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Multi-Project Programs

June 20, 2008 | Author: admin | Filed under: Program Management

Multi-Project Programs
By Dr.Russell Archibald

Programs are defined as long-term undertakings that include two or more projects that require close coordination. Projects within a program are usually closely related in some way, such as using common resources, having dependency relationships (in which tasks within one project cannot proceed until the results of tasks within a second project have been completed,) or supporting common strategic objectives. Programs may be related to a particular product line, operating division, or geographic area, for example. Projects having a common customer may also be grouped within a program, as another example. A UK definition of the term programme (in the PM arena) is “a set of related projects with a common strategic goal or aim”.

The responsibilities of a program manager are similar to but broader than those of a project manager, since the program manager gives direction to and integrates the efforts of two or more project managers. The program manager role is of longer duration than that of any of his project managers, since the overlapping projects within a program rarely, if ever, start and end at the same time. Unlike projects, programmes had no distinctive start or end, rather the strategy could be accelerated or slowed down, by introducing new projects, speeding up old existing ones, or slowing up projects, or stopping existing or planned projects respectively.

Project and Programme Management Within the UK: The UK’s Office of Government Commerce/OGC has for some years developed and promoted PM concepts for governmental and nongovernmental applications. Its publications include:

  • PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments): “a structured method for effective project management (OGC PRINCE2 2002, p iii).
  • Management of Risk/M_o_R: Guidance for Practitioners that “sets out a framework for taking informed decisons about risk at a project, programme and strategic level to assure that key risks are identified, assessed and that action is taken to address them.
  • Managing Successful Programmes/MSP: “a pragmatic approach that will help organizations deliver and realize the required benefits, innovation, and new ways of working that will take them through the next decade (OGC MSP 1999, p xi).

Programme management as practiced in the UK and its sphere of influence in Europe and elsewhere is essentially the same as project portfolio management in North America and elsewhere. “Programme management exists to bridge the gap between Corporate Strategy and Projects. It enables that fundamental question to be asked before starting the project – ‘where does it fit into the corporate strategy?’” (Harpham 2002, p 5).

Role of Program Management: A current example of the role of program management within General Motors’ new car model development and launch operations is given by Spina (2003, p 23) as:

  • Align organizational resources
  • Create single integrated program management organization
  • Provide single voice for Program Management with Product Development
  • Coordinate major work processes
  • Balance process and organizational stability with improved competitiveness.

Program Management in Governmental Agencies: Many public agencies use a “planning, programming and budgeting system” that involves a number of high level programs that are really a hybrid form of program management since they are made up of projects plus on-going “level-of-effort” operating activities.

Dr. Russell D. Archibald, PhD (Hon), MSc, Fellow PMI and APM/IPMA, PMP, is one of the six founding members of the Project Management Institute. Now semi-retired, he has many years of management experience in engineering and operations with a variety of major US corporations in Europe and South America as well as the US. He has made major contributions to the understanding of project management, is author of the best selling 2003 book “Managing High-Technology Programs and Projects” (published also in Russian, Chinese, and Italian), has trained more than a thousand program and project managers and project specialists around the world, and has consulted in project management to clients in 14 countries on 4 continents. E-mail: russell_archibald@yahoo.com. Website: www.russarchibald.com.

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