Program (management)
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A program or programme (in management) has at least two senses:
- A collection of projects that is directed toward a common goal. (e.g. The NASA space program)
- A broad framework of goals to be achieved, serving as a basis to define and plan specific projects. (e.g. the EU's SOCRATES programme)
In British English, "program" is often used with a technical meaning (like computer program), whereas the spelling "programme" is used in the sense of "collection of managed projects". See at American and British English spelling differences.
Programme Manager is a title commonly used in the UK for someone who manages a collection of projects. This middle management position is responsible for both instigation and delivery of projects.
This meaning of programme is the probable source of the colloqialism "get with the programme" (meaning, keep to a predetermined plan and don't raise side issues or deviate tangentially. Also with punning alternatives on other meanings of programme, "get with the brochure", "get with the leaflet", "get with the pamphlet", etc.).
A program (in business) is different from a project, in that:
- A project is unique and is of definite duration.
- A program is ongoing and implemented within a business to consistently achieve certain results for the business.
- a. A program is allocated resources from a business and has the responsibility to use those resources to achieve business results as defined in goals and objectives.
- b. 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. Improvement of processes is a continuous operation that very much constrasts a program from a project.
- c. In the course of operating a program, there are fundamental practices that need to be put in place; these include (but are not limited to);
- i. Governance - the structure and process to control operations and change to performance objectives
- ii. Assurance - activity to verify and validate all operations and capacity to perform
- iii. Alignment - activity to support higher level vision, goals and objectives
- iv. Integration - activity to optimize performance across the program value chain functionally and technically
- v. Oversight - activity to structure reviews, accountability and management of projects, stakeholders or suppliers
- vi. Organization & Change - activity to manage competencies, learning, knowledge and communications
- vii. Improvement - activity to continuously assess performance, research and develop new capabilities and systemically apply learning and knowledge to the program
- viii. Standards - activity and limits that define the performance architecture
- Program Management includes activity to manage a business program and may include management of projects to step-wise improve program performance levels. The common definition of Program Management as the management of multiple projects is myopic to the project management discipline.
