Office Read 2 – Program Life Cycle Management
Disclaimer – This artifact is a short summary of respective content that
will be covered in class. The summary is a great tool to review content however
by no means replaces the SPM V4. Standard for Program Management remains the
authoritative source of preparation for the PMP Exam
Goal of this
domain: IMP - Program Life Cycle Management
is the performance domain that manages program activities required to
facilitate effective program definition, program delivery, and program closure.
Weightage on the PgMP Exam: 44% (75 Questions)
This section includes:
7.1 The Program Life Cycle
7.2 Program Activities and
Integration Management
What is
the purpose of Program Life Cycle Management?
Programs,
by nature, involve a certain level of uncertainty, change, complexity, and
interdependency among the various components, and therefore, it is useful to
establish a common and consistent set of processes that can be applied across
phases. These discrete phases, which may sometimes overlap, constitute the
program life cycle. Program Life Cycle Management spans the duration of the
program, during which it contributes to and integrates with the other program
domains as well as the supporting program activities.
7.1 THE
PROGRAM LIFE CYCLE
Programs
often span long durations—multiple years and, in some cases, decades.
Regardless of duration, all programs follow a similar trajectory.
To successfully deliver benefits to an
organization, programs are implemented using three major phases, which include:
1. Program Definition Phase. This phase
consists of program activities conducted to authorize the program and develop
the program roadmap required to achieve the expected results. As part of
program definition, the program business case and program charter are
formulated. Once approved, the program management plan is prepared.
Question: What
phase in Program Life Cycle, the program business case and program charter are
formulated?
Answer: Program
Definition Phase
Question: What
happens once the program business case and program charter have been approved?
Answer: The program Management Plan is prepared
2. Program Delivery Phase. Program
delivery comprises the program activities performed to produce the intended results of
each component in accordance with the program management plan. Throughout this
phase, individual components are initiated, planned, executed, transitioned,
and closed, while benefits are delivered, transitioned, and sustained.
Question: In what phase, individual
components are initiated, planned, executed, transitioned, and closed?
Answer: Program Delivery Phase
3. Program Closure Phase. This phase
includes the program activities necessary to transition the program benefits to the
sustaining organization and formally close the program in a controlled manner.
During program closure, the program is transitioned and closed or terminated
early, or work is transitioned to another program.
Question: When is the program formally closed?
Answer: Program Closure Phase
Question: When the program is pre-maturely
terminated, what should happen?
Answer: Irrespective of the phase of the
program, in the instance the program must be closed, Program Closure procedures
should be initiated.
7.1.2 PROGRAM DEFINITION PHASE
1. The
program definition phase includes program activities conducted to authorize the
program and develop the program roadmap required to achieve the expected
results;
2. The
primary purpose of the program definition phase is to progressively elaborate
the goals and objectives to be addressed by the program, define the expected
program outcomes and benefits, and seek approval for the program.
3. Program
definition generally falls into two distinct but overlapping subphases: 1. Program
Formulation and 2. Program Planning.
7.1.2.1 PROGRAM FORMULATION
Question: When is
the program Sponsor formally assigned?
Answer: Program
Formulation subphase of the Program Definition Phase
Question: Who
Appoints the Program Manager?
Answer: Sponsor
or the Sponsoring organization
Question: What is
business case created
Answer: Program
Formulation.
Question: What does the business case
contain?
Answer: Overall expected benefits
IMP: Question: When is the program manager appointed?
Answer: The assignment of the program manager and the
definition of his or her roles, responsibilities, and organizational interfaces
should be performed as early as possible. This will help this individual
effectively guides the program formulation activity and facilitates the
development of the required outputs
Imp: The sponsor’s key
responsibilities include securing financing for the program and selecting the
program manager who is responsible for conducting and managing the program.. To
demonstrate how the program will deliver the desired organizational benefits,
the sponsor, sponsoring organization, and the program manager work closely
together to:
·
Initiate studies and estimates of scope,
resources, and cost;
·
Develop an initial risk assessment; and
·
Develop a program charter and roadmap.
