Program Management Approach
- Integration management is a key feature of the Project Management Institute's approach to project management. For Program Management—Second Edition.
- One of the challenges of IT management is how to manage and deliver transformation projects on time, on budget, in compliance with the quality standards, while.
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. Project management is the practise of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the of a to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at the specified time. A is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or staffing) undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.
The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast with, which are repetitive, permanent, or semi-permanent functional activities to produce products or services. In practice, the of such distinct production approaches requires the development of distinct technical skills and management strategies. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. The primary constraints are, time, and. The secondary — and more ambitious — challenge is to the of necessary inputs and apply them to meet pre-defined objectives.
The object of project management is to produce a complete project which complies with the client's objectives. In many cases the object of project management is also to shape or reform the client's brief in order to feasibly be able to address the client's objectives. Once the client's objectives are clearly established they should impact on all decisions made by other people involved in the project-project managers, designers, contractors, sub-contractors, etc. If the project management objectives are ill-defined or too tightly prescribed it will have a detrimental effect on decision making. (1861–1919), the father of planning and control techniques As a discipline, project management developed from several fields of application including civil construction, engineering, and heavy activity.
Two forefathers of project management are, called the father of planning and control techniques, who is famous for his use of the as a project management tool (alternatively Harmonogram first proposed by ); and for his creation of the five management functions that form the foundation of the body of knowledge associated with project and program management. Both Gantt and Fayol were students of 's theories of. His work is the forerunner to modern project management tools including (WBS) and. The 1950s marked the beginning of the modern project management era where core engineering fields come together to work as one. Project management became recognized as a distinct discipline arising from the management discipline with engineering model. In the United States, prior to the 1950s, projects were managed on an ad-hoc basis, using mostly and informal techniques and tools.
At that time, two mathematical models were developed. The ' (CPM) was developed as a joint venture between and for managing plant maintenance projects. The ' (PERT), was developed by the in conjunction with the and as part of the submarine program. PERT and CPM are very similar in their approach but still present some differences.
CPM is used for projects that assume deterministic activity times; the times at which each activity will be carried out are known. PERT, on the other hand, allows for stochastic activity times; the times at which each activity will be carried out are uncertain or varied. Because of this core difference, CPM and PERT are used in different contexts.
These mathematical techniques quickly spread into many private enterprises. For a seven-month project with five milestones At the same time, as project-scheduling models were being developed, technology for project cost, cost management and engineering economics was evolving, with pioneering work by Hans Lang and others. In 1956, the American Association of Cost Engineers (now; the Association for the Advancement of ) was formed by early practitioners of project management and the associated specialties of planning and scheduling, cost estimating, and cost/schedule control (project control).
AACE continued its pioneering work and in 2006 released the first integrated process for portfolio, program and project management ( framework). In 1969, the (PMI) was formed in the USA. PMI publishes (PMBOK Guide), which describes project management practices that are common to 'most projects, most of the time.' PMI also offers a range of certifications. Approaches There are a number of approaches to organizing and completing project activities, including: phased, lean, iterative, and incremental.
There are also several extensions to project planning, for example based on outcomes (product-based) or activities (process-based). A 2017 study suggested that the success of any project depends on how well four key aspects are aligned with the contextual dynamics affecting the project, these are referred to as the four P's:. Plan: The planning and forecasting activities. Process, the overall approach to all activities and project governance. People, and the dynamics of how they collaborate and communicate.
Power, Projects are which describes all lines of authority, decision-makers, organograms, policies for implementation and the likes. Regardless of the employed, careful consideration must be given to the overall project objectives, timeline, and cost, as well as the roles and responsibilities of all participants and. Phased approach The phased (or staged) approach breaks down and manages the work through a series of distinct steps to be completed, and is often referred to as 'traditional' or '. Although it can vary, it typically consists of five process areas, four phases plus control. Typical development phases of an engineering project. and. construction.
monitoring and controlling. completion or closing Many industries use variations of these project stages and it is not uncommon for the stages to be renamed in order to better suit the organization. For example, when working on a design and construction, projects will typically progress through stages like pre-planning, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, construction drawings (or contract documents), and construction administration. While the phased approach works well for small, well-defined projects, it often results in challenge or failure on larger projects, or those that are more complex or have more ambiguities, issues and risk. Lean project management. See also: In critical studies of project management it has been noted that phased approaches are not well suited for projects which are large-scale and multi-company, with undefined, ambiguous, or fast-changing requirements, or those with high degrees of risk, dependency, and fast-changing technologies. The explains some of this as the planning made on the initial phase of the project suffers from a high degree of uncertainty.
