Program Management

Definition

Program management is the management subactivity consisting of the cohesive collection of all tasks that are primarily performed to manage a single program of related projects in order to fulfill its mission and to achieve its objectives.

Goals

The typical goals of the program management subactivity are to ensure that the program’s:

• Stakeholder’s relevant needs and expectations are met or exceeded.
• Mission, objectives, and requirements are met.

Objectives

The typical objectives of the program management subactivity are to ensure that the program’s:

• Stages, producers, work units, and work products are properly planned.
• Scope is properly managed.
• Schedule is properly managed.
• Resources, both human and physical, are properly managed (e.g., adequately staffed with trained personnel).
• Costs are properly managed.
• Communication is properly managed (e.g., the program’s status is reported to its stakeholders).
• Relationships between organizations are properly managed.
• Work products are properly delivered.

Examples

Typical examples of the program management subactivity include the:

• Concurrent development of a:
  • Quick and dirty version of an application to achieve initial market visibility and market share.
  • Well-engineered replacement version of the same application to meet business and quality requirements.
• Concurrent development of two or more related applications (e.g., the development of a Web-based and wireless order taking system).
• Sequential projects to create and maintain a single application:
  • An initial initiation phase project to determine the size, complexity, cost, schedule, and viability of an application.
  • A following construction and delivery phase project to produce and deliver the completed application.

Preconditions

The program management subactivity typically may begin when the following conditions hold:

• The program is started.
• The program management team is:
  • Initially staffed.
  • Adequately trained in program management.

Completion Criteria

The program management subactivity is typically complete when the following conditions hold:

• All projects comprising the program are completed.

Tasks

The program management subactivity typically consists of the following teams performing the following tasks in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

• Program Management Team, which performs:
  • Communications Management
  • Cost Management
  • Delivery Management
  • Management Planning
  • Personnel Management
  • Relationship Management
  • Resource Management
  • Schedule Management
  • Scope Management
• Metrics Team, which performs aspects of:
  • Schedule Management (productivity and size estimation, time and effort estimation)
  • Communications Management (metrics communication)

Environments

The program management subactivity is typically performed using the following environment(s) and associated tools:

• Management Environment:
  • Management Tools
  • Documentation Tools
  • Configuration Management Tools

Work Products

The program management subactivity typically results in the production of all or part of the following work products in the management work product set:

• Program Contract
• Program Statement of Work
• Program Management Plan
• Program Documentation Plan
• Program Work Breakdown Structure
• Program Organization Chart
• Program Job Description
• Program Team Schedule
• Program Master Schedule
• Program Management Team Schedule
• Program Budget
• Program Status Report

Phases

The program management subactivity tasks are typically performed during the following phases:

Guidelines

• The program management subactivity is documented using the typical configuration for large programs. It is intended to be configured (i.e., instantiated, extended, and tailored) to meet the needs of specific projects.
• The preconditions of this activity should be the union of the preconditions of its constituent tasks.
• The completion criteria for this activity should be the union of the postconditions of its constituent tasks.