Organizations are constantly challenged with process innovation due to external demands for creativity and uniqueness of their products and services, which is essential to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace (Rahul & Rahul, 2023; Winch & Kelsey, 2005). As the complexity of individual projects within an organization grows, so does the need for centralized coordination capabilities (Khokhar et al., 2022). A well-structured and coordinated governance of the project comprises a good design system, processes, and policies of the organization that allow projects to achieve their strategic goals and also the greatest satisfaction level of the customer to meet the business monetary needs (Khokhar, Zia, Islam, …, et al., n.d.).

Project complexity increases with collaboration among various stakeholders, necessitating increased integration, communication, and coordination (Yang et al., 2017),(Begum Siddiqui et al., 2023). The need for new approaches, such as incorporating sustainability into the process, has fueled the rise of sustainable project management (Irshad et al., 2019). To implement new processes, organizations often undergo business model restructuring to improve performance (Hailiang et al., 2023). To phase the achievement of the strategic goal (Nawaz et al., n.d.), the PMO along with organizational practices must follow the sustainability concept in its processes to meet the projects’ requirements and objectives with minimum rework and maximise the intended quality (Bhatti, Jamali, et al., 2023). The role of the Project Management Office (PMO) in sustainable project management remains relatively unexplored, but there is growing awareness of the importance of sustainable processes in project management. This awareness encourages organizations to avoid unnecessary policies or processes that could become a liability (Waseem et al., 2022).

Projects can fail due to inaccurate costing, inadequate scheduling, scope creep, and poor execution of the project plan (Raziq et al., 2018). To avoid this failure and to meet the organization's strategic goals (Khokhar et al., 2020), this may create the need for comprehensive and centralized system within an organization which can ultimately be met by establishing a project management office (Aghajani et al., 2023). The office would be responsible to maintain the standards, policies, templates, procedures, and sustainable methodologies, which bring economies of replication during the implementation of the project plan as shown in Figure 1 (Meng, 2012; Bankvall et al., 2010).

The purpose of the PMO is to facilitate the transformation and adaptation of the organization to keep up with changing market trends. It involves implementing concrete steps to make an organization a formidable competitor in the business (Bhatti, Raza, et al., 2023). While the research is still in its early stages, the study reveals the following the liabilities of a Project Management Office (PMO) (Platje et al., 1994), The structure and level of the newly established project office, and the challenges encountered in the process of its establishment. The structure of this article is as follows: Section 2 discusses the relevant literature used in this study. Section 3 presents a case study that highlights the need for a PMO. Section 4 outlines the roles and responsibilities of the PMO. Section 5 explains the methodology used in the study. Section 6 discusses the analysis of the data/survey. Finally, Section 7 concludes the research.

The knowledge of PMO is still unique to many organizations and the concept of their role is lacking where already established (Ahmed et al., 2022). The parent office is responsible for defining the tasks and responsibilities that the PMO must undertake. These decisions are made based on the strategic goals and vision of the organization (Kazaz & Ac?kara, 2015), (Kutan et al., 2018). Indeed, you are absolutely correct. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to setting up a project management office (PMO) or any organizational function. Every organization is unique, with its specific challenges, goals and requirements. Therefore, the approach taken by a PMO implementation and the solutions it provides must be tailored to the specific needs of the organization. Flexibility and adaptability are critical to ensuring that the PMO effectively addresses the organization's specific problems and goals.

The extent to which PMOs are involved in sustainable project management remains uncertain. Despite a comprehensive literature search using various term combinations, no relevant studies were found, as shown in Table 1 (HOU et al., 2021), (Khokhar, Zia, Islam, Sharma, et al., n.d.), (Khaskhelly et al., 2023). The papers that examined sustainability in relation to PMOs primarily focused on the long-term viability and continuity of the PMO itself (Samo & Bhatti, n.d.). Due to the limited literature on the role of project management offices in sustainable project management, further research and encouragement in this area is needed (Khokhar, Hou, et al., n.d.), However, as the table below shows, there are very few research papers with relevant keywords.

The ABC Housing Association was established to provide an excellent standard of living to its residents. Initially, the association allocated only 120 acres of land, but through careful urban development and strategic planning (Shakeri & Khalilzadeh, 2020), It grew into the largest and most prominent residential area in the country (Mothafar et al., 2022). It prides itself on being the only housing society that offers a world-class environment and a safe community with high-quality amenities (Engwall & Jerbrant, 2003). Focusing on promising growth, visionary leadership (Kardinal Jusuf et al., 2023), and continuous innovation, ABC Housing Society positions itself as the preferred housing provider in the country (Nawaz Baloch et al., 2021). The builders of society ensure the perfect functioning of society through good management and governance, providing first-class educational, recreational, cultural, and civic facilities in an aesthetically pleasing environment (Hou et al., 2023). Currently, the association owns and manages an expansive 9,500 acres (Haseeb et al., 2011), serves numerous families, and has a total membership of 86,000 (Siddiqui et al., 2023). Its extensive road network has a total length of more than 469 km, a water supply system of 600 km, and a sewage system of 450 km (Hou et al., 2022).

