The tools, training, and reading I'd recommend to any PMO professional — tested and genuinely useful, not just popular. Some links are affiliate links.
The tools project managers and PMOs actually use day to day — from planning and tracking to collaboration and reporting.
One of the strongest all-round project management tools for client-facing teams and PMOs. Solid Gantt charts, time tracking, resource management, and portfolio views — all in one platform. Strong UK presence and good value at the mid-market tier.
Good for: PMOs and agencies managing multiple client projects who need visibility across the whole portfolio
✦ Affiliate link — I may earn a commission if you purchase through this link.
Purpose-built Gantt chart tool that strikes the right balance between Excel simplicity and MS Project complexity. Dependency management, resource tracking, and portfolio views are all well-implemented. Much faster to get into than most dedicated PM tools.
Good for: PMs who need proper Gantt charts without the overhead of Microsoft Project
The industry standard for complex project scheduling, particularly in construction, engineering, and large programme environments. Steep learning curve but unmatched for dependency management and resource levelling.
Good for: Large, complex projects where schedule precision and resource management matter
Open source project management tool with genuine enterprise features — Gantt charts, agile boards, time tracking, budgeting, and portfolio management. The free Community edition is self-hosted; the cloud version has a paid tier. Underused and underrated, particularly in public sector and organisations that can't use SaaS tools for data reasons.
Good for: Organisations wanting a full-featured PM tool without vendor lock-in or SaaS data concerns
Qualifications worth having — and the providers I'd point people to for each one.
The most widely recognised project management qualification in the UK. Covers the full project lifecycle, governance, risk, and stakeholder management. The PMQ is a solid foundation qualification for anyone starting out in project or PMO work.
Good for: Anyone starting out in project management in a UK context
The globally recognised standard from the Project Management Institute. More valuable in international contexts or large organisations with US links. Requires documented experience as well as an exam.
Good for: Experienced PMs working in international or enterprise environments
Widely used in UK public sector and large enterprises. The methodology is structured and process-heavy — excellent for understanding governance and control, less useful as a day-to-day delivery framework in smaller organisations.
Good for: PMs working in UK public sector, government, or large regulated organisations
Free, structured learning paths for everything in the Microsoft 365 stack — SharePoint, Teams, Power Automate, Power BI, Planner. If you're building a PMO on Microsoft 365, this is where to start your own development.
Good for: Anyone building SharePoint PMO hubs or learning Power Platform tools
Books worth reading if you're serious about PMO and project delivery.
Counterintuitive title, genuinely useful content. Taylor's argument — that effective project managers focus their effort where it matters most rather than being busy across everything — is exactly right and underappreciated in PMO work.
Good for: PMs who feel overwhelmed and want a more focused approach to delivery
✦ Affiliate link — I may earn a commission if you purchase through this link.
One of the best practical guides to project management written by someone who's actually done it. Covers planning, decision-making, politics, and leadership without the methodology overhead. More useful than most formal PM textbooks.
Good for: PMs who want practical wisdom rather than process frameworks
✦ Affiliate link — I may earn a commission if you purchase through this link.
Know a tool that should be on this page? Or found one of these recommendations out of date?
Get in touch →