As a reminder, Program Management pertains to managing mission critical projects involving a number of groups/divisions within a corporation or between business partnerships. This translates into the management of multiple projects - with multiple iterations - across multiple divisional and corporate boundaries.

Where in the Organization
Because these "programs" involve so many different divisions, they can create a coordination nightmare for even the most experienced Program Manager. Proper management involves knowing the issues that cross boundaries, and maintaining the program's priority through all the different divisions or groups, which may or may not be part of your corporation. These divisions or groups have many projects that they must juggle. Keeping yours at the top of the priority list requires that the Program Manager have clout.

Alignment The Program Manager must be at minimum at the same level of the highest impacted division. If the program is small, involving only a specific area within the marketing area (VP level) but also involves the entire customer service area (SVP level); the Program Manager must be equivalent in hierarchy as the head of the customer service area (SVP level). Therefore, if the marketing area is sponsoring this project, the Program Manager in charge must be a senior vice president in the marketing area.

This does not mean that the marketing SVP will be doing a lot of the groundwork. The Program Manager, an employee of the company, is responsible for the coordination of the issues that arise between the marketing and customer service area. Decisions that may impact one area or the other are to be made by this Manager. This Manager should also issue notification of status to the executive management committee. This SVP must also alert customer service and the marketing area, as well as any other divisions that are involved, of any decisions made by the executive committee that may impact the program.

Program Management also involves managing business partnerships and multiple solution options. We will continue that discussion next month.

SBDi has experienced Program Managers on staff to help you with your large-scale mission-critical products. We can assist your organization in defining the right organizational structure to facilitate success.

Pat Ferdinandi