

They do so because they recognize that by the time red flags hit the status report, the real damage is already done: time is slipping, budgets are overblown, and scope is a moving target. By then sponsors are disengaging or quietly shopping for a new Project Manager. PMs on the other hand are fighting fires without backup.

One of the most powerful ways PMOs can demonstrate value, and shed the tired image of report writers and note takers, is by owning the turnaround. By championing early sensing, structured triage, and delivery support, the PMO moves from the sidelines to the center of the action.

That’s leadership with skin in the game, not just overhead.

Early Warning => Emergency Response

The first role of a high-impact PMO is to see trouble before it becomes failure.
Not through gut feel, but through structure.

That starts with project-level advance warning systems.

PMOs can implement guardrails that surface drift before it turns critical:

• Missed milestones with no review

• Stakeholders going quiet

• Status updates that stay “green” while everyone’s privately worried

• Change requests flying through without context or tracking

These aren’t new problems, but they’re often spotted too late because no system requires early escalation. Teams are expected to “just manage it.”

That’s where the PMO can step in to normalize transparency. To make risk visible and safe to raise.

✅ Tactical tip: Implement delivery checkpoints where early indicators such as milestone slippage, resource churn, or planning gaps are captured and reviewed regularly. This is also an area where automation and data tools can help to enable leaders to act.

Beyond Gut Feel: How AI Can Support Early Sensing

Some PMOs are beginning to experiment with AI-powered tools, not to replace project judgment, but to support it.

Platforms like Planview, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Project now offer features that scan for delivery risk, communication gaps, and schedule drift. But the opportunity goes further: AI can help PMOs spot systemic issues early like chronic under-resourcing, misaligned priorities, or sentiment shifts across teams.

Used right, AI becomes a sensing mechanism, not just a reporting tool.
It helps surface signals leaders might otherwise miss when managing a broad portfolio.

To be clear, AI should be used as a signal booster and not a decision maker. The tools are only as effective as the culture around them. If the teams aren’t empowered to act on what’s found then it does not matter how smart the system is.

Not All Trouble Is Equal. Triage It.

Once drift is detected, the next step isn’t to panic, it’s to triage fast and decisively.

The PMO should define a shared model to classify project health across three dimensions:

• Severity – How far off track are we?

• Stability – Is the team intact? Is the scope still valid?

• Salvageability – Can this project be redirected or does it need to stop?

Effective triage isn’t about blame. It’s about getting the right people in the room quickly to focus the conversation on action. The PMO becomes the facilitator, not the fixer. Your job is to make sure no one spins, stalls, or soft-pedals reality.

🎯 Pro tip: Create a turnaround playbook. Include sample recovery paths, a checklist of core questions, and a clear protocol for escalation and intervention. When the pressure’s on, structure saves time and credibility.

Pattern Recognition at the Portfolio Level

Beyond individual projects, Enterprise PMOs have a unique vantage point:
They see across the portfolio which means they can detect patterns no single team can. This is where organizational sensing comes in.

The PMO should be actively scanning for:

• Recurring failure modes (scope churn, sponsor churn, etc.)

• Resource bottlenecks or signs of burnout

• Business units or regions consistently underperforming on delivery

By combining quantitative tools (dashboards, capacity data) with qualitative signals (team sentiment, sponsor feedback, informal intel), PMO leaders can support the organization in building delivery intelligence not just metrics.

The goal here is to build awareness so the organization can respond to organizational concerns before they become systemic failures.

Coaching Over Compliance

When things go off the rails, PMOs can play one of two roles:

1. Auditor: show up with a checklist and a “what went wrong” tone

2. Partner: show up early, embed with the team, help reset the plan

You already know which one builds trust and which one gets ignored.

Building an internal “turnaround bench” with seasoned PMs, analysts, and business advisors can be a game changer for PMO and a competitive advantage for organizations.

Bench strength isn’t extra overhead, it’s leadership infrastructure.

What Stewardship Really Means

When PMOs are seen as gatekeepers, scorekeepers, or passive governance functions, it creates a narrow, and misleading, view of the value they bring.

Repositioning the PMO as a delivery steward makes it indispensable to the business.

PMO leaders who take the time to define what “good” looks like, regardless of methodology, help protect the integrity of execution.

They design for resilience, not just compliance. They create space for hard conversations when projects need to reset. If needed, they build credibility by being the first to say “This project needs to stop.”

Readiness is the Real Rescue Plan

PMOs don’t need to wait until a project fails to add value. The PMO can shape how projects are structured, sensed, supported, and (if needed) saved.