P3O Models & Operating Models

What does the acronym P3O stand for in the AXELOS guidance?

• A Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices ✓
• B Planning, Programme and Project Operations
• C Portfolio, Process and Project Oversight
• D Programme, Project and Product Offices

Answer: P3O stands for Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices, the AXELOS model providing a decision-enabling and support structure for change initiatives.

In a P3O model, what is the key difference between a permanent and a temporary office?

• A Permanent offices report to projects, temporary offices report to the portfolio
• B Permanent offices are always larger than temporary offices
• C Temporary offices only handle finance, permanent offices handle everything else
• D A permanent office is an enduring organisational function, while a temporary office exists for the life of a specific programme or project ✓

Answer: A permanent office (such as a portfolio office) is an enduring function, whereas a temporary office is established to support a specific programme or project and is disbanded when that initiative closes.

What is a 'hub-and-spoke' P3O model?

• A A temporary office that rotates between departments
• B A single centralised office with no local presence
• C A central office (hub) linked to smaller decentralised offices (spokes) supporting individual programmes or business units ✓
• D A model where every project has an identical independent office

Answer: In a hub-and-spoke model, a central hub provides organisation-wide standards and oversight, while spokes provide localised support to specific programmes, projects or business units.

A P3O that operates as a single office serving the entire organisation from one location is best described as which model?

• A Centralised (single) office model ✓
• B Federated model
• C Decentralised model
• D Virtual office model

Answer: A centralised model uses a single P3O to provide services across the whole organisation, offering consistency and economies of scale but potentially less local responsiveness.

What is the main benefit of a 'temporary' programme or project office?

• A It eliminates the need for any permanent governance
• B It permanently retains all programme knowledge after closure
• C It provides enduring organisational standards
• D It offers focused, dedicated support for the duration of a specific initiative ✓

Answer: A temporary office gives concentrated, dedicated support tailored to the needs of a single programme or project for its lifetime, then closes when the initiative ends.

A 'virtual' P3O model is characterised by which of the following?

• A An office that exists only during financial year-end
• B A single physical office serving all initiatives
• C Resources and capabilities drawn from across the organisation rather than from one dedicated physical office ✓
• D A model that uses no people at all, only software

Answer: A virtual P3O draws on skills and resources distributed across the organisation, coordinated to provide P3O services without necessarily having a single dedicated physical office.