This becomes especially true as software development is often the realization of a new or novel product. These complexities are better handled with a more exploratory or iterative and incremental approach. Several models of iterative and incremental project management have evolved, including, and Innovation Engineering®.
Critical chain project management. Main article: Critical chain project management (CCPM) is an application of the (TOC) to planning and managing projects, and is designed to deal with the uncertainties inherent in managing projects, while taking into consideration limited availability of (physical, human skills, as well as management & support capacity) needed to execute projects.
The goal is to increase the flow of projects in an organization. Applying the first three of the of TOC, the system constraint for all projects, as well as the resources, are identified. To exploit the constraint, tasks on the critical chain are given priority over all other activities. Finally, projects are planned and managed to ensure that the resources are ready when the critical chain tasks must start, subordinating all other resources to the critical chain. Product-based planning. Main article: The incorporation of process-based management has been driven by the use of maturity models such as the and the (capability maturity model integration; see of a predecessor) and (SPICE – software process improvement and capability estimation).
Unlike SEI's CMM, the OPM3 maturity model describes how to make project management processes capable of performing successfully, consistently, and predictably in order to enact the strategies of an organization. Project production management. Main article: Benefits realization management (BRM) enhances normal project management techniques through a focus on outcomes (benefits) of a project rather than products or outputs, and then measuring the degree to which that is happening to keep a project on track. This can help to reduce the risk of a completed project being a failure by delivering agreed upon requirements/outputs but failing to deliver the benefits of those requirements.
In addition, BRM practices aim to ensure the alignment between project outcomes and business strategies. The effectiveness of these practices is supported by recent research evidencing BRM practices influencing project success from a strategic perspective across different countries and industries. An example of delivering a project to requirements might be agreeing to deliver a computer system that will process staff data and manage payroll, holiday and staff personnel records. Under BRM the agreement might be to achieve a specified reduction in staff hours required to process and maintain staff data. Earned value management. The project development stages Traditionally (depending on what project management methodology is being used), project management includes a number of elements: four to five project management process groups, and a control system. Regardless of the methodology or terminology used, the same basic project management processes or stages of development will be used.
Major process groups generally include:. Initiation.
Planning. Production or execution. Monitoring and controlling. Closing In project environments with a significant exploratory element (e.g., ), these stages may be supplemented with decision points (go/no go decisions) at which the project's continuation is debated and decided. An example is the. Initiating. Initiating process group processes The initiating processes determine the nature and scope of the project.
If this stage is not performed well, it is unlikely that the project will be successful in meeting the business’ needs. The key project controls needed here are an understanding of the business environment and making sure that all necessary controls are incorporated into the project.
Any deficiencies should be reported and a recommendation should be made to fix them. The initiating stage should include a plan that encompasses the following areas. These areas can be recorded in a series of documents called Project Initiation documents.
Project Initiation documents are a series of planned documents used to create order for the duration of the project. Executing process group processes While executing we must know what are the planned terms that need to be executed. The execution/implementation phase ensures that the project management plan's deliverables are executed accordingly. This phase involves proper allocation, co-ordination and management of human resources and any other resources such as material and budgets. The output of this phase is the project deliverables. Project Documentation Documenting everything within a project is key to being successful. In order to maintain budget, scope, effectiveness and pace a project must have physical documents pertaining to each specific task.
With correct documentation, it is easy to see whether or not a projects requirement has been met. To go along with that, documentation provides information regarding what has already been completed for that project. Documentation throughout a project provides a paper trail for anyone who needs to go back and reference the work in the past. In most cases, documentation is the most successful way to monitor and control the specific phases of a project.
With the correct documentation, a projects success can be tracked and observed as the project goes on. If performed correctly documentation can be the backbone to a projects success. Monitoring and controlling. Monitoring and controlling process group processes Monitoring and controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project.
The key benefit is that project performance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the project management plan. Monitoring and controlling includes:. Measuring the ongoing project activities ('where we are');. Monitoring the project variables (cost, effort, scope, etc.) against the project management plan and the project performance baseline ( where we should be);. Identifying corrective actions to address issues and risks properly ( How can we get on track again);.
Influencing the factors that could circumvent integrated change control so only approved changes are implemented. In multi-phase projects, the monitoring and control process also provides feedback between project phases, in order to implement corrective or preventive actions to bring the project into compliance with the project management plan. Project maintenance is an ongoing process, and it includes:.
Continuing support of end-users. Correction of errors. Updates to the product over time.
