Notes for Project Boards > Programs

I would now like to consider how a Project Board relates to a program. But before we do that we should consider the differences between a project and a program. As there are many books written about this subject one can understand that I will not fully go into this in one posting.

However, the statement that 'projects cost money while programs save money' helped me to get the difference a bit more clear. This is a bit short. Another way to look at it is the difference in attention area. Where programs tend to look for a bigger picture, a project focusses on a smaller area. This could be organization wide against departmental. Maybe this is more useful in your situation.

But what should be clear is that a project provides a part of the solution a program is aiming for. This is different from having a project portfolio and the management of it. The latter has more to do with setting priorities. Where do we spend the limited amount of money? Portfolio management can be a part of program management bit is just one of the attention areas.

All projects, also the ones initiated by a program should have Project Boards. A program will have several Project Boards with their own mandates. This will give project management team room to operate at their own pace and their own responsibility. A Project Board will be much more involved with the projects objective then a Program Board.

The Project Board will take its own role and responsibility and will respond to the Program Manager instead of to line management. And a Project Board should not leave this up to the Project manager. For what reason are you a Project Board? If it turns out that it is perfectly possible for a Project Manager to respond to a Program Manager one should consider if there is a program at all or if it is just a big project. If this seems to be the case a Project Board can, no should, take immediate action. Functional organization is one of the responsibilities of a Project Board.

Notes for Project Boards > Sleep better!

When a Project Board asks a Project Manager to manage the temporary project team, you would like him not to come back to you for every minor detail. What do we mean with 'minor detail'? These 'minor details' need to be made clear to both parties, the Project Board as well as the Project Manager. If one does not make good agreement on these details one runs into the situation that the Project Board will manage the project team on a day to day basis and will use the project manager as errand-boy and this will in the end not motivate him nor free you from work you do not have the time for.

The Project Board should give the Project Manager a portion with which he can move forward, if possible until the closure of the project. As long as the Project Manager can operate with given margins he can go along. This will help us, the Project Manager and your project team. The Project Manager does not need to come back to you for every variation. This will promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the project team.

But what exactly is a 'minor detail'? You will agree with the Project Manager to what level he will be free to move, within set directions by the way. Typical areas on which these agreements are made are budget, organization, time, quality, information and planning. You will give the Project Manager the freedom to go ahead as long as he can move with the given limits. You will understand that you can agree on any given set of criteria.

Make yourself comfortable and spend enough time on setting these criteria. Do not only consider project result but also the conditions and constraints the project manager should take into account when achieving these results. The project team will act professionally and it will make you sleep better!