Why the Prime Minister’s Office Runs on Memory — Until It Breaks
- Sunil Dutt Jha
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
Most Prime Minister / Executive Offices don’t actually run on structure. They run on memory.
Not documents. Not dashboards. Not frameworks.
Memory.
The memory of:
who handled a crisis last time
which ministry “usually fixes this”
which officer knows how approvals really work
which workaround bypasses a broken process
This is why PMOs often appear effective only while certain people remain in the room.
Remove those people — retire them, rotate them, replace them — and suddenly:
escalations spike
decisions slow down
contradictions surface
the PMO starts firefighting instead of directing
This is not a leadership failure. It is a anatomical failure.
The Hidden Truth: Most PMOs Don’t Have an Operating System
A PMO is expected to:
translate national strategy into execution
coordinate across ministries
resolve conflicts
absorb shocks
maintain momentum
But most PMOs lack the one thing required to do this reliably:
An executable enterprise anatomy.
So instead, they substitute:
experience for structure
memory for logic
escalation for architecture
That works — until it fails.
What Happens When Memory Replaces Architecture
Across governments (including the US, Australia, India, and the Middle East), the same pattern repeats:
Strategy is announced (P1)
Ministries interpret it independently
Processes (P2) diverge
Rules and systems (P3) fragment
Implementations (P5) multiply
Operations (P6) improvise
The PMO becomes the final escalation point — not because it owns execution, but because no one owns the structure.
This is why PMOs feel powerful and exhausted at the same time.
The Turning Point: “Explain What You’re Doing So a 15-Year-Old Can Understand”
Earlier this year, the US government issued a clear instruction to large consulting and advisory firms (including Accenture and others):
Explain what you are doingin a way that a 15-year-old can understand.
This wasn’t about simplification. It was about exposure.
Because when EA cannot be explained simply, it usually means:
it doesn’t control decisions
it doesn’t bind execution
it doesn’t survive people leaving
If the PMO cannot explain:
who owns which rule
how strategy turns into action
why decisions repeat or stall
…then the PMO is running on memory, not architecture.
Enterprise Architecture Is the PMO’s Missing Instrument
Real Enterprise Architecture is not IT. It is not documentation.
It is the instrument that allows the PMO to function without relying on personal memory.
Specifically, it:
binds strategy (P1) to execution (P6)
defines who owns rules (P3)
enforces shared logic across ministries
makes deviations visible and governable
survives leadership and staff changes
Without this, the PMO cannot direct the State — only react to it.
The Diagnostics Questions Every PMO Must Answer
These are not theoretical. They surface the truth immediately.
Which national outcomes today are not traceable to a rule owner?
Which programs were funded before execution logic was defined?
Which escalations repeat because no structural fix exists?
Which decisions depend on “who knows how this works”?
What breaks the moment a senior official is rotated out?
If the PMO leadership changed tomorrow, what would silently collapse?
Can we explain how government execution works to a 15-year-old — without names, exceptions, or history?
If these questions feel uncomfortable, that is the signal.
The Real Risk Facing PMOs Today
Governments are moving faster. Policy cycles are shorter. Scrutiny is higher.
A memory-driven PMO cannot scale this environment.
Every new reform, dashboard, or coordination mechanism increases dependence on people — not structure.
That is why Enterprise Architecture must become a PMO tool, not an IT function.
What Changes When the PMO Owns Enterprise Anatomy
When Enterprise Anatomy is installed at the center:
Strategy stops leaking
Escalations reduce structurally
Ministries align without micromanagement
Knowledge becomes durable
Leadership transitions stop being traumatic
The PMO becomes an orchestrator, not a firefighter.
