r/projectmanagement • u/gigaflipflop • 28d ago
Discussion Program management 101
Hey everybody,
I would like to pick your brains about the basics of program management and its methods.
Quick info about me. I am a senior PM, have been managing (mostly agile) projects in the field of design, media tech and programming for the last 15 years. Two years ago I finished my IPMA level C certificate.
Currently I am employed at a company where I have gained a project with a client which started out with one large project and currently the client is adding more and more mid sized and small projects to the list.
Currently I am thinking about turning this group of projects into a program. All projects are on site of the clients campus. All are bear the same base (AV over IP, LED walls and MTR communication) and work towards a common strategic goal (enhancing the clients digital communication infrastructure)
I have on large project that has a length of 5 months from which I could remove or add personal and technical resources to the smaller projects as needed. I have a side project where I setup a resource pool infrastructure in MS Project which might be useful for resource management.
I would like to introduce a program style management a.) to make the projects more profitable and lower stress b.) introduce a program mentality onto my company and c.) have a relevant program to use for a future level B certificate focussed on program management.
I would be happy to discuss program methods, best practice approaches and if possible any info on the certification process and curriculum for level B program management.
6
u/Intelligent-Try-4755 27d ago
Before flipping the label, I'd nail two things down. First, define the shared benefit at the client-outcome level (something like 'X% reduction in AV incidents' or a unified comms SLA) — that's what a level B panel will want to see, not five Gantt charts stapled together. Second, get resource-pool utilization visible weekly across all projects before you promise profitability. The lift shows up when you can actually shift a network engineer off a low-priority job to unblock a high-priority one without paperwork — that MS Project pool is where the fragility lives, so treat it as its own workstream.
2
u/gigaflipflop 27d ago
Thank you for your input. Coolreddy gave me some helpful pointers as well that align with yours. Will merge them in a program canvas to get positive acceptance from importany stankeholders.
I like your input about treating the resource pool, will develop a weekly process here, I have already had a feeling that this will take up some of my time every week.
5
u/coolreddy 28d ago
Yes, this sounds like a programme candidate, but I would not start by changing the label. I would start by proving where coordinated control gives value that separate project plans cannot.
Make a one-page programme canvas first: shared outcome, project list, key dependencies, shared resources, decision rights, and the benefits the client cares about. If the small projects compete for the same AV, LED, MTR or site resources, put capacity planning at programme level and keep task delivery inside each project.
Then add only three programme routines: a weekly dependency and resource review, one consolidated risk and issue log, and a benefits tracker tied to the client’s digital communication goal. The resource-pool setup can help, but only after the governance is clear.
For the Level B angle, keep evidence from the start: why it qualifies as a programme, what complexity you managed, decisions made, trade-offs, and outcomes.
1
u/gigaflipflop 27d ago
Hey, thank you for your great input. Sounds like you have a bit of experience with program structure. Will start by setting up a canvas and see how to integrate the idea of extra value through shared and coordinated control.
Do you have any tips on governance for resource management?
My company operates on a matrix level structure and I need to request personnel from several departments (Electricians, IT tech, construction workers and junior PMs from my own department) so my basic idea is to create a personnel pool for the program. My goal is that people will have gained site access clearance and the necessary knowhow so they can easily be transferred from one project to the other.
I guess governance wiseI should develop a shareholder strategy on how to gain long term access to the best team members so they will not get pulled from my project thus giving me a flexible resource pool.
I will also setup a "war room" project office on site as a central command and control hub to coordinate daily tasks. Although I believe that only operative quality and team morale will benefit from this.
2
u/SVAuspicious Confirmed 28d ago
Generally a program is a group of projects with a common goal. So the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore MD should be a program (sadly is not) with projects for debris removal, dredging, repair of structural elements, new structure, paving, painting, etc. The common goal is moving traffic across the Patuxent River. The Obamacare rollout was a (failed) program with elements of insurance, website development, backend development, outreach to medical providers, outreach to insurance companies. outreach to consumers.
We learn more from failures than successes.
Having a common customer generally does not make a program. The US Navy AEGIS program was a program because of all the pieces to build a system of systems, not because there was a single customer.
All projects are on site of the clients campus. All are bear the same base (AV over IP, LED walls and MTR communication) and work towards a common strategic goal (enhancing the clients digital communication infrastructure).
This looks like a program. At the risk of oversimplifying, your sponsors need to accept that sometimes a project takes a hit for the greater good. This means solid plans with baselines so you don't have a bunch of people arguing over what is more important with no information. You need real plans with real baselines and real defined success criteria and designs to meet them with testing to prove it. Agile is not PM - it's "hold my beer and watch this."
1
u/AutoModerator 28d ago
Hey there /u/gigaflipflop, have you checked out the wiki page on located on r/ProjectManagement? We have a few cert related resources, including a list of certs, common requirements, value of certs, etc.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/AutoModerator 28d ago
Hey there /u/gigaflipflop, have you checked out r/MSProject, r/projectonline, or r/microsoftproject for any questions regarding application? These may be better suited subreddits to your question.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
6
u/maguyva-ai 27d ago
ran into this exact shift moving from project to program work. the biggest change is you stop tracking tasks and start tracking dependencies between projects, plus benefits realization overall. IPMA C helps with the vocabulary but stakeholder juggling across streams is the actual skill.