What You Need To Know About Programme Management?

What You Need To Know About Programme Management
December 31, 2021
Author : Charles Hill

Programme management is a means by which an organisation's portfolio of programmes can be managed and controlled to achieve the strategic goals and objectives expressed in its corporate plan. Therefore, programme management links corporate and programme planning to ensure that the corporate objectives in the corporate plan (or their successors) are achieved through the delivery of key programmes; and translates those programmes back into objectives at a more detailed level for operational managers.

Programme management is about ensuring that all your programs deliver value. It doesn't replace control but enhances it because you can decide what you want to control and how much detail you need to go into for each program. You have better visibility on what's going on across your organisation because of this link between each individual manageable piece of work or an individual project and the overall program it contributes towards. This also lets you clearly see exactly where a problem is if it crops up in one area of the programme.

what is the value of program management

Moreover, programme management is a strategic and systematic approach to the coordinated management of multiple projects or programmes within an organisation so that they contribute to the organisation's overall goals and objectives. It includes planning, organising, staffing, directing, and controlling the efforts of project team members to ensure that the projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. Programme management also ensures that each project is integrated with other related projects so that the overall programme is coherent and achieves its objectives.

Characteristics of Programmes in Programme Management

A program is a temporary, flexible grouping of related projects that are managed together to achieve certain objectives. Programs can be created for a number of reasons, such as to improve efficiencies across the organisation, to respond to changes in the business environment, or to meet new strategic objectives.

The key characteristics of programs in project management are:

  1. Temporary —The grouping of projects will disband when the objectives have been met or when the need for the program no longer exists.
  2. Flexible —Projects can be added or removed from the program as needed.
  3. Managed together —The group of projects is coordinated and managed according to a single plan that outlines how the projects will work together to achieve the program's objectives.
  4. Have defined start and end —The program itself does not have a life cycle, but each individual project within the program will have its own life cycle.
  5. Programs are initiated for specific reasons —Usually to improve efficiencies, meet new strategic objectives, or respond to changes in the business environment.

Benefits of Using Programmes in Project Management

The benefits of using programs in project management suggested by our five-star ratedmanagement assignment helpproviders are:

  1. Programs improve efficiencies across the organisation by allowing related projects to be managed together under a single plan.
  2. It helps to meet new strategic objectives by providing a framework for coordinating multiple projects towards a common goal.
  3. Also, it responds to changes in the business environment by allowing new projects to be quickly added or removed from the program as needed.
  4. They provide a higher level of visibility into the organisation's overall progress, and they allow problems to be more easily identified and corrected.
  5. Programs create a sense of coherence and unity across the organisation, which can help to improve motivation and morale.

Projects that contribute to an organisation's overall goals and objectives can be grouped together into a program. The projects contribute towards the achievement of the overall goal, but each project still has its own objectives that it must achieve. Programme management is the coordinated management of these projects so that they work together towards a common goal.

What are Some Examples of Programmes in Project Management?

A company that wants to improve its competitive advantage might implement a marketing plan that involves launching several new products. The implementation of the marketing plan would be the program, and each individual project would include developing one of the new products. A company that wants to start doing business in an international market might decide to develop customer relationship management (CRM) systems to support its sales force.

This implementation would be considered an overall program, but CRMs for specific customers might also be implemented as individual projects within this program. An organisation attempting to meet new strategic objectives might implement a customer service initiative through which it aims to enhance its relationships with customers by providing exceptional service levels across all areas of the customer experience. This customer service initiative would be the program, and each individual project within the program might involve a different tactic or strategy to improve customer service (e.g., developing a new customer service policy, enhancing training for customer service representatives, introducing a new customer feedback survey).

what is the difference between project management and programme management

A company experiencing rapid growth might implement a project management office (PMO) to improve its overall project management capabilities. The PMO would be the program, and each individual project within the PMO would involve implementing specific changes or improvements to the organisation's project management processes.

Who Manages Programs In Project Management?

Project managers manage programs in project management. Programme management falls under the auspices of the organisation's senior leadership team, but tactical program decisions are typically made at a lower level by individual project managers and/or program managers who oversee the projects within the overall program (the "clients" for these projects). The ultimate goal is to manage programs in such a way that they contribute to meeting strategic goals and objectives set forth by senior leadership, but day-to-day decisions can be deferred to those with more specific knowledge about the individual projects. A major challenge of successful program management is finding this balance between centralisation (senior leaders setting overall guidelines) and decentralisation (individual clients taking care of their own projects within broad guidelines).

Programme management can be compared to a symphony orchestra: senior leaders and the board of directors set the overall tone and direction for the entire organisation, and that tune is interpreted through daily decisions made by individual musicians (i.e., project managers) who play their own instruments (i.e., projects). If each musician plays exactly what they hear from the conductor, the resulting music will be beautiful; however, if one or more musicians tries to improvise (i.e., deviates from what was heard), there will likely be discordant notes throughout the song.

How Can We Help You With Your Programme Management Assignments?

Successful programme management requires effective coordination and communication among all stakeholders and a clear understanding of the organisation's strategic objectives. Project managers play a key role in ensuring that programmes are effectively managed and contribute to meeting organisational goals.

With management assignment help by the five-stars rated educators at My Assignment Services, you can get expert assistance to overcome any level of complexity in your university assignments. The educators have a decade long experience in decoding the complexities of the subjects in an easier way that the college/university students can comprehend. Students from Nottingham Trent University, University of Warwick, Coventry University, and Loughborough University are already enrolled in our sessions. You can be next! Get yourself enrolled now just byfilling the form. We'll get in touch with you as soon as possible.

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About the Author

Charles Hill

Charles writes blogs and articles for students who are facing problems with their management assignments. His articles have been featured on several websites. He has contributed to the academic enhancement of students from the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, etc. He joined the team of My Assignment Services as a consulting expert and now is a full-time academic help provider. His expertise in the field of management covers topics like leadership management, human resource management, business management and several others. His blogs focus on solving the most complex of the queries and simplifying the processes.

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