Program Management: How is it different from Project Management?

The difference between program management and project management begins with the basic definition of the two terms – program and project.

As per many definitions, a project by its very nature is for a specific goal, will have a pre defined start and end date and is unique in nature. A program is a group of similar projects that are bucketed together for better management of each individual project. So, a programme is comprised of multiple projects and is created to obtain broad organizational or technical objectives. A program need not have a definite time constraint unlike projects. Program management is a continuous process with the purpose of achieving the strategic goals and objectives of the program. Till here is what most people usually already know when faced with such a question as what is the difference between program and project management.  What people might also think is that program management is just a super set of project management and hence, entails all the activities of project management but on a larger scale. Though this is not entirely wrong, program management activities differ from that of project management in many other respects as described below.

Role of the Manager: A project manager usually works on finite projects focussing on achieving the objectives of the project within the triple constraints of time, scope and cost. A program manager’s work is more strategy related. A program manager needs to have more varied skills in areas such as negotiation, organizational change management, financial management, etc. A program manager always focuses on achieving the intended benefits of the program. These can be different and / or apart from the objectives of individual projects which come under the program.

Governance: By the above definitions of the roles it is also clear that even the governance structure would be different. Projects usually have a simple governing structure, the core team comprising of the Project Manager, who is responsible for day – to – day direction and the Project Team Members who are responsible for performing the day – to – day tasks.

The management structure for programs by requirement is more complex as they involve significant changes in business direction and expenditures. There is a steering committee that provides a high level business point of view by virtue of representing diverse interests. The program sponsor’s responsibility is to ensure that the progress of the activities / projects under the program is in alignment with the overall business vision and mission. Below them come the program manager and all the project managers.

Infrastructure: In many enterprises, a PMO (Program Management Office) exists which is a major difference between programs and projects. PMO is responsible for providing the following:

• Administrative and management support for the program
• Expertise on resource management for the program / projects

As we saw, project and program management are not the same and differ in many ways. In general, the efforts required and spent for a program are on a larger scale and have a larger impact on the business compared to that for a project. Projects usually tend to be simpler in nature as compared to program management. The role of a program manager is much more elaborate and strategic as compared to the project manager

About Author:

Kintu Racca is a consultant in Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. Within Systems Plus, she actively contributes to the areas of Technology and Information Security. She can be contacted at kintu.r@spluspl.com