It's About the Business

Part I begins by providing clarification of the program management discipline and then illustrating how program management can be implemented as a major part of an organization's business model.

The primary theme established in this first part, and then used throughout the entire book is it's about the business. The purpose of the introductory chapter, Program Management, is to establish the foundational elements of programs and program management as it is practiced in our organizations and many of our clients' organizations, and explain how it is used to achieve a firm's strategic business goals. The unique meaning of program management is identified and described, illuminating its raison d'être. It explains what program management is and what it is not and compares and contrasts program management with project management and portfolio management, dimension by dimension.

The foundational elements from Chapter 1 provide perspective for Chapter 2, Realizing Business Benefits. In our own careers, we have witnessed the power of program management to serve as a coalescing function that provides business benefits by delivering both business value and business results. In Chapter 2, we explore these two sides of business benefits realization through the implementation of program management within an enterprise.

Chapter 3, Aligning Programs with Business Strategy, completes Part I by detailing the systematic approach of program management through the use of an integrated management system. As we demonstrate in this chapter, the program management discipline plays a pivotal role in aligning the work output of multiple project teams to the corporate and business unit strategy of an enterprise.