Executive Summary
There are many factors that may contribute to a failure in program execution: knowledge gap around program management, variations in definition across organizations and industries, and lack of a standardized approach. There are very few books published and very few training opportunities offered on the topic of program management.
The Practitioner's Guide to Program Management closes the knowledge gap around program management and offers a first-of-its-kind program management desktop manual. The purpose of the book is to define program management and outline an approach to it, illustrated with real-life examples. To date, this critical approach has not been well-defined and documented, and has frequently been left to the knowledge and expertise of program managers engaged in actual work.
Why do organizations undertake programs and projects? What is a program, and how is it different from a project? How to implement a program? This book will provide answers to these and many other questions.
Author Irene Didinsky walks the readers through all key components of program management, discussing what makes a successful program manager, the importance of a program alignment with the organizational strategy, how a program realizes benefits, program management infrastructure, and much more. This systematic approach to program management will guarantee successful program execution. It will also help standardize a program management approach and reduce the number of variations that currently exist. Each chapter of the book includes practical examples.
The book is a one-of-a-kind academic practitioner's guide, with each page containing substantial potential benefits to the readers. The book's structure and language are easy to follow. It is illustrated with helpful graphical images that illustrate key terms and concepts.
What Is Program Management? The first chapter constructs a time line that depicts key milestones in the evolution of the program and project management industries. It analyzes the current state of the program management industry, identifying gaps, the closure of which will ensure future industry growth. It defines what a program is and compares it to a project and a portfolio, illustrating roles that each plays in executing organizational strategy. The chapter also delineates why organizations deploy and execute programs.
What Makes a Successful Program Manager? A program manager is a key driver of a successful program execution. A program manager executes a program by setting up program structure, leading project managers, and delivering program benefits. That is why it is very important to define the program manager role and understand what helps a program manager succeed.
The second chapter describes how the organizational structure defines a program manager role. The chapter introduces the program management continuum, a concept that defines four phases within the project-oriented and program-oriented organizational structures. It defines the program manager role in each phase of the program management continuum. The chapter illustrates how program infrastructure enables a program manager to lead. It also introduces a proficiency framework, examining proficiencies that make a successful program manager. The chapter concludes with a table that compares program, project, and portfolio managers’ roles.
Program Strategy Alignment: This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the program strategy alignment domain. The chapter describes the criticality of program alignment with the organizational strategy. It describes elements that a program manager and a program sponsor create to ensure program strategy alignment throughout the program life cycle. These elements include the program business case, road map, environmental analysis, and phase-gate review.
During the definition phase, to ensure program initial alignment with the organizational strategy, a program manager creates a business case and a road map. The program manager conducts an environmental analysis, the results of which become an input to the business case and a road map. During the benefits delivery phase, a program manager conducts phase-gate reviews to ensure the program's continued alignment with the organizational strategy.
Program Benefits Realization and Management: Benefits realization is one of the main reasons organizations employ programs. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the program benefits realization domain. It defines a benefit and describes various types of benefits that programs realize. And it defines a business value and business results, helping us understand the differences between the two and providing examples of each. Analyzing the program management continuum, it shows how benefits delivery increases as the organization moves from the project-oriented to the program-oriented structure. The chapter also describes that benefits management is achieved by employing the benefits management strategy that includes five phases: benefits identification, benefits analysis and planning, benefits delivery, benefits transition, and benefits sustainment.
Stakeholder Engagement: As stakeholders have a different level of interest in the program, it is important to manage their expectations based on their needs. The chapter describes the stakeholder engagement domain, including how to engage and manage stakeholders. It introduces a stakeholder map, a tool that allows managing stakeholders. The chapter concludes by describing how to manage conflicting priorities of stakeholders.
Program Governance and Team Management: Using the program management continuum, the chapter defines the program governance domain. It illustrates how the organizational structure defines the program governance structure. The chapter defines program governance roles and shows how each role fits within the program governance structure. It also examines how these roles work together as a program team. The chapter defines three main functional areas within a program team, showing what roles are included in each functional area and responsibilities that each functional area performs. The chapter concludes by describing how a program manager builds, leads, and off-boards a program team.
Program Life Cycle Management: This chapter defines the program life cycle domain and outlines a detailed approach to program execution through the program life cycle. A program delivers benefits by executing a set of phases, which constitute a program life cycle. A program life cycle includes three phases: definition, benefits delivery, and closure. A purpose of the definition phase is to expand the business case and strategic plan objectives, and fully define expected program outcomes. A purpose of the benefits delivery phase is to integrate and manage program components to facilitate the delivery of the intended program benefits. A purpose of the closure phase is to execute a controlled closure of the program.
Program Management Infrastructure: This chapter starts by describing how a program manager uses procurement in the delivery of program benefits. It examines program infrastructure, including systems and tools needed to manage a program effectively. The chapter describes how to build and maintain a program management plan, a key document that ensures program alignment with the organizational strategy, and benefits delivery, on budget and on time. The chapter analyzes tools for program monitoring and periodic evaluation. This chapter also defines risks and examines risk management and escalation mechanisms. It concludes by describing program change process, quality control process, and program communication. This chapter can be used as a desktop manual, as it includes multiple program management tools and templates.
Effective Program Management: A program manager monitors program execution during the entire program life cycle and ensures program benefits delivery on time and on budget as well as ensures effective resource management. This chapter describes, in detail, activities and tools that can be used to deliver a program on time. It also describes program financial management that is necessary to deliver it on a budget, including budget, forecast, and actual costs management during each phase of the program. Each calculation is illustrated with examples of the financial management tables and accompanied with detailed descriptions on how to construct them. The chapter concludes with the effective resource management during each phase of the program, including resource forecasting, estimation, and actual tracking.
Future of Program Management: This chapter discusses the future of the program management industry. To understand how the industry can grow and where it can improve, the chapter examines the current state of the program management industry, focusing on existing gaps. As the program management industry operates globally, the chapter discusses the global environment and future trends. Using the program management industry's current state and global environment future trends, the chapter attempts to define the future state of the program management industry.
Program Managers Community of Practice (PgMCoP): A program manager needs to understand the organizational environment as it defines the program management structure and sculpts the program manager role. A program manager should influence the business-focused program management structure as it empowers a business-focused program manager role. One of the venues that a program manager can utilize is the program management community of practice (PgMCoP). A community of practice can serve as a forum for program management current state analysis, program process improvement initiative discussions, and program best practices and knowledge sharing. This chapter defines the community of practice value to organizations and program managers, and describes their foundation, structure, and operations.
This book serves as a much-needed practitioner's guide to program management. It also provides a foundation for program management training classes. Above all, it contributes to program management industry standardization.