Program and Project Management

Program and project management are at the core of change and evolution of an organization. Why? Projects are the vehicle to get an organization from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow. Managing the portfolio of projects is no longer optional, but necessary to be competitive in the marketplace.

Fortunately, there are tools to assist businesses--program management is one of them. This tool is gaining acceptance but is largely misunderstood and therefore misused. If program management is used properly, it is a powerful tool for both business and systems planning. Organizations today need to be ready for change continuously that requires insight into the programs and projects that the business has invested in. An organizational structure that takes advantage of program management will be able to do that. Program management provides a means of effecting and managing the required changes in state.

One reason why program management is effective as a change management tool is because of the focus it places on business initiatives and value creation. Program management is a tool for creating value through business initiatives. This is a focus it shares with changes to the fundamentals of a business--the kind of change we are discussing here.