Program (Projects) Management Framework

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 Program Management Framework






Introduction

This document aims to provide the reader with some key approaches, the methodologies, tools and techniques for any effective management of any program of work within the country and States.

The Delivery units within the federal and states, can utilise this document as its draft template and guide to the process of implementing or already if within the lifecycle of a project, for ensuring quality project standards, deliverables are “fit for purpose”, reduce project wastage (such as costs, timescales and delivery), more importantly that projects now have an ISO compliance approach.

 

For our purposes and this document, certain naming conventions have been adopted, such the acronym DM, to mean Delivery Methodology, Project and program management used interchangeable, to mean one project or in the case of a program, a collection of projects, carrying wider responsibilities than a single project. In all, the revolving door centers around projects.

 

Also the ISO approach embodied in this document and with our methodology above, will be flexible in its introduction, but provides ODM and other state units, a benchmark for projects and some flexible strategies in ensuring at the least, that most large to medium budget projects can attain some standardisation, introduce economies of repetition/scale, risk quality and communication management and overall “fit for purpose” deliverables.

 

As part of the program management plan, this document will continue to evolve and documenting best practices, lessons learnt on projects to ensure that our approach is tailored to the unique environment.

 

The following chapters detail the methodologies, tools and artefact available for any project or program of work. As mentioned above, these artefacts (Documents) will also continue to evolve and versioned based on experience on projects.

Program Management Methodology

Delivery units should adopt a best practice methodology, tools & techniques in managing programs of work under its scope.

This methodology will be flexible to ensure alignment with environmental, cultural, work ethics and project approaches. This Methodology will also serve as the tool box comprising of processes, guidelines, techniques and templates. The tools and how they are used are selected to fit any program of work so that the risks, benefits, and complexities can be appropriately managed for that unique project/program

 

The methodology consists of 4 phases:

 

1.    Program definition: prior to any project commencement or at project inception, the delivery unit will begin with formation, preparation, and initiation of that program of work, by requesting for the project's vision, components, benefits, scope, roles & responsibilities, for authorising the program to begin.

 

2.    Program benefit delivery: to establish and execute plan for how the scope and benefits will be realized with program components (projects & initiatives), when components and benefits will be completed and realized, and who will be responsible.

 

3.    Program closure: finalise and transition all component activities, complete all deliverable(s), measure success and benefit realization, and formally close the program.

 

4.    Monitoring & Support:

 

As mentioned above, any government unit may adopt different project approaches to their projects, for example, the ministry of finance may embark on an IT project and decide to adopt either a waterfall, iterative, incremental, agile, or hybrid delivery approach. Whichever of the methodologies used, our methodology, tools & techniques as program managers within delivery unit should be robust to accommodate any of the approaches.

 

The diagram below depicts the stages, inputs/outputs required at each stage of projects. The outputs will be expected from units undertaking any projects and becomes an input to DM to for its review, checklist and validation exercise.

Project/program Management Process

 

A simple ISO aligned process to adopt on projects in the table below, with required artefacts ,outputs for each step in the process and the structure of such artefacts required at each step.

 

Steps

Process

Artefacts to Produce for

Delivery Unit

Delivery Units

Methodology

Delivery Unit Artefacts

1.

Any Ministry decides to embark on a Project (Project Idea / Initiation) & Notifies the delivery Unit

·         Feasibility study

·         Business Case

·         Regulatory demands

·         Agreements

·         Institutional data

·         Stakeholder register

·         Program charter

·         Communication plan

Project Definition, (See addendum) Initiation/Planning stage: defines and communicates what the Project

goals, vision, scope, legal, benefits, governance &

budget

·         Program kick-off

·         Benefits register

·         Project Sizing

·         RAID log (risks, actions, issues, decisions)

·         Project planning

2.

Any Ministry already embarked on a project or in the development stage, meaning work has already commenced.

·         Some artefacts from Step 1 above.

·         Design/implementation Specifications and Sign- offs

·         Development/implement ation Sign-offs

·         Standards and procedures

·         Project plan

·         Project changes

Design, Development, Implementation

·         Identify required artefacts from Step 1 above e.g. RAID log.

·         Health Checks &

·         Project bottleneck Checks

·         Project Status Reports

3.

Ministry already concluding project work

Closure report Lessons learnt report

Performance and monitoring Closing.,

·         As above Health Checks

·         Project Status Reports

4.

Post project

monitoring

 

 

See Program Closure

Tools and Techniques

 Tools and techniques that will be adopted by the delivery unit will include and not be limited to the following:

·         Organizational Knowledge

·         Process Owner identification and incorporation as key team contacts

·         Other Subject Matter Experts & Judgement identification as required

·         Industry Standards identification for each project or subject area.

·         Brainstorming & Facilitation

·         Conflict Resolution Skills and Ensuring all key Stakeholder identification (as above) but all also perception on projects critical.

·         Technical Experts


 

Project Definition Stage Requirements


No

Artifact/Deliverable

Small

Meduim

Large

Output

DMO Tool/Techniques

Inputs

Projects

 

 

1.

Project Idea OR Project Initiation Stage

 

Feasibility Study or other

O

R

R

·         Complexity Assessment

·         High-level Risk Identification

·         Organizational

approach used. Planning (Maybe)

 

 

 

Knowledge

·         Technical Experts

·         Process Owners

·         Subject Matter

 

 

 

 

Experts & Judgement

·         Industry Standards

·         Brainstorming

·         Conflict Resolution

·         Stakeholder

 

 

 

 

Perception

 

Business Case

O/R

R

R

·         Organizational Need/Demand

·         Scope (high level)

·         Strategic Alignment

·         Feasibility

As above and as required

 

Regulatory Demands

R

R

R

·         Audit Findings

·         Legislation/Standa rds

·         Market Demands

·         Policies and Procedures

As above and as required

 

Agreements

R

R

R

·         SLA's

·         Organizational Structure

As above and as required

 

Institutional Data

R

R

R

·         Historical Process data

·         Performance Indicators

·         Historical Project Documentation

As above and as required



Glossary


No

Acronym/Name

Description

1.

PMO

Project Management Office is a group or department within a business, government agency, or enterprise that defines and maintains standards for project management within the organization. The PMO strives to standardize and introduce economies of repetition in the execution of projects. The PMO is the source of documentation, guidance

and metrics on the practice of project management and execution

2.

ISO

The International Standard Organization has been implementing standards since 1947, which are instantly recognized worldwide. ISO 21500 is a 47- page document detailing the standard guidelines for effective project management.

3.

PMP

Program Management Plan is a single, formal, dynamic document that outlines how the program is to be managed, executed, and controlled. It contains the overall program governance, information on components (initiatives and projects), benefits realization, related management plans and procedures, timelines, and the methods used to plan, monitor, and control the program as it progresses.

4.

Program

According to PMI’s definition “A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually.

5.

Waterfall

This approach is typically used when the project has a well-defined scope, small risk, and minimal feedback cycles are required throughout the life cycle. This approach may work for small, tried-and-true projects but it does not typically work for larger projects.

6.

DM

Delivery Methodology, naming convention adopted for managing projects and programs of work, comprising of tools, techniques and approaches to use on projects.














Lekan Thomas

Is a Business Analyst and Electronic Engineer (with extensive expertise in assisting both public and private organisations  accomplish their goals), writes from Lagos.

 

Twitter: @LekanThomas_Esq

 Insta: @lekanthomaz




 

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