What are differences between projects and programs?

Answer 1

Differences Between Projects and Programs

• Structure

A project is well-defined. You know what you are doing and the Project Charter sets out exactly what the scope and objectives are for the project.

A program tends to have greater levels of uncertainty. The team is also bigger. The program team are supervising and coordinating the work on a number of projects so while the core team may not have that many people in, the wider team includes the project managers and all the project team members.

• Effort

A project represents a single effort. It is a group of people forming a team working towards a common goal.

A program is different; it is a collection of projects. Together all the projects form a cohesive package of work.

The different projects are complimentary and help the program achieve its overall objectives. There are likely to be overlaps and dependencies between the projects, so a program manager will assess these and work with the project managers concerned to check that overall the whole program progresses smoothly.

• Duration

Some projects do go on for several years but most of the projects you'll work on will be shorter than that.

Programs are definitely longer. As they set out to deliver more stuff, they take longer. Programs tend to be split into tranches or phases.

Some projects are also split like this, but not all projects last long enough to be delivered in multiple phases.

• Benefits

A project team works towards achieving certain outputs, that is, what you get at the end. The benefits of a project tend to be tangible.

A program team works towards delivering outcomes. Outcomes can be tangible but are often not. The benefits of a program are the sum of the benefits of all the different projects and this could amount to a policy or cultural change, or a shift in the way an organization works.

Similarities Between Projects and Programs

• Temporary

Projects and programs are not long term endeavors. They exist for a while until the work is done.

• Business cases

Projects and programs should only start when they have a valid business case. As project and program managers, we only work on activities that will add some real value and that have already been shown to make good business sense.

There is no point in wasting time working on something that isn't going to benefit the company.

• Aligned to strategic objectives

It should be easy to see how the projects and programs you work on line up to the company's strategic objectives.

If this isn't specified in the business case, ask your project sponsor. It should be easy to see that the work your team is doing on the project or program directly contributes to the company's goals.

• Deliver change

Projects and programs both deliver change. You do a project or a program and at the end something is different.

Programs tend to have larger goals for changing the status quo and often include an element of cultural change but the concept is the same.
A program may be a part of a higher-level program; it certainly contains some interrelated projects, and it may contain some non-project work as well. Program management focuses on optimally managing the interdependencies among the various projects in the program. The person who manages a program is called the Program Manager.

The program manager's responsibilities are:

• Prioritize to resolve resource conflict and constraints that affect multiple projects within his program.

• Keep your priorities aligned with the strategic goals and objectives of the organization.

• Resolve issues and manage change within the governance structure of the organization.

Just like a project is managed by a project manager, a program is managed by a program manager, who oversees the projects and provides high-level guidance to the project managers. In other words, a program manager oversees projects and coordinates efforts between projects but does not manage the projects.