What is a Programme?
A programme is created to coordinate and direct related projects in order to deliver outcomes and benefits that support a company’s strategic objectives. Outcome is the result of change, so the Outcome is the value a program brings to an organization.
Example: Raising Quality across the organization may be the desired outcome of a programme. Each project will therefore produce products to contribute to this. It is also possible to say that each project helps to contribute to the shared vision defined by the program.
A programme is therefore very long term – possibly several years, while projects are much shorter. A good thing to remember is that projects deal with products while programs deal with outcomes. Projects operating in a programme environment have a number of advantages, as some of the work will have already been done by the program. Therefore the project should be tailored to work in a programme.
Tailoring the Business Case Practice in a Programme Environment
The Programme will already have defined the standards and template for the creating a Business Case theme, and in some cases the majority of the work in creating a Business Case may be already done by the programme.
For example, the business reasons for the project will already have been defined by the programme. An important part of a Business Case is the Benefits information, i.e., the expected benefits from the project. These Benefits will also be defined by the programme.
Tailoring the Organizing Practice in a Programme Environment
A program has its own organization and the project organization should be adapted to work in a programme. For example, the business change manager from the programme should take responsibility for the Benefits Management Plan. Project Support and Project Assurance can be provided by the programme; therefore the project can use these services. The Executive can also be chosen from the programme team.
Tailoring the Practices of Quality, Plans, Risk, Issues & Progress
I have already looked at what effect the Programme Environment may have on the Business Case and Organization themes. In this topic I will look at some of the effects a Program Environment might have on the themes of Quality, Plans, Change, and Progress.
Quality Practice
The programme will have a Quality Management Approach document from which the project’s Quality Management Approach will be derived. This will include guidelines on who does the Quality Assurance, Quality Control Activities and Quality Standards.
This means that the Project Manager will not have to create a Quality Management Approach document from scratch but can just customize the document provided by the programme.
Plans Practice Plans
The programme may have dedicated planners that can help the Project Manager, as well as provide standards for Project Plans. This will make it easier for the Project Manager to create the Project & Stage Plans.
Risk Practice
Like Quality, the project Risk Management Approach will be derived from the programme’s Risk Management Strategy. This will include how to deal with risk, risk categories and risk evaluation. This is another document that the Project Manager does not have to create.
Issues Practice
The Change Management Approach document will also be derived from the programme and the Project Manager does not have to create it.
Progress Practice
The programme may be able to provide projects with a monitoring and control strategy, which can include time & cost tolerances to use, format and frequency of reports, how to define the Management stages and other information.
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