A program, in contrast, is a collection of such projects. There are the two different views of how programs differ from projects. In this view, a program is a comparably loosely coupled system, whereas large, complex projects are tightly coupled. Program managers should not micromanage, but should leave project management to the project managers. Approve the program and authorize its initiation, Interface with senior stakeholders across departments to resolve strategic issues, Confirm and approve final delivery of the program, Provide leadership by supporting the program through roadblocks and challenges, Owning the program’s brief and business case, Ensuring that a program meets its objectives and deliverables, Cultivating relationships between senior stakeholders and ensuring their agreement with program objectives, Monitoring the program’s progress at a high-level, stepping in when necessary, Securing the funding necessary to achieve the program’s goals, Working with the sponsor and SRO to understand their interests, and ensuring that the program meets these goals, Defining the business-focused benefits of the program, Working with the program manager to ensure that the program meets the above defined benefits, Developing a ‘benefit realization plan’ to ensure that the program’s results are integrated into the business, Working with different departments to integrate the program’s solutions into the business, Planning the program and monitoring its issues. This is due to the fact that project management is the core process that connects all other project activities and processes together. Our comments are moderated. The sponsor’s seniority means that he’s hardly concerned with the day-to-day activities of the program. A program's success will be measured in terms of benefits. The programme manager is responsible, on behalf of the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), for delivering change. Program Management Programs comprise different projects that are interconnected and are also part of the long-term business objectives. The role defines what part you play in different processes within the organization. Project management is a critical practice that applies knowledge of process, skills, tools, deliverables, and techniques to project activities to ensure a solid path to project success by meeting goals and requirements. An organization should select the group of programs that most take it towards its strategic aims while remaining within its capacity to deliver the changes. The business change manager is responsible for overseeing the business goals of the program. He/she coordinates with all of the program's project teams and works with stakeholders to meet their strategic interests.The program manager is more hands-on than the other roles discussed earlier. Some of these require dedicated personnel (such as “program manager”) Other roles are handled by existing personnel in addition to their current responsibilities (such as “sponsor”). Managing the program’s budget, monitoring expenditure and ensuring that the program realizes its financial & business benefits. The sponsor is arguably the most important person in a program since all decisions flow from him/her. In fact, the program manager's main leadership duty is to turn chaos into clarity for the team. According to one source, the key difference between a program and a project is the finite nature of a project[9] - a project must always have a specific end date, else it is an ongoing program. Let’s look at some of the most important roles in program management, and the responsibilities associated with them, below. To put it simply, program management is far less rigid than project management. The program manager will work with the business change manager, SRO and sponsors to see that their interests and business objectives are met. There is significant skill overlap, though a program manager’s work is less hands-on, more strategic in nature. If you’ve been reading this blog, you’re likely familiar with project management and everything it involves. What program management strategies and processes can you use? Programs often have to react to changes in strategy and changes in the environment in which the organization changes. For instance, if a new product disrupts your existing digital strategy, you can bring in people from a related IT project to overhaul your digital campaign. In this phase, the idea for the project is explored and elaborated. According to the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) 3rd edition, A project is defined as a “temporary endeavor with a beginning and an end and it must be used to create a unique product, service or result”. In a typical program management process, the mandate is followed by a detailed strategy document before the program ‘Preparation’ phase starts. He/she is appointed by and reports directly to the sponsor. Join over 100,000 of your peers and receive our weekly newsletter which features the top trends, news and expert analysis to help keep you ahead of the curve. For example, in a financial institution a program may include one project that is designed to take advantage of a rising market and another that is designed to protect against the downside of a falling market. The BCM is appointed by the SRO and works closely with the program manager. He/she doesn’t have to stay aligned with the organization’s broader financial calendar. A project manager will be given a budget and a deadline. Software Project. Maintaining the program documentation, including all plans, timelines and briefs. Program Management is the management discipline of controlling the cost, schedule and performance of a project or group of projects to achieve a stated goal. A program is made up of several projects. A key factor that … Instead of working purely at a strategic or leadership level, the program manager will work