Managing Complex Projects and Programs: How to Improve Leadership of Complex Initiatives Using a Third-Generation Approach

Chapter 14Becoming a Third-Generation Programmatics Organization

Applying the Principles of Third-Generation Programmatics

It is difficult to identify a single third-generation programmatic oversight model that would satisfy the needs of every complex programmatic endeavor. The unique demands of complex projects and programs for technical and operational oversight, for example, often lead to requests for their interaction with a variety of organization-specific secondary review and oversight committees. Program-specific regulatory, compliance, and quality assurance requirements frequently lead to requests for interactions with specialty governance committees. Resource allocation and prioritization issues create the need for program and project teams to consult with business governance committees. And partnerships, alliances, and co-development agreements frequently trigger requirements for interactions with external governance and relationship review committees. As a result, the “review and oversight maps” for individual programs (the “mess” depicted in Figure 7.10) can be quite different for individual programs being managed under third-generation programmatic systems.

That should not be surprising; we have observed (especially in Chapter 7) that the same is true for first- and second-generation programmatic oversight systems. For some organizations, however, it can be befuddling. Stakeholders find themselves asking: “How should our organization pursue third-generation programmatics?” ...