Letter: Program coordination must exist at enterprise level

As many project managers will attest, you can seldom implement any solution without having dependencies on other strategic initiatives within an organization.

Some excellent points are made in “The 'just do it' program manager,” but I find the views are somewhat narrow when verbiage is used that may close doors on the message. Program management is truly an evolution of earlier project management adoption.

In most organizations, program management is chartered at an enterprise level to bridge management (strategic) and operations (tactical) within an organization. A primary charter of program management is to provide oversight, and to task and coordinate project management in implementing solutions to an organization’s overall stated needs, goals and objectives. As many project managers will attest, you can seldom implement any solution without having dependencies on other strategic initiatives within an organization. I have witnessed great (expensive and time-consuming) projects get implemented just to see the overall program fail because other initiatives did not exist. 


Projects in industry today can be complex and massive, and in order to keep an organization competitive, or even current to the needs of their customers, many projects must take place simultaneously. By default, coordination must exist at the enterprise level.


Anonymous
Marine Corps Defense Finance Agency Services


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