Programme and Change Management

Organisations are in a constant state of flux: introducing new products, responding to external influences, introducing further capabilities and developing additional partnerships. To ensure the goals of the organisation are met, these various initiatives need to be managed and delivered in a timely way.

Programme Management is the vehicle to provide this orchestration in the following ways:

1. Monitoring strategic goals to ensure programme is aligned with business needs by:

• Assessing the impact of internal opportunities and external change drivers on the organisation
• Authorising change to the operating model

2. Managing the overall programme including:

• Timeline and dependencies
• Ensuring integration and co-ordination between projects
• Securing funding and resources
• Managing efficient utilisation of resources
• Reviewing and prioritising the resolution of issues /delivery of improvements
• Pro-actively monitoring risks and highlighting concerns
• Evaluating and recommending methods, tools and processes

3. Managing communication by:

• Providing a communication point for all programme-related information
• Making and communicating timely unambiguous decisions
• Reporting programme and financial status to sponsors

Start by defining the overall value chain for programme management within your organisational context.

Our key learning regarding Programme vs Project Management from our multiple engagements is that the two activities are different but often get confused. Furthermore, the terms ‘Programme Management’ and ‘Project Management’ are often used interchangeably but actually mean different things. Programme Management is the coordination of a group of projects to ensure that this overall programme of projects is delivered in a timely and effective manner. Project Management is the management of a discrete project within the programme. As such, the roles of Programme Manager vs Project Manager are different.

Programme Management

• Accelerating, decelerating, redefining, terminating and initiating projects within the programme
• Managing interdependencies between projects and business-as-usual activities
• Managing available programme resources and resource conflicts
• Managing risks, issues and change at a programme level
• Defining and realising strategic benefits

Project Management

• Establishing project needs, business case, success criteria and expected benefits
• Developing and implementing a plan to achieve the deliverables, within agreed constraints
• Utilising assigned resource to deliver the products
• Monitoring progress, managing risks, change and issues by taking corrective action
• Providing the sponsor with a capability to realise benefits

It is important to ensure that each of your projects are managed by capable Project Managers and that your projects are delivered in a comprehensive programme coordinated by an effective Programme Manager.