If the
business case was developed by the Portfolio Management Function, during
Program Formulation is it revised and updated.
Question: What marks authorization of
the program?
Answer: Program Charter
Imp Exam Concept: Program
Charter provides the program manager with the authority to apply organizational
resources to program activities, and connects the program to the organization’s
ongoing work and strategic priorities.
If the
program is not authorized, this information should be recorded and captured in
a lesson learned repository.
Review SPM
thoroughly to understand the contents of the program charter.
7.1.2.2 PROGRAM PLANNING
Primary purpose of program planning is conceptually the same as project
planning to establish the program management plan.
Question:
When can Program planning commence?
Answer: Upon formal approval of the program charter by
the program steering committee.
Question: When is Governance structure
is established and the initial program organization is defined?
Answer: Program Planning
Question: When is the initial team is
assembled to develop the program management plan?
Answer: While program planning. This initial team
creates the program management working closely with the program manager.
Just like
in project management, the program management plan is the document that
integrates the program’s subsidiary plans and establishes the management
controls and overall plan for integrating and managing the program’s individual
components.
Question: What is the purpose of
program management plan?
Answer: Its main purpose is to ensure the program is
continually aligned with the strategic priorities of the organization in order
to deliver the expected benefits.
Question: What is the critical input
to the program management plan?
Answer: The program management plan is developed based
on the organization’s strategic plan, business case, program charter, roadmap,
and any other outputs from program formulation.
The
following plans are integrated into the program management plan:
1.
Three critical plans from the Program
Performance Domains
·
Benefits management plan
·
Stakeholder engagement plan
·
Governance plan
2.
Roadmap developed during Program Strategy
Alignment and updated through out.
3.
Apart from the above 3 Plans and Roadmap, the
program management plan also contains the following 10 Subsidiary plans:
·
Change management plan
·
Scope management plan
·
Schedule management plan
·
Financial management plan
·
Quality management plan
·
Resource management plan
·
Communications management plan
·
Information management plan
·
Resource management plan
·
Procurement management plan
Important Concept:
Question:
What happens when the Program Management Plan has been established?
Answer: The program delivery phase can begin (just like
Execution in project management).
Question: Who approves the program
Management Plan?
Answer: Program Governance Board or the Steering
Committee
7.1.3 PROGRAM DELIVERY PHASE
This phase
included ACTIVITIES (Program Activities discussed in Chapter 8) required to
deliver benefits or intended results of each component in accordance with the
Program Management Plan.
This
phase is iterative in nature and as components deliver benefits, these benefits
are integrated into overall program benefits.
Component
or project plans are created first at component or project level then then
integrated into the program level plan.
There are 3 phases in Program Delivery phase:
1.
Component authorization and planning,
2.
Component oversight and integration, and
3.
Component transition and closure.
Question: When does Program delivery
end?
Answer: When program governance determines that the
specific criteria for this phase have been satisfied or a decision is made to
terminate the program.
7.1.3.1 COMPONENT AUTHORIZATION AND PLANNING
Component
authorization involves the initiation of components based on the organization’s
specified criteria and individual business cases developed for each component.
Question: Where is the criteria for
initiation of a component listed?
These
criteria are generally included in the program governance plan.
Question: When is component planning
done?
Answer: Component
planning is performed throughout the duration of the program delivery phase
Question: What one important aspect to
keep in kind while doing component planning?
Answer: Components must satisfy the program’s goals and
benefits.
7.1.3.2 COMPONENT OVERSIGHT AND INTEGRATION
In
the context of a program, some components may produce benefits as individual
components, while other components are integrated with others before the
associated benefits may be realized. Each component team executes its associated
plans and program integrative work. Throughout this activity, components
provide status and other information to the program manager and to their associated components so their efforts
may be integrated into and coordinated with the overall program activities.
