(^80) 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know
IT Program Management: Shared Vision
IT Program Management: Shared Vision
David Diaz Castillo, MBA, PMP
Panama City, Panama
oRgAnIzATIonS oFTEn gRoUP SEvERAl RElATED individual technology
projects into a larger program. The strategy is to complete these projects in a more
cost-effective way and to bring strategic benefits to the organization by avoiding
overlap or gaps. However, it is vital that the software project manager convey to
the project team members the real business objective that their individual project
must achieve, as well as how this team aligns to the other projects. Team members
must also understand how the achievement of their specific project goals contrib-
utes to the success or failure of the overall program objectives.
Here are some key tasks:
• Find the connections that expand the importance of this project beyond
its mere standalone value.
• Define the relationships, deliverables, and risks shared among all projects
in the program.
• Keep all the team members in alignment with the final solution that the
program is trying to achieve.
• Understand the business, to propose solutions aligned to the strategic
objectives of the program as the inevitable problems appear.This concept of bundling projects into programs is not very mature in Latin
America yet, but we are gaining experience managing programs with a com-
mon set of governance policies. Clearly there are rich benefits to be found
when each team has a clear vision of the entire program goals, not just its own
project work.