Managing programmes: Choosing your approach

Name: Managing programmes: Choosing your approach
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Programmes, portfolios and projects. Which is the right approach and what are the benefits of programme management?

Created byLouise Worsley, Christopher Worsley

Last updated 3/2023

English

What you'll learn

Recognise when programme management is right for you
Understand the benefits and challenges of implementing a programme management approach
Ensure that your programme vision is aligned with strategic goals
Identify how your programme links to the benefits desired by the stakeholders.
Understand the governance implications of implementing a programme management approach.

Course content

2 sections • 6 lectures • 57m total length

Introduction1:28
Welcome to the course and meet your course tutors.

Programmes are different!14:25
In this session, we discuss briefly why and how programme management came about, and how it has emerged as a distinctly different discipline from project and portfolio management.
You will get a clear view of the differences between the project, portfolio and programme management disciplines and what factors should be considered when deciding whether you should adopt a programmatic approach.
Programmes are vision-led13:07
The programme life cycle is very different from projects. It's about harvesting benefits as early as possible and in a structured fashion.
At all times projects must be aligned with the value proposition for the programme. This session looks at the programme vision and how projects are aligned with the vision.
Structuring the programme to deliver the vision11:10
Projects are structured to deliver the programme. And never the other way around.
Programmes rarely start from a blank page. They need to incorporate running projects. It’s called ‘brigading up’. Absorbing the momentum of current projects gives programmes an initial push.
But there is a problem. The projects were not designed with the programme’s vision in mind. It’s almost certain that they’ll have to be restructured.
This session looks at the challenges in structuring programmes to ensure they remain firmly linked to the programme vision.
Programmes and their stakeholders16:03
This is the fourth and final session on programme management.
This session looks at the roles unique to running programmes, how programmes handle internal boundaries, and those between organisations, and finally, it takes a look at the profoundly stakeholder-centric nature of programme management.
Course reflections1:46
We do hope you have found the learning materials interesting and helpful. In this short session, we get you to reflect on how you might apply programme management thinking.
Do take time out to reflect and, maybe even discuss with other colleagues, how programme management can be valuable for you.

Requirements

No prior experience in programme management is required.
Some appreciation of strategic projects will be helpful.

Description

Get ready to discover the exciting world of programme management!

In this short course, you will gain a solid understanding of the practices in programme management and learn about the crucial differences between programmes, portfolios, and projects. By the end of the course, you will recognise the benefits and challenges of implementing programme approach in your organization.

This course is not just another generic training programme. It has been developed by experienced programme management practitioners with over thirty years of industry expertise. Our goal is to equip you with practical advice and suggestions that will help you make programme management work in your business.

But why is programme management so important? In today's fast-paced world, organisations must deliver new capabilities, value, and large-scale change effectively to stay ahead of the competition. However, with the increasing number of projects, managing their interactions and dependencies is becoming more challenging. This complexity makes greater demands on project managers and sponsors, often leading to less-than-successful outcomes.

This is where programme management comes in. Unlike traditional project management approaches, programme management is used when an organization needs to navigate complex political, environmental, social, and technological factors to achieve its desired outcomes. Programmes run many interrelated projects, and the set of projects and related work is constantly adjusted to deliver the desired outcomes.

So, are you ready to take your organization's performance to the next level with programme management? Join us and discover how you can achieve success in today's rapidly changing business landscape.

Who this course is for:

Business leaders who need to implement strategic and transformative change effectively.
Senior project managers, Project Office managers and portfolio managers who want to understand whether the move to programme management is right for them.
Programme managers and change managers who need to be able to communicate the 'whys, whens and hows' of programme management.

Managing programmes: Choosing your approach

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 1min

The four sessions5 lectures • 57min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: