Major Programmes for Scale-Up Projects - Assignment Example

Major Programmes are not Scale-Up Projects Organizations develop innovative strategies in order to face global challenging environments. Changes on the way they operate are implemented through projects and programmes. In order to attain their growth and productivity targets, new competencies must be developed. When modern, project management emerged between 1930s and 1950s, the terms project and program management were used interchangeably (Artto, Martinsuo, Gemunden, Murtuaro, 2007). There is a common misunderstanding regarding a successful project manager that can become a programme manager just by scaling up his proven capabilities. I am absolutely sure a programme manager faces complementary challenges to managing various project leaders. This assignment will examine why major programmes cannot be termed as scale-up projects, and the implications on a major programme manager. Programmes cannot and should not be treated as scale-up projects. After performing a comparative biometric study of 517 program articles and a 1164 project articles published in the last 21 years in leading scientific business journals, Artto, Martinsuo, Gemunden, Murtuaro; found that projects relate dominantly to the product development theme, but programs relate to a wide variety of management themes. Examples include; manufacturing, quality, organizational change, change in work and industry, and product development. The level of analysis with programs seems to be an organization and its major parts. Project articles, on the other hand, seem to focus on single project level issues. The object of programmes is the change of a permanent organization. With projects, the permanent organization is a given factor that dictates criteria and enablers for project success (Artto, Martinsuo, Gemunden, Murtuaro, 2007). A programme manager faces organizational outcomes related challenges. The major challenge of the programme manager is the coordination of structures and processes used to manage multiple inter-related projects in the organization (Partington, Pellegrinelli, Toung, 2004). Programmes are a collection of change actions that might include both projects and non-project actions (Thiry, The Wiley Guide). Programme managers are accountable for the running of major functions in the corporation. They ensure the horizontal integration of projects and processes for the formulation of business strategies. They are also responsible for the vertical integration approach of projects across the project portfolio. Closing, through governance, the gap between corporate goals and product delivery is also their prerogative (Thiry 2007). Programme managers evaluate how close or far the organization is from reaching its goals. Programme managers are responsible for overseeing the attainment of the organizational targets, while project managers of scale-up projects are responsible of the task execution of one, or various project teams. One fundamental question a programme manager follows is whether the organization is positioned where targeted according to strategy planning. A project manager would be concerned with the completion of the project(s) at hand, and if they are in the long term. While projects are subject to linear life cycles, programmes are structures to be replicated, and improved if successful, during the organization’s permanence. The type of involvement of a programme manager is different than that of a project manager. The success required in programme implementation would depend on the different departments’ capacity to conform to the organization. This is rather than the ones offered by the project team(s). They both play key roles in the advancement of an organization’s portfolio. Successful projects therefore depend on striking the delicate balance between the right kind, and the right amount, of structure (Pieter van Donk, Molloy, 2007). The programme manager must be aware of what is going on either in the programme system, in the individual projects subsystems, and in the surrounding environment outside the organization. Knowing the right structure to deploy for every different programme becomes one of the main programme manager’s abilities. Project managers consider that their projects are successful as the plan is followed and completed according to budget, expectations, and timing. Programme managers will challenge the feasibility of the projects at hand, and the contribution they provide to the organization. Ensuring that the right projects are done is another key assignment of the programme manager. The programme manager is driven by the fundamental question: Is the organization in the place it was planned to be by that day? And have they got the planned capabilities? The project manager, on the other hand, would ask if all the activities in the plan were completed. If any of the projects or non-project change actions were not adding value to the organization, it is the programme manager’s duty to kill, or maintain the projects. The programme manager identifies synergies between projects and potential conflicts as a complement of the individual project risk management routines performed by project teams. Programmes are long term initiatives, and they take place in a short term changing environment. This requires that deliberate and emergent strategies come into play even if they weren´t part of the scope. The programme manager requires a skilled core competency in uncertainty management, and should be able to identify the precise moment where internal or external factors might impact negatively the outcomes of the programme. Deployment of projects is just a part of the programme management lifecycle. A formulation and an organization stage should be run before deployment. Once the project is finished, an appraisal stage is performed during the necessary time until organizational changes are stable (Thiry 2000). The performance of the programme managers to be reviewed needs assessing. This is if the projects were prioritized according to critical success factors, allocating resources within program, managing contingencies and coordination of resources. Balancing the project scope and quality versus cost and time, ensures that benefits are delivered, projects´ interfaces are managed, and interdependencies are countechecked. Assessing deliverables against expected benefits and gateways are some of the duties a programme manager should be capable of doing (Thiry, The Wiley Guide). In conclusion it is not enough to be an awarded project manager that has developed large scaled-up projects to become a programme manager. In order to become better and more accomplished, competencies must be developed. Programmification provides managerial sensemaking and control when running complex organizations. Under programme management we expect to see an additional type of strategic control of the number and type of projects being run (Soderholm, 2007). Successful programmes should, therefore, lead organizations to improved competitiveness. Ives, M 2000, ‘Identifying the contextual elements of project management within organizations and their impact on project success’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 36, pp. 37-50. Maccormack, A & Wynn, J 2004, Mission to Mars, Harvard Business School, Harvard. Malach-Pines, A & Sadeh, A 2007, ‘Project manager-project (PM-P) fit and project success’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 23, no. 9, pp. 268-291. Molloy, E & Pieter van Donk, D 2008, ‘From organising as projects to projects as organisations’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 26, pp. 129-137. Partington, D, Pellegrinelli, S & Young, M 2005, ‘Attributes and levels of programme management competence: an interpretive study’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 23, pp. 87-95. Vereecke, A & Deschoolmeester, D 2003, ‘A classification of development programmes and its consequences for programme management’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 1279-1290. Watson, M 2006, Managing smaller projects, Free Press, New York. Read More