Question: What do Program Manager do
integrate the outcome, results or benefits of multiple components.?
Answer: Program manager may initiate a new component to
consolidate the integration efforts
After
the program components have produced deliverables and coordinated the
successful delivery of their products, services, or results, these components
are typically scheduled for closure or transition to operations or ongoing
work.
Question: Where is the criteria for Component
transition listed?
Answer: The criteria for performing the transition
activities and the organizational expectations are documented in the governance
plan.
IMP: Question:
What happens prior to the end of the Program Delivery phase?
Answer: 1. All component areas are reviewed to verify
that the benefits were delivered and to transition any remaining projects and
sustaining activities.
2.
The final status is reviewed with the program sponsor and program steering
committee before the authorizing formal program closure.
7.1.4 PROGRAM CLOSURE PHASE
Question: What is the objective of
Program Closure Phase?
Answer: The program closure phase includes program
activities necessary to transition program benefits to the sustaining
organization and formally close the program in a controlled manner.
During
program transition, the program steering committee is consulted to determine
whether: (a) the program has met all
of the desired benefits and that all transition work has been performed within
the component transition, or (b)
there is another program or sustaining activity that will oversee the ongoing
benefits for which this program was chartered.
Question: When does the program
manager receives approval from the sponsoring organization to formally close
the program.
Answer: Once the transitioning activities are completed
7.2
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT
Program
activities and integration management are more cyclical and iterative in nature
as adjustments may be required based on the actual outcomes and benefits
produced to realign the program with the strategic priorities.
7.2.1 PROGRAM ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
All work
performed in a program for the purpose of overall program management is
collectively known as program activities.
Typically,
program activities are interdependent and complementary since the deliverables
produced from one particular activity may be necessary to perform another
activity.
Project and Program Activities: The names
and descriptions of these activities may appear to be similar to those of
project activities or processes; however, their content, scope, and complexity
are different.
7.2.2 PROGRAM INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT
Program
integration management is the core activity that occurs across the entire
program life cycle. It includes the activities needed to identify, define,
combine, unify, and coordinate multiple components into the program. Throughout
the program integration activities, there are numerous interactions with other
program performance domains. This section focuses on the following activities
and when they are performed throughout the program life cycle phases:
·
Program infrastructure development
·
Program delivery management
·
Program performance monitoring and controlling
·
Benefits sustainment and program transition
·
Program closeout
7.2.2.1 PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Program
infrastructure development is performed to investigate, assess, and plan the
support structure that will assist the program in achieving its goals.
Question: When does Program
infrastructure development performed?
Answer: This activity is initiated in the program definition phase and may be repeated
again at any time during the program life cycle in order to update or modify
the infrastructure.
Infrastructure
Development (2 Folds) - Management and
technical resources + program-specific tools, facilities, and finances used to
manage the program.
Question: When does the program
management core team is designated as part of establishing the program
infrastructure.
Answer: During Program infrastructure
development
PMO is a
core aspect of Program infrastructure development.
Question:
How does PMP supports the management and coordination of the program and
component work?
Answer: The
PMO establishes consistent policy, standards, and training for programs in the
organization.
Program
management information system (PMIS) is another key aspect of Program
infrastructure development . A PMIS consists of tools used to collect,
integrate, and communicate information critical to the effective management of
one or more organizational programs.
Important Concept:
Review this section in SPM 4 thoroughly to understand what dos PMIS
entail.
7.2.2.2 PROGRAM DELIVERY MANAGEMENT
Question: What is the primary
objective of Program Delivery Management?
Answer: Program delivery management includes the
management, oversight, integration, and optimization of the program components
that will deliver the capabilities and benefits required for the organization
to realize value. These activities are performed throughout the Program Delivery
phase and relate to the initiation, change, transition, and closure of program
components.