Monitoring and controlling cycle In this stage, should pay attention to how effectively and quickly user problems are resolved. Over the course of any construction project, the work scope may change. Change is a normal and expected part of the construction process. Changes can be the result of necessary design modifications, differing site conditions, material availability, contractor-requested changes, value engineering and impacts from third parties, to name a few. Beyond executing the change in the field, the change normally needs to be documented to show what was actually constructed. This is referred to as change management.
Hence, the owner usually requires a final record to show all changes or, more specifically, any change that modifies the tangible portions of the finished work. The record is made on the contract documents – usually, but not necessarily limited to, the design drawings. The end product of this effort is what the industry terms as-built drawings, or more simply, 'as built.' The requirement for providing them is a norm in construction contracts. Construction document management is a highly important task undertaken with the aid an online or desktop software system, or maintained through physical documentation. The increasing legality pertaining to the construction industries maintenance of correct documentation has caused the increase in the need for document management systems. When changes are introduced to the project, the viability of the project has to be re-assessed.
It is important not to lose sight of the initial goals and targets of the projects. When the changes accumulate, the forecasted result may not justify the original proposed investment in the project. Successful project management identifies these components, and tracks and monitors progress so as to stay within time and budget frames already outlined at the commencement of the project. Closing process group processes. Closing includes the formal acceptance of the project and the ending thereof. Administrative activities include the archiving of the files and documenting lessons learned.
This phase consists of:. Contract closure: Complete and settle each contract (including the resolution of any open items) and close each contract applicable to the project or project phase. Project close: Finalize all activities across all of the process groups to formally close the project or a project phase Also included in this phase is the Post Implementation Review. This is a vital phase of the project for the project team to learn from experiences and apply to future projects.
Normally a Post Implementation Review consists of looking at things that went well and analyzing things that went badly on the project to come up with lessons learned. Project controlling and project control systems Project controlling (also known as ) should be established as an independent function in project management. It implements verification and controlling function during the processing of a project in order to reinforce the defined performance and formal goals.
Main article: The (WBS) is a that shows a subdivision of the activities required to achieve an objective—for example a program, project, and contract. The WBS may be hardware-, product-, service-, or -oriented (see an example in a ).
A WBS can be developed by starting with the end objective and successively subdividing it into manageable components in terms of size, and responsibility (e.g., systems, subsystems, components, tasks, sub-tasks, and work packages), which include all steps necessary to achieve the objective. The work breakdown structure provides a common framework for the natural development of the overall planning and control of a contract and is the basis for dividing work into definable increments from which the statement of work can be developed and technical, schedule, cost, and labor hour reporting can be established. The work breakdown structure can be displayed in two forms, as a table with subdivision of tasks or as an organisational chart whose lowest nodes are referred to as 'work packages'. It is an essential element in assessing the quality of a plan. International standards There have been several attempts to develop project management standards, such as:.:2012 – Guidance on project management.
This is the first project management ISO.:2009 – Risk management. Risk management is 1 of the 10 knowledge areas of either ISO 21500 or PMBoK5 concept of project management. ISO/IEC/IEEE – Systems and Software Engineering—Life Cycle Processes—Project Management. from the. GAPPS, – an open source standard describing COMPETENCIES for project and program managers. from the (PMI)., Swiss general project management method, selected for use in Luxembourg and international organizations.
Approaches
The ISO standards, a family of standards for quality management systems, and the:2003, for Quality management systems and guidelines for quality management in projects. (Projects in Controlled Environments). Body of Knowledge. (TSP) from the. Framework, AACE International's Methodology for Integrated Portfolio, Program and Project Management., an original systems development method. The, which is popular in international development organizations. (AIPM) has 4 levels of certification; CPPP, CPPM, CPPD & CPPE for Certified Practicing Project.
Partner, Manager, Director and Executive. Project portfolio management.
The Top Project Management Methodologies Here we take a look at some of the top project management methodologies grouped together by similarity and popularity. The Traditional, Sequential Methodologies + Waterfall What is the most common way to plan out a project?
Sequence the tasks that lead to a final deliverable and work on them in order. This is the Waterfall methodology — the traditional method for managing projects and the one that is simplest to understand. One task must be completed before the next one begins, in a connected sequence of items that add up to the overall deliverable. It’s an ideal method for projects that result in physical objects (buildings, computers), and project plans can be easily replicated for future use.
The power of this methodology is that every step is preplanned and laid out in the proper sequence. While this may be the simplest method to implement initially, any changes in customers’ needs or priorities will disrupt the sequence of tasks, making it very difficult to manage. + Critical Path Method (CPM) The critical path method developed in the 1950s is based on the concept that there are some tasks you can’t start until a previous one has been finished.
