# A23 — PMO Improvement Backlog

## Artifact metadata

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| **Artifact ID** | A23 |
| **Artifact name** | PMO Improvement Backlog |
| **Artifact family** | Portfolio and PMO interfaces |
| **Artifact type** | PMO governance artifact |
| **Source type** | organization-defined |
| **Governance layer** | PMO Governance |
| **Version** | 1.0.5 |
| **Status** | Active |

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## Purpose

Maintain an ordered, visible list of PMO improvement items — covering methods, templates, tooling, coaching services, standards, and capability gaps — so that the PMO can plan, prioritize, and track its own continuous improvement work in one place.

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## When used

Ongoing; initiated when the PMO is established and maintained through each PMO governance cycle. Updated after maturity assessments (A36), project retrospectives, stakeholder feedback, or changes to enterprise standards.

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## PMI authority

| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Primary PMI source** | PMO-Guide |
| **Exact section** | PMO governance and structural components; PMO continuous improvement practices |
| **Purpose of citation** | Establish the PMO as a governance unit with its own improvement accountability, distinct from project governance. |

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## Performance domains and focus areas

- **Performance domains:** Governance
- **Focus areas:** Planning, Monitoring and Controlling
- **Related processes:** None mandated — this is a PMO service-management artifact

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## Inputs and outputs

### Inputs
- PMO maturity and value assessment results (A36)
- Lessons learned inputs from closed projects (A30)
- Stakeholder feedback on PMO services (A11)
- Changes to enterprise standards, tooling, or regulatory environment
- PMO leader and PMO team observations

### Outputs
- Prioritized list of improvement items
- Assigned owners and target dates
- Evidence of PMO improvement governance for audit or reporting

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## Core fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Item ID | Unique identifier for the improvement item |
| Improvement description | Brief description of the gap, enhancement, or change needed |
| Category | Method, template, tooling, coaching, standard, capability, or governance |
| Priority | High, medium, or low based on PMO governance forum judgment |
| Source | Origin of the item (maturity review, lessons, feedback, audit, etc.) |
| Owner | PMO team member responsible for delivering the improvement |
| Target date | Expected completion date |
| Status | Backlog, in progress, complete, or deferred |
| Outcome | Result achieved and any follow-on actions |

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## Governance

| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Owner** | PMO leader and PMO improvement owners |
| **Approval authority** | PMO governance forum for routine items; executive PMO sponsor when improvements affect enterprise services or standards |
| **Escalation trigger** | An improvement item changes the PMO service model, enterprise methods, tooling standards, or PMO maturity targets |

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## Tailoring guidance

- Format is organization-defined; a simple maintained list is sufficient for most PMOs.
- For larger PMOs, integrate with agile or Kanban tooling to manage the backlog visually.
- Keep this separate from project issue logs — PMO improvements are organizational investments, not project actions.

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## Waste test

Fail if improvement items are captured in project retrospectives or lessons-learned records without a PMO-level owner who is empowered to act on them across projects.

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## Notes

- Companion artifact to A36 (PMO Value, Maturity, and Improvement Record) which provides the assessment; this backlog provides the action list.
- Source type is organization-defined because the format and cadence are determined by the PMO's own operating model.
