Delivered
A PMO stood up in 90 days, and still running.
90
Days to a PMO chartered, staffed and operating, on our most recent stand-up
30+
Projects a year ranked, planned, tracked and delivered to one common standard
Client Case Study
How Swiftwater built the program and project management office behind a private equity backed manufacturer’s growth agenda, and runs it today while the client’s own technology leadership owns the program.
Platforms our project and program managers deliver on: ELM · CLM · Document management · E-signature · IP management · Microsoft · Salesforce · ERP · HRIS
Related case studies
Our Services
Project and program management, delivered as a service.
PMO Stand-Up · PMaaS · Portfolio · Delivery · Governance · Adoption
Take a single project manager for one program, or a standing office that runs the whole portfolio. Most engagements start with one and grow into the other.
01
Project & Program Managers on Demand
Experienced PMs matched to the work, scaled up or down with the portfolio.
02
PMO Stand-Up
Charter, operating model, standards and reporting, working inside 90 days.
03
Portfolio Ranking & Intake
Scoring against business goals and one intake standard for every project.
04
Program & Project Delivery
Day-to-day delivery against scope, schedule and budget.
05
Governance & Executive Reporting
A weekly steering committee and reporting built for a CIO, GC or board.
06
Change Management & Adoption
Communications, training and the follow-through after go-live.
07
Legal & IT Program Delivery
PMs who already speak ELM, CLM, DMS, e-signature and IP management.
Who Runs It
A PMO is only as good as the people staffing it.
Our project and program managers are practitioners, not coordinators. Each brings subject matter expertise in the systems and functions they are delivering, which is what lets them run a requirements session with the business, challenge a vendor's plan, and make a delivery call in the room.
The office is led by Bob Frostad, who has spent 30+ years running technology programs, including 15+ at Microsoft. You keep ownership of the program and accountability for results. We staff and operate the office that delivers it.
PMO Director & DMS Lead
30+ years in IT, including 15+ at Microsoft and a directorship at Kroll. Leads program delivery and implementation governance.
Program Manager
Previously at Chevron. Runs software implementation programs for enterprise clients, driving cross-functional execution from kickoff through launch.
Change Management Leader and Senior PM
10+ years across legal services, technology, pharma, and aerospace, including legal process and tooling projects at Microsoft. Runs the adoption work that decides whether a delivered system gets used.
Business Intelligence, PM, and Legal Ops
Enterprise Legal Management expert, with Kroll and Duff & Phelps behind him. Turns portfolio and spend data into the reporting leadership actually decides on.
EMEA Leader
35+ years serving major organizations across IPMS, ERP, and ELM. Previously Kroll and Wolters Kluwer. Leads delivery for programs running in EMEA.
Frequently asked questions
What is PMO as a Service, and how does it work?
PMO as a Service, also called PMaaS or project management as a service, is project and program management delivered as an ongoing service rather than a hire. Swiftwater places experienced project and program managers inside your organization and, where the portfolio calls for it, stands up and operates the PMO around them: the charter, the delivery standards and the reporting cadence. Your leadership owns the program and carries accountability for results.
How long does it take to stand up a PMO?
On our most recent stand-up, all four disciplines were chartered, staffed, and operating inside 90 days, and the office has not missed a weekly cycle since. The pace depends on how many projects are already in flight and how quickly leadership can commit to a ranking and a weekly forum, not on how long the documentation takes.
How is PMaaS different from hiring a contract project manager?
A contract project manager delivers one project. PMaaS delivers the office around the projects: how work is ranked, how every project starts, what a common delivery standard looks like, and how leadership sees the portfolio each week. It also flexes, so you can add project managers for a heavy quarter and release them when the portfolio settles.
Do your PMO consultants work on enterprise IT projects, or only legal technology?
No. Our project and program managers carry delivery experience across ELM, CLM, document management, e-signature, and IP management, and also across the wider enterprise stack including Microsoft, Salesforce, ERP, and HRIS platforms. Legal and IT portfolios are where we are deepest, but the disciplines are the same whatever the project is.
Do we lose control of our own projects?
No, and the model is built to prevent that. Your CIO, Director of IT, or General Counsel owns every discipline and carries accountability for results. Swiftwater staffs and operates the office beneath that ownership. Priorities, budget approvals, and go or no-go decisions stay with you.
Can we hire a single project manager, or only a full PMO?
Either. Take a single project or program manager for one program, or a standing office that runs the whole portfolio. Most engagements start with one and grow into the other.
Is there a minimum commitment for PMO as a Service?
No. Scale the team up for a heavy quarter and back down when the portfolio settles. Many clients start with one program and expand.
How is PMO as a Service priced?
By FTE. You pay for the practitioners working on your portfolio, either full-time or a partial allocation, so a part-time project manager costs a fraction of a full one. The number of FTEs flexes with the portfolio.
Ready to put experienced project managers on your portfolio?
Book a Discovery Call