IMP: Program Manager presents a request to initiate a
new component or project ->
This
request evaluated by the program steering committee against the organization’s
approved selection criteria ->
A decision
is made utilizing the governance function on whether the component should be
initiated ->
If the
component is approved, the program manager may need to redefine the priorities
of existing program components to ensure optimal resource allocation and
management of interdependencies.
Question: What happens as the program components
reach the end of their respective life cycles or as planned program-level
milestones are achieved?
Answer: The program manager collaborates with the
customer or sponsor to present a request to close or transition the component.
This formal request is sent to the program steering committee for review and
approval.
Question: What is one critical step as
a part of the process of component transition?
Answer: This includes making updates to the program
roadmap. These updates reflect both go/no-go decisions and approved change
requests that affect the high-level milestones, scope, or timing of major
stages scheduled throughout the program.
7.2.2.3 PROGRAM PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND CONTROLLING
Question: What does Program
Performance Monitoring and Controlling entail?
Answer: These activities include
collecting, measuring, and disseminating performance information to track
progress against the program objectives and assess overall program trends.
Question: What is the basis for
approval for the requests to execute corrective or preventive action, in
addition to adaptive change at the component or program level?
Answer: Based on thresholds authorized by program
governance.
Question: What do Program Performance
report contain?
Answer: Program performance reports include a summary
of the progress of all program components. They describe whether the program’s
goals will be met and benefits will be successfully delivered according to
plan. These reports generally provide current status information about what
work has been accomplished (especially milestones and phase gates); what work
remains to be completed; earned value; and risks, issues, and changes under
consideration.
Question: What is the primary purpose
of Forecasts?
Answer: They enable the program manager and other key
stakeholders to assess the likelihood of achieving planned outcomes and to
provide predictions of the program’s future state based on the current
information and knowledge available.
7.2.2.4 BENEFITS SUSTAINMENT AND PROGRAM TRANSITION
Some
program components produce immediate benefits while others require a handoff or
transition to another organization in order for the ongoing benefit to be
realized.
Question:
How is benefits sustainment achieved?
Answer:
Through operations, maintenance, new
projects, or other initiatives and efforts.
7.2.2.5 PROGRAM CLOSEOUT
Question: When is a Program Closed?
Answer: A
program is closed either because the program charter is fulfilled or
internal/external conditions arise that bring the program to an early end.
These conditions may include changes in the business case that no longer make
the program necessary or a determination that the expected benefits cannot be
achieved.
What is successful
completion of the program judged against?
The approved business case, actual program
outcomes, and the current goals and strategic objectives of the organization.
All components should be completed or canceled and all contracts should be
formally closed before the program itself is closed.
Question:
Who provides the program formal closure acceptance and when?
Answer: The
program steering committee once they have judged the successful completion
program against the approved business case, actual program outcomes, and the
current goals and strategic objectives of the organization. All components
should be completed or cancelled and all contracts should be formally closed
before the program itself is closed.
IMP: A final
program report may be required to document critical information that can be
applied to improve the success of future programs and component projects. This
final report may consist of critical elements. Please review SPM to understand
these as 3-4 exam questions have been designed based on the Final Report.
Question: Why should the Lessons
learned be readily accessible?
Answer: Lesson learned should be easily accessible to
any existing or future program to facilitate continuous learning and avoid similar
pitfalls encountered in other programs.
Imp: This knowledge transfer also
supplements benefits sustainment by providing the new supporting organization
with any relevant documentation, training, or materials (see Sections 3.4.2.5
and 8.2.4.1 for more information).
IMP: It is
important to ensure that program resources are appropriately released as the
program is being closed. This may involve the reallocation or reassignment of
team members and funding to other initiatives or programs. Reassignment of
resources at the component level could include transitioning resources to
another component already in execution or another program within the
organization that requires a similar skill set
7.2.3 MAPPING OF THE PROGRAM LIFE CYCLE TO PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
Review the table in the SPM. All the activities listed here form the
core part of Chapter 8 of the SPM Guide.
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