Program Management for Improved Business Results

Part I. It's About the Business

Part I begins by providing clarification of the program management discipline and then illustrating how program management can be implemented as a major element of an organization's business model. This is done in the first four chapters.

In Chapter 1, the unique meaning of program management is identified and described, illuminating its raison d'etre. It explains what program management is and what it is not and compares and contrasts program management with project management, dimension by dimension, clearly distinguishing between the two. Similarly, the program management discipline is set apart from portfolio management and product management. Finally, because many companies often group small- and medium-size projects together to achieve development efficiency, we distinguish the management of multiple independent projects from program management. On the basis of these comparisons and contrasts, we provide a set of identifying characteristics, or pillars, of program management.

To substantiate that program management is really all about business success, in Chapter 2 we present the business case for program management, specifically, what companies get in return for investing in program management—a set of competitive advantages. To illustrate this, we begin with a case of inaction: major business problems and challenges encountered by organizations that do not employ program management. Our intent is to show that instituting program management as ...