PMO – Project Management Office

Councils are delivering increasingly complex projects and programmes, often with limited capacity, rising financial pressure and significant scrutiny. Without clear governance, reporting and assurance, projects can lose momentum, duplicate effort or fail to deliver the intended outcomes.

This is especially important during major change, such as transformation programmes or Local Government Reorganisation, where councils need to coordinate multiple workstreams, manage risk and give senior leaders confidence that delivery is on track.

How Local Partnerships helps with this challenge

Local Partnerships provides two related PMO resources for councils.

The PMO guide is for councils interested in establishing a programme management office or reviewing their wider project management arrangements. It helps councils understand what a PMO can do, how it can support better delivery, and what level of governance, assurance and support may be needed for different types of projects. It also includes a Project Threshold Tool to help assess projects by finance, risk and complexity.

The LGR PMO Pathways Toolkit is specifically for councils preparing for Local Government Reorganisation. It provides practical guidance on establishing and operating PMO functions to support reorganisation programmes, drawing on lessons from councils that have already delivered LGR.

The PMO guide helps councils strengthen everyday project and programme management arrangements, improving consistency, reporting and decision-making.

The LGR PMO Pathways Toolkit helps councils manage the additional complexity of reorganisation, including multiple workstreams, transition planning, governance and assurance.

Together, these resources help councils move from unclear or inconsistent arrangements to more structured, confident delivery.

Why it matters

A well-designed PMO helps councils manage complexity, improve accountability and keep projects focused on outcomes. It gives senior leaders better visibility of progress, risks and decisions, helping projects and programmes stay on track.

Whether councils are improving general project management or preparing for Local Government Reorganisation, the right PMO arrangements can reduce risk, improve pace and support better delivery.

Need help with PMO arrangements?

Whether you are setting up a PMO, reviewing project management arrangements or preparing for Local Government Reorganisation, Local Partnerships can help. Use the form at the bottom of this page to tell us what support you need, and our team will get back to you.