Program Management for Improved Business Results

Chapter 8. Program Processes

The previous three chapters described how to successfully manage a program utilizing the program management discipline and practices. This chapter concludes the discussion by describing the primary program management processes that program managers use on a daily or frequent basis when managing a single program. Effective use of program management processes help to make the operational aspects of a program more efficient, predictable, and repeatable. Most importantly, program-level processes help to ensure that the work being performed by the multiple project teams within a program is being managed consistently. This means consistency in scheduling techniques, risk management techniques, and so on.

The primary program processes discussed in this chapter are not meant to be implemented as stand-alone processes, but rather as a suite of processes. The primary program processes include the following:

• The program life cycle

• Schedule management

• Financial management

• Risk management

• Change management

• Stakeholder management

We first present a detailed description of the program life cycle (PLC) as a guiding framework for program definition, planning, and execution. Then, we present the key processes to support definition, planning, and execution of a program.

The purpose of this chapter is to help practicing and prospective program and project managers, as well as other program players, understand the following:

• The key program management processes needed to manage a ...