The Program Planning Phase of the program life cycle includes the following tasks:
- Develop a detailed program scope statement by incorporating program vision and all internal and external objectives, goals, influences, and variables in order to facilitate overall planning.
- Develop program WBS in order to determine, plan, and assign the program tasks and deliverables.
- Establish the program management plan and schedule by integrating plans for constituent projects and creating plans for supporting program functions (for example, quality, risk, communication, resources) in order to effectively forecast, monitor, and identify variances during program execution.
- Optimize the program management plan by identifying, reviewing, and leveling resource requirements (for example, human resources, materials, equipment, facilities, finance) in order to gain efficiencies and maximize productivity/synergies among constituent projects.
- Define project management information system (PMIS) by selecting tools and processes to share knowledge, intellectual property, and documentation across constituent projects in order to maximize synergies and savings in accordance with the governance model.
- Identify and manage unresolved project-level issues by establishing a monitoring and escalation mechanism and selecting a course of action consistent with program constraints and objectives in order to achieve program benefits.
- Develop the transition/integration/closure plan by defining exit criteria in order to ensure all administrative, commercial, and contractual obligations are met upon program completion.
- Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) by using decomposition / mapping / balanced scorecard (BSC) in order to implement scope and quality management system within program.
- Monitor key human resources for program and project roles, including subcontractors, and identify opportunities to improve team motivation (for example, develop compensation, incentive, and career alignment plans) and negotiate contracts in order to meet and/or exceed benefits realization objectives.
To learn the Portfolio Planning you need:
- Read Section 7.1.2.2 ‘Program Planning’ and Section 8.1.2 ‘Program Planning Phase Activities’ of the Standard for Program Management, 4th Edition.
- Test your knowledge to complete the Planning Stage study.
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