ABC Housing Society carried out all construction work as a project and hire a project manager to carry out the projects. Society follows administrator guidance and direction for making future plans and development (Zeb Khaskhelly et al., 2022). The main objective of the housing association is to contribute to the development of the housing sector in Pakistan by introducing exemplary housing schemes (Akhtar Bhatti et al., 2023). Housing associations aim to develop housing programs and provide housing solutions to the public using valuable land acquired from the federal, provincial government or the private sector (Yumei Hou, 2020).

The governing body meets at least once a year to assess progress, develop policy guidance and approve the budget (Khokhar et al., 2023). At a recent meeting, members evaluated the recruitment and selection process for program managers and developed procurement protocols to be executed by administrative officers (Munro, 2012). During the session it was identified that the training of employees and improvement session concept is missing in the society also the project managers hold multiple projects at a time (Khadka, 2019). While the development work was carried out through contract or purchase order, in most of the projects time delay was observed which the Board concludes for the following reasons:

a. Insufficient planning.

b. Failure to clearly define strategic objectives.

c. Delay in obtaining financial approval.

d. Delayed confirmation of priority items.

e. Insufficient program controls.

f. Limited understanding of resource capabilities.

g. Lack of a centralized planning, execution and procurement unit.

In the view above, the Board decided that a PMO is needed in ABC housing society to clear uncertainty in projects and increase the success ratio (Khan & Rasheed, 2015).

Responsibilities assigned to a PMO are determined by their parent organization. Every organization faces its own unique challenges that require diverse and customized solutions to define the operational capabilities of its PMO (Khokhar, 2019). Since there is no one-size-fits-all solution, unique remedies must be employed to address the problems that arise (Atkinson, 1999). Nonetheless, extensive research has examined certain fundamental areas that PMOs should address from the outset (Satisfaction et al., 2023). The diagram below highlights the key areas of PMO responsibility (see Figure 2):

The purpose of this study is to clarify the responsibilities of the project office, clarify the structure and hierarchy of the project office, discuss the needs and challenges of setting up a project office, and conduct a survey. The survey involved collecting data from various entities using a pre-designed questionnaire (Hossain et al., 2023). During the survey, the complexity of PMOs and the lack of knowledge of their functionality was realized, the limited knowledge may be because of the less research in this domain. The survey included a total of 11 questions covering the following areas: PMO structure, levels and authority. The role of the organization in ensuring the institutional stability of the PMO. Issues and responsibilities associated with a PMO. The questionnaire was answered with the already analyzed data from the respective organization which was then compiled and evaluated to transform into meaningful descriptions. The background of the respondents belongs to the construction industry with the total responses from 04 executives from senior positions.

Along with the qualitative survey, deliberation over the already published relevant research papers was also undertaken (Javed & Liu, 2020), (Bankvall et al., 2010), (Bankvall et al., 2010). The data was collected online through open source, easily available on Research Gate and academia published from last 12 years. The study hoped to add a better understanding to the organization regarding the true potential of the PMO to meet the organization's strategic objectives through sustainability in the project framework.

The main challenge faced while implementing PMO is the ability to achieve the organization's goal to deliver the projects on the set timelines. The analysis of the responses indicated that some challenges may arise when implementing a project management office (PMO) for sustainable organizational development, such as budget constraints, staff refusal to accept PMO leadership, and adoption of a new project management office (PMO). practice. The PMO is responsible for establishing specific and achievable goals that align with the overall vision of the organization, ensuring that all goals are achieved as planned. Guidance provided by the PMO should include templates, standardized processes, education, and methodologies. It is worth noting that the level and structure of the PMO may vary depending on the nature of the organization's business and its size.

Indeed, introducing a PMO at the support level would be a prudent decision by management. As an essential part of the organization, the PMO must keep abreast of the latest project management-related innovations and developments. Participation in trade shows, professional conferences, and events can help a PMO gain valuable insights and innovative ideas for the organization, allowing it to remain competitive in the marketplace. Fostering a culture that encourages and actively facilitates project management process improvement can lead to growth and success. PMOs play a vital role in developing project management by establishing a common project culture through effective communication and training on techniques, methodologies, and best practices. This facilitates a standardized approach across projects and leads to better project outcomes.

The PMO, as the custodian of the project management approach in the organization, fits perfectly with the "enterprise PMO" model, which was also found to be the most frequently recommended model during the resurvey. This type of PMO acts as a centre of excellence, providing the organization with a strong framework to assist project teams in effectively managing projects and facilitating sustainable management processes. The corporate PMO also plays a vital role in ensuring that projects are closely aligned with the organization's vision, mission and strategic business plans, thereby enhancing alignment between project activities and overall organizational goals.

In order to achieve the strategic goals in stages, the project office must integrate the concept of sustainable development into its process in combination with organizational practices. In doing so, it meets the requirements and objectives of the project with a minimum of rework while maximizing the expected quality. The Project Management Office is responsible for maintaining the standards, policies, templates, procedures, and sustainable methodologies to provide replication economies during the implementation of the project plan. The parent office is responsible for determining the responsibilities assigned to the PMO and aligning those responsibilities with the organization's strategic goals and vision. As the owner of the project management approach within the organization, the PMO fits into the "Enterprise PMO" model, ensuring that projects are closely aligned with the organization's vision, mission, and strategic business plans. This alignment promotes the effective execution of projects and supports the overall success of the organization.