Projects

Programmes

Definition

‘A project is a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business Case.’

‘A programme is a temporary flexible organization structure created to coordinate, direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities in order to deliver outcomes and benefits relating to an organization’s strategic objectives.  

Characteristics

·   Driven by deliverables

·   Has a defined start and end (finite)

·   Bounded and scoped deliverables

·   Delivers product or outcome

·   Benefits usually realized subsequent to project closure

·   Shorter timescale

·   Driven by a desired ‘end state’ vision for the business

·   No predefined path

·   Delivers changes to the business capability

·   Coordination of products/outcomes of a number of related projects

·   Benefits realized during the programme and afterwards

·   Longer timescale (may have a lifespan of several years)

Management focus

·   Detailed specification of how product/s will be created and delivered

·   Control of activities to produce products

·   High-level specification (of why/what)

·   Stakeholder management

·   Benefit realization

·   Manages dependencies between related projects

·   Manages change acceptance and transition management

·   Integration with corporate strategies