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Michelle Breslin, USA
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Criteria for a Program versus Multiple Projects?
I am trying to develop general criteria for determining if a group of projects should stay projects or if there is enough interdependency to make them a program or one large project.
Anyone having theory or guidance on what type of criteria or questions to use to help to make this determination?
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Codrin Nicolau, Romania
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Same Processes, Stakeholders, Governance
Very interesting issue. Having in mind that in a program benefit management, stakeholders management and governance should count first (see PMI Program management standard), I think that research should focus on similar/same processes found in particular projects in the group, in order to "standardize" them and transform the group in a program. Find also if projects are conflictual or synergetical in respect to resources or results. Through this optimization benefits can start to be managed (this is particular to programs). Second, see if it is about same/similar stakeholders and the same "project marketing". Third, see if the same governance schema can be applied. Of course this is more to say, but this is a start.
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Jean-Michel DE JAEGER, EMBA, PMP
Project Manager, France
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Same High Level Objectives
In my opinion, to make it as simple as possible, if we go back to basics program characteristics, if the group of projects have the same high level objectives and then only, you can manage them as a program.
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Dennis van der Spoel
Management Consultant, Netherlands
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Programme or Multi-Project
- A programme consists of various activities, including one or more projects, that contribute to attaining a COMMON GOAL. This means the projects and the outcomes and benefits of the activities reinforce, compliment each other for greater impact towards the same (strategic) objective/goal.
- A multi-project environment is typically a collection of projects that draw from the SAME RESOURCE POOL or the SAME BUDGET, which therefor calls for priority ranking between the projects.
Project portfolio management is the art of selecting the right projects and prioritize accordingly.
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Dave T, UK
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Program versus Project
Yes, a programme concerns the management of a portfolio of projects, the combined outcomes from which the business benefits are derived. You need to measure if your projects (or are they work-streams) are related or not. If they are related work-streams then it could be said they form a programme. All feedback on this is really stating the same thing.
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Mellacheruvu Adi Saasthry
Director, India
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Detailed Criteria for Determining Project versus Program
Following somewhat more detailed criteria/guidance to help determine the decision for a program or for a collection of projects:
- What is the ultimate goal vs our organization goal?
- By executing these projects are we going to get there as per our vision and strategy?
- Are all or group of your projects related?
- What are we achieving by executing these projects?
- Who are the beneficiaries? What are they achieving?
- What are the business drivers?
- What is the business value?
- What are the various technologies that should be leveraged?
- What are the CSFs?
- What kind of dependencies (resources, technology etc.) exists between projects, can they be executed in isolation?
- Can these projects be executed separately – identify the risks (if any) and identify all the assumptions and constraints.
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Fulvio Polo, Italy
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Criteria Program Vs. Project
Hi Michelle an idea may be:
- Find the projects terms, items, components by analyzing each project.
- Try to give them a numeric value or qualitative attribute
- Use a technique like clustering analysis or similar, in order to group together the projects.
- Probably every group generated can be an unique project.
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Richard Davis
Management Consultant, United States
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Program versus Project: Practical Considerations
Hi Michelle, all of the above have a common thread (similar goals), but look at the PRACTICAL side as well. Will creating an overarching program benefit the business in any important way?
If the projects are large, they already may have administrative overhead (project administrators etc. assigned to them.
* Can the creation of a program reduce the administrative overhead by consolidating these support resources? If it does, there is a clear improvement to the projects' collective business case (reduced administrative costs).
* Is there a long-term benefit by assigning a program manager that can create consistency of vision across multiple projects/long phases? If so, the business may want to bear the additional cost of a program manager rather than re-teach new project managers whenever one changes.
Look for other clear benefits you can easily quantify, rather than theoretical benefits, and you'll have an easier time selling the creation of a program organization.
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T. Stahl, Canada
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When Does a Project Belong in a Program?
The process to determine if a project belongs in a program is simple:
1. Ensure that your program has a good goal statement.
2. Ask this one question: is the project in question vital or key to the accomplishment of the program goal?
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David Dicanot
Analyst, France
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Criteria Program versus Project
The different provided criteria make me think we can't define and launch a programme before having a clear definition of the set of projects which it consist of.
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Mudukula Mukubi
Business Consultant, Zambia
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Program versus Project
If the respective projects target the same clientele, with evidence of mutuality of goals and a clear benefit in sharing both management and financial resources, then there is a case for declaring them a program.
On the contrary, if the said projects have disparate target groups or unrelated aims, they may be better running in their separate ways, even if there could be a unified chain of command.
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