Project Portfolio
Visibility & Prioritization

Before the workshop

Individual projects may still be moving forward, but there is no clear view across the full project landscape. Priorities are not transparent, which creates frustration when a project suddenly becomes “more urgent,” gets delayed, or is stopped altogether. Management often lacks a reliable overview of which projects matter most, how resources are being stretched across multiple initiatives, and where constant shifting of people is slowing progress and creating confusion across projects.

Workshop focus

• Building one portfolio or several portfolio views, depending on the organization’s starting point
• Prioritizing projects against agreed criteria such as strategic business goals or, as a first step, departmental goals
• Making dependencies and synergies between projects visible
• Understanding how projects affect the organization as a whole — and how the organization affects project delivery
• Creating more consistent templates and processes across projects
• Clarifying responsibility for portfolio management
• Addressing risk management at portfolio level
• Defining the role and tasks of a PM Officer
• Working through communication challenges and resistance in PPM, especially where portfolio work is perceived as added control rather than support

Building a practical portfolio structure that can be managed with straightforward tools for a considerable period of time — without requiring an immediate investment in complex PPM software

In the workshop

This workshop is built around practical work on the organization’s actual project landscape — not around a case study. Participants work together to make priorities, dependencies, responsibilities, and risks visible, using discussion, team-based working sessions, Excel sheets, flipcharts, and pinboards. The workshop also draws on examples from real project practice. Management can be available for decisions or clarification during the workshop, based on prior agreement.

After the workshop

After the workshop, the organization has better transparency across the project landscape and a clearer basis for prioritization, resource decisions, and portfolio responsibilities. The need for a PMO-style role or another form of portfolio ownership becomes easier to define. Budgets can be allocated more effectively, and capacity gaps may become visible earlier — including the possible need for additional staff.

Who should be in the room

This workshop is best suited for the people who will help shape portfolio decisions and future portfolio responsibility in the organization. That may include intended PMO roles, project managers, and management representatives at the appropriate level — for example department heads, COOs, or CEOs. In most cases, at least one C-level decision-maker should be available during the workshop, even if portfolio roles are not yet formally established.

Format and alignment

Usually delivered as a one- or two-day in-house workshop.
The workshop is aligned with the organization’s needs and processes.
Delivery is possible on-site or live online.
Materials are included.