A Framework for Programme Management
Objectives
Programme management is a technique concerned with controlling a group of related projects carried out to achieve a defined business goal, objective or benefit. If we take one of Robert Buttrick's definitions that some projects 'are simply too large to manage as a single entity,' then we necessarily need to split them up into smaller manageable projects.
If the whole is too large for a single project manager to handle, then it follows that a number of project managers are required to run the smaller projects. So smaller projects with multiple project managers all designed to achieve a single long-term goal, objective or benefit for the organisation are what we require.
In order to control this group and have an overall view, we require a programme manager. The programme manager is not concerned with the day to day running of individual projects, this is the responsibility of the project mangers. The programme manager needs to ensure that all projects are running on target and that each will achieve its overall contribution to the programme as a whole. The activities undertaken during programme management are:
- Setting the baseline
- Agreeing roles and responsibilities
- Programme planning
- Project prioritisation
- Stakeholder communication
- Progress reporting
- Managing benefits
- Quality management
- Risk management
- Issue management
- Programme closure
What is needed is a framework in which we can run these programmes.