Program Management for Improved Business Results

Final Thoughts on Program Management

The key message that we convey in this book is that program management is directly linked to the success of the business. Several factors regarding the business define when program management should be used.

When senior management has critical developmental efforts that require a tight connection between the strategic objectives of the business and execution, the program management model is recommended. This situation will require a leader that possesses broad and comprehensive business knowledge, excellent people skills, and a solid-grounding technically. Generally, these efforts will be characterized by high levels of complexity and significant cross-discipline dependency.

The traditional interpretation of project management is most appropriate for those business situations that are not directly tied to business results and that are less dynamic and complex. Project management fundamentals may be best defined and described via PMBOK, the international and defecto U.S. standard. According to the standard, project management is about management of a single, individual project, with a primary focus to accomplish the triple-constraint goals (time, cost, and quality). More precisely, project management is tactical in nature, focused on execution success. The project manager manages vertically within a single project—assuring that work effort generates desired deliverables on time, within budget, and at require performance levels. It is clear that ...