Program Management

by Michel Thiry

Program management (PgM) is fast developing as the essential link between strategy and projects and as a vehicle for organizational change. It offers the means to manage groups of projects with a common business purpose in an integrated and effective way. Based on practical applications of PgM in different countries, as well as the leading standards, "Program Management" reflects the most recent developments in the area. It offers an understanding of program management's connection to business strategy and value realisation, beyond multiple-project management. Additionally it emphasizes the need for program specific processes, based on an iterative life cycle and the management of multiple stakeholders and their expected benefits. The book is grounded in a robust theoretical framework, complemented by a number of case studies. It analyzes the best organizational structures for program management and provides tools and techniques to deal with complex, unplanned change in a structured manner. It also develops knowledge of particular techniques required for managing programs as well as the competencies and skills required from program managers. It features a number of case studies.
"Program Management" was awarded the 2010 Canadian Project Management Book Award of Merit by the Project Management Association of Canada.

Genres: Nonfiction

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the good fortune of taking a 4-day PMI Master Class with Mr. Thiry, using this book. The reasoning process behind its method is very clean and well explained. The mathematical models should not be beyond your average college graduate or anyone who has taken a statistics class. The program manager's success is going to depend on several organizational factors and roles that must be involved. A program manager alone can't do more than artfully (or clumsily) juggle flaming chain saws. There is no magic wand. There is no shortcut or safety to offset disinterested management who did not setup the program for success.

I can say from real experience of doing it the opposite of Thiry's way his book will make you successful. Trust the processes. Do the exercises. Create engagement with stakeholders. When there are problems, you can log lessons learned that talk about the conditions leading up to the problem based on the recommended methods in Thiry's book.