From PMO to VMO: Why Value, Not Templates, Should Be Your North Star

Every month we run a webinar that’s not about TransparentChoice’s software. It’s about bringing on smart people and asking tough questions. This time, I hit paydirt - I invited Helio Costa. 

Helio’s no slouch. He’s a former Brazilian Air Force pilot turned PhD in project and portfolio management. Somewhere between dodging missiles and managing Gantt charts, he created the FLEKS model, an organisational blueprint that connects strategy, transformation, and day-to-day operations. 

And here’s the kicker: according to Helio, the traditional PMO? It’s not enough.

Dive into the webinar recording to find out why...

So we know that too many PMOs get stuck looking inward, obsessing over processes, templates, and tools - all important stuff, sure, but it’s only half the story. Because while you’re measuring on-time delivery, the rest of the business is asking, “Where’s the value?” 

That’s where the Value Management Office (VMO) comes in. 

A VMO doesn’t just deliver projects. It connects the dots across the organisation . The VMO ties strategy, transformation, and operations together into one value-creating loop.  

It’s not just a rebrand of the PMO; it’s a fundamental mindset shift. 

We’re talking about a team that helps the organisation answer questions like: 

• Are we solving the right problems? 

• Are we coordinating across departments? 

• Are we turning strategy into reality and making sure it sticks in operations? 

And the FLEKS model? That’s the map. It’s a Lego-style system that helps organisations design their own VMO their own way, a VMO based on what “value” means in their world. Want to run a government department better? Cool. Sell more widgets? Great. Improve healthcare outcomes? Even better. FLEKS isn’t prescriptive. It’s empowering. 

You can grab the model (and tools) for free over at fleksmodel.com. 

We also talked about how to actually start the journey. Spoiler: it’s not about writing a charter and hoping for buy-in. It’s about solving pain. Find out what your stakeholders are struggling with, fix something small that matters, then shout it from the rooftops. Lather, rinse, repeat. It’s practical change, not PowerPoint change. 

If you’re a PMO leader looking to take that first step, we’ve got a great starting point: our free Case for Change workshop. It helps you pinpoint the right pain points, build your stakeholder map, and create a narrative that makes execs say, “Yes, we need this.” 

So stop thinking about the PMO as a reporting function. Start thinking of it as a value coordination hub. A strategic enabler. A facilitator of real, tangible outcomes. 

Or as Helio put it: stop being the DJ who only plays their own playlist. Ask people what they want to hear.  

And then deliver.