Project Management Office Design and Effectiveness in Nigerian Public Universities: A Configurational Analysis

Project Management Offices (PMOs) in public universities can significantly improve research project delivery and institutional development outcomes, yet their optimal design configurations for Nigerian university contexts have not been identified. This study examines PMO design configurations and their relationship to effectiveness in Nigerian public universities through configurational analysis. A two-phase design will first survey PMO characteristics and effectiveness in 20 federal and state universities across six geopolitical zones using the PMO Value Ring and PMO Maturity Framework. Phase two will apply fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to identify configurations of PMO design attributes (staffing, authority, services, technology) that lead to high and low effectiveness. This approach allows identification of multiple sufficient combinations, addressing the complexity of PMO design that regression-based studies cannot capture. No configurational PMO study exists for Nigerian universities, making this an original methodological and empirical contribution. Findings will support PMO design decisions for university governing councils and Tertiary Education Trust Fund project management reform programs. Keywords: PMO design, effectiveness, Nigerian universities, configurational analysis, fsQCA