When you string these dependent tasks together from start to finish, you plot out your critical path. Identifying and focusing on this critical path allows project managers to prioritize and allocate resources to get the most important work done, and reschedule any lower priority tasks that may be clogging up your team’s bandwidth. This way, if changes need to be made to the project schedule, you can optimize your team’s work process without delaying the end results. Further Reading:. + Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) Critical chain project management is a methodology that puts a primary focus on the resources needed to complete the project’s tasks. It begins by building a project schedule and identifying the most crucial tasks that need to be done — the “Critical Chain” — and reserving resource for those high-priority tasks. It also builds buffers of time around these tasks into the project’s schedule, which helps ensure the project meets its deadlines.
The PMI/PMBOK “Method” While it may be debatable whether this is a true project management methodology, you will find organizations that say they use the PMI or PMBOK method for managing projects. What this simply means is they break down their projects into the five process groups agreed upon by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and documented in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), namely: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Project management purists however insist that PMBOK is not so much a methodology as it is an agreed upon set of standards and conventions for managing projects. A similar analogy is that the dictionary is not a method for creating books, but it collects the agreed-upon vocabulary used to write books. Read the section for a deeper discussion on the 5 process groups and the 10 key knowledge areas. The Agile Family After Waterfall and PMI/PMBOK, another popular project management methodology is Agile and the various frameworks with which to implement Agile.
Let’s take a look at some of them. + Agile The core of the Agile methodology was developed by 17 people in 2001 in written form. Their put forth a groundbreaking mindset on delivering value and collaborating with customers.
Agile’s four main values are expressed as:. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
Working software over comprehensive documentation. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Responding to change over following a plan Today, the word Agile can refer to these values as well as the frameworks for implementing them, including: Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, and Adaptive Project Framework. What is common among the various flavors of Agile? Project objectives are made clear by the customer while the final deliverable can change.
The project team works in iterative cycles, always evaluating results at the end. Depending on the results of these evaluations, the final deliverable may be modified in order to better answer the customer’s needs. Continuous collaboration is key, both within the project team members and with project stakeholders. Further Reading:. (eBook). (Infographic).
(Infographic). (Video) + Scrum Scrum is the most popular Agile development framework because it is relatively simple to implement but also because it solves a lot of problems that software developers have struggled with in the past such as convoluted development cycles, inflexible project plans, delayed production. In Scrum, a small team is led by a Scrum Master whose main job it is to clear away all obstacles to work getting done more efficiently. The team works in short cycles of two weeks called “sprints,” though the team members meet daily to discuss what’s been done and where there are any roadblocks that need clearing. This methodology allows for quick development and testing, especially within small teams. Further Reading:.
+ Kanban Kanban is another framework for implementing Agile but is based on a team’s capacity to do work. It originated from the factories of Toyota during the 1940s and was originally a visual system of cards (“kanban”) used by a department to signal that their team is ready for more raw materials, that the team has more capacity to produce. Today, this visual approach to managing a project is well-suited to work that requires steady output.
Project teams create visual representations of their tasks often using sticky notes and whiteboards (though there are also virtual versions that can be used online) and move these through predetermined stages to see progress as it happens and identify where roadblocks occur. + Extreme Programming (XP) Extreme programming is another offshoot of Agile and is a methodology designed to improve the quality (and simplicity) of software and the ability of a development team to adapt to customers’ needs. Much like the original Agile formula, XP is characterized by short work sprints, frequent iterations, and constant collaboration with stakeholders. Change can happen within a sprint: if work hasn’t started on a certain feature, it can be swapped out and replaced by a similar task.
+ Adaptive Project Framework (APF) Adaptive Project Framework grew from the view that most IT projects can’t be managed using traditional project management methods, due to uncertain and changing requirements. Thus APF begins with a Requirements Breakdown Structure (RBS) to define strategic project goals based on product requirements, functions, sub-functions, and features.
The project proceeds in iterative stages, and at the end of each stage, teams evaluate previous results in order to improve performance and practices. Stakeholders can also change the project’s scope at the start of each stage in order for the team to produce the most business value. The Change Management Methodologies There are the methodologies that deal with managing projects but with an extra focus on change management especially planning for risks and taking control of change when it happens. Notable methods include: + Event Chain Methodology (ECM) The underlying idea behind event chain methodology is that there are potential risks that often lie outside the project’s scope.