directly with multiple project teams (and their project managers) to ensure successful delivery of the project. While many people use 'project' and 'program' interchangeably, they are different. Now that we've defined a program, let's look at program management, whi… So in this phase, there are two major activities that are performed, which are further elaborated in the sub-phases, which we will be discussing later. The role requires effective co-ordination of the programme’s projects and management of their inter-dependencies including oversight of any risks and issues arising. It is an iterative process. Instead of working purely at a strategic or leadership level, the program manager will work directly with multiple … In the course of achieving required results, business programs will normally understand related business constraints and determine the processes required to achieve results based on resources allocated. Managing closely related projects together as a program makes this much easier. Improvements are usually identified through benefits. 2. The program manager, on the other hand, is concerned with the aggregate outcome(s) or end-state result(s) of the collection of projects in a particular program. Find out how to syndicate your content with B2C, How to (Re)Build a Creative Agency Today: 4 Key Principles, Building Your Agency’s Employer Brand in a Remote-First World, Beyond Survival: A 9-Point Prescription for Finding Growth, Image: Positioning: 5 Strategies to Stand Out From Your Competitors, Image: Key Activities and Your Business Model, Image: Key Personality Types That Work Well Together, Image: 10 Employee Feedback Examples and How to Use Them, Image: Reply Email Samples for Different Situations (Several Examples), Grouping together related projects as a program, and. Project managers, on the other hand, are more concerned with the day-to-day operations of the project. Every project … Each of these roles differs in its responsibilities, though they all work closely with the program manager. Program Change & Governance Model Program plan Drivers for change Program objectives Program Management & Governance Plan and priorities Resourcing Change baseline Core Program Governance Checkpoints Case for Change Services effectiveness and quality Client needs and satisfaction … The mandate lists the gaps in the organization’s performance and what can be done to bridge them at a strategic level. A program, on the other hand, is meant to meet a business’ long-term strategic goals. You might add/remove projects to the program as long as it fits the strategic requirements. By combining these projects with other deliverables and changes, their programs might deliver increased income from a new product, shorter waiting lists at the hospital or reduced operating costs due to improved technology. Of course, this describes the ‘ideal’ process. In the above example, the design and development of a website would be informed by the marketing campaign to promote it – and vice versa. And also according to this view, successful projects deliver on time, to budget and to specification, whereas successful programs deliver long term improvements to an organization. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), “A Program is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits and … Program management may provide a layer above the management of projects and focuses on selecting the best group of projects, defining them in terms of their objectives and providing an environment where projects can be run successfully. You will have to interface with senior leaders, of course, but your work will typically be much less governance intensive. On this view, program management is about selecting projects, adjusting the speed at which they run, and adjusting their scope, in order to the maximize the value of the portfolio as a whole, and as economic or other external conditions change. As with most jobs, there are several roles in program management covering different responsibilities. The responsibilities of the business change manager include: In a nutshell, the program manager is the person responsible for the successful delivery of the program. At the lowest level project managers co-ordinate individual projects. This flexibility and adaptability is one of the core benefits of program management. What happens to the marketing campaign if the website goes down due to lack of IT resources? Project managers, as you saw above, deal with more attainable tactical goals. Programs may include elements of related work outside scope of the … You now know the differences between program and project management. Integration management is a key feature of the Project Management Institute's approach to project management. This change can be narrow (‘change website CMS’) or broad (‘overhaul digital strategy’) based on the sponsor’s domain. Grouping closely related projects together often brings in benefits you wouldn’t realize otherwise. "[2]. Use this article as a reference to understand program management, how it differs from project management, and all the roles and responsibilities in it. I’ll show you this process in more detail below. According to the view that programs deliver outcomes but projects deliver outputs, program management is concerned with doing the right projects. Program Management is defined as a department that centralizes the management of projects. For example, the Office of Government Commerce for the UK government. Although programs are substantially longer, they have distinct preparation, execution and completion phases. The active day-to-day management is a part of the ‘Execution’ phase and program closure is a part of the ‘Completion’ phase. Ensuring that the job emphasizes execution and delivery, program management is the management of projects ’ long-term goals... 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