Project portfolio management software is the tool teams use to track those projects and share insight with stakeholders. On the other hand, a portfolio might be all of the marketing initiatives within a quarter or a year, whether they’re connected or not. All of these features are connected, so they would fall under program management, instead of project portfolio management. For example, a program might be a collection of all of the marketing campaigns to promote new features that are going to be launched throughout the year, or even a grant management plan for nonprofit organizations.

In program management, the projects within the program are connected and often interdependent. Program management and project portfolio management are very similar-the difference lies in the types of projects that are being managed. Learn more about the differences between a program manager and a project manager’s responsibilities. The program will include a variety of connected projects, which may each have a project manager and supporting team members. Program management helps you manage these longer-term, interdependent feature launches in alignment with your company goals. For example, all of the new features your company is launching in a quarter would be considered a program, despite the fact that each feature would likely have its own project. Project management software helps teams do that by increasing clarity and improving team collaboration.Ī program, on the other hand, is a group of projects that accomplish strategic business goals. Project management is the process of planning, managing, and executing your team’s work. project managementĪ project is a collection of tasks that accomplish a specific goal.

But if you’re not quite sure where program management fits in to your current process, here’s how it stacks up to other, similar methodologies: Program management vs. If this sounds familiar-surprise!-you might already be implementing program management processes, instead of project management. You’ll create plans for projects within your program, such as roadmaps and strategic plans, and have processes for when things don’t go as expected (for example, change management). Program managers also align project objectives with larger business goals and report on metrics with routine status updates throughout each project’s lifecycle.Īs a program manager, you will oversee the connected projects within the program and develop a resource management plan for the overall program. Because they’re coordinated under the same program umbrella, program managers can streamline the related processes, staffing, and management of each project, reducing any related work about work. Program management is the simultaneous management of multiple related projects.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about program management so you can start implementing it today. When done properly, program management helps you prioritize and manage similar initiatives. Project management can help you coordinate multiple projects at once, but if the projects you’re managing are interconnected, there’s a better way: program management. In order to keep the balls in the air, you need to see the big picture across the various initiatives, while also managing the work of each individual project. When you’re managing multiple projects, it can feel like you’re juggling several balls that you’re just barely keeping off the ground. Learn more about how program management works, what a program manager does, and the potential benefits of using program management in your own work. A program is a set of interconnected projects overseen by a program manager whose main goal is to ensure that all work ties back into company-wide goals and objectives. Program management is the management of multiple related projects at the same time.

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