It’s important to prepare for these risks and plan what to do if they occur. Unexpected events will impact your project’s schedule, deliverables, and potentially its success. + Extreme Project Management (XPM) Extreme project management (XPM) is the opposite of Waterfall in that it offers you a way to manage massive change and still move forward to project completion. In XPM, you can alter the project plan, budget, and even the final deliverable to fit changing needs, no matter where the project is. It’s the perfect way to manage projects that have a short timeline of anywhere from a few weeks to mere days. Further Reading:.
E. The Process-based Methodologies Then there are the project management methods which practically veer into the areas of business process management (BPM) wherein each method focuses on work as a collection of processes. While project management purists may argue that these methods belong on some other list, we argue that these are still quite valid ways to plan for and execute a project plan. + Lean Lean is a methodology that is focused on streamlining and cutting out waste.
The first step is to create a work process breakdown to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, delays, and all forms of waste (“muda”). The goal is to do more with less: i.e. Deliver value to the customer using less manpower, less money, and less time. Further Reading:.
(Video). (Infographic). (Video) + Six Sigma Six Sigma is a statistics-based methodology that seeks to improve the quality of a process by measuring the defects or bugs present and getting it down as close to zero as possible. A process can therefore attain a rating of Six Sigma if 99.99966% of the final product — your project deliverable — is defect-free. + Lean Six Sigma Combining the minimalist approach of Lean (“no waste!”) and the quality improvement of Six Sigma (“zero defects!”), Lean Six Sigma focuses on eliminating waste so that projects are more efficient, cost effective, and truly answer customers’ needs.
+ Process-Based Project Management Process-based Project Management is a methodology that aligns all project objectives with a company’s larger mission and corporate values. Thus all project goals and tasks remain strategic, and must roll up to the larger corporate objectives. The actual steps involved include: defining the process, establishing metrics, measuring processes, and adjusting objectives when these prove unstable, planning improvements and then implementing them. The Other Methodologies + PRINCE2 PRINCE2 stands for Projects In Controlled Environments. It’s a method for managing projects used by the UK government and characterized by a product-based planning approach. In PRINCE2, high level activities such as setting the business justification and resource allocation are owned by a structured project board while a project manager takes care of the lower level, day-to-day activities such as scheduling. This methodology gives teams greater control of resources and the ability to mitigate risk effectively.
Further Reading:. + PRiSM First off, this is not the surveillance program of the same name initiated by the US National Security Agency. Instead, PRiSM stands for Projects Integrating Sustainable Methods and is a project management methodology that is aimed at managing change while incorporating environmental sustainability into its processes.
The goal with PRiSM is to complete projects while reducing a company’s negative environmental and social impact. It is, quite literally, green project management. + Benefits Realization From conception to execution to delivery and beyond, the Benefits Realization methodology focuses on whether your deliverable satisfies the benefits the customer is expecting to get from it, not just whether or not a product was delivered on time or within budget. This methodology ensures that you deliver real value to customers and stakeholders. Your Next Action: Choose the Right Project Management Methodology With so many different options available, how do you choose the right methodology for your project and your team? You should pick your methodology based on the needs of your project and your team. Two tips are relevant here: A.
Start With the End in Mind Take a look at your requirements, your project goals and objectives. What does your final deliverable need to look like? What benefits should it provide? Some examples:.
If it’s a physical object such as a building or a household product with very definite materials and clear stakeholder expectations, it may benefit from a sequential methodology such as Waterfall or Critical Path. If it’s a software product or an app that is not set in stone yet, a flexible Agile methodology may be just what the project needs. Is environmental sustainability a core value of the organization and essential to the delivery of your product?
Then look at PRiSM. Is rapid development of a minimum viable product the most important thing? Then look at one of the process-based methodologies such as Lean or Lean Six Sigma. Assess What’s Already Working But don’t forget to look at the work processes you already have in place that have brought your team success in the past. What kind of work environment does the team excel in?.
If they thrive on collaboration, incorporating new ideas as they work, and even last-minute pivots due to changing needs, then consider methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, or APF. Or do they prefer an orderly, structured plan that accomplishes tasks sequentially? Then look at methodologies such as Waterfall, Critical Path, and Critical Chain Project Management.
Program Management Approach Benefits
Need More Help? Grab the Ebook:.: Download our free ebook that digs into the pros and cons of 16 top project management methodologies. Now that you’ve been introduced to the various methodologies, the next step is to prepare your team members to work together. This means building up the right team habits and mindsets so that work can be done smoothly and with a minimum of friction. In the next section, we tackle how to prepare your team to work as a cohesive unit.