Page 159 - Global Project Management Handbook

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT 7-9

Role: Program manager
Objectives
• Realize program interests
• Ensure the realization of the program objectives
• Lead the program team
• Represent the program toward representatives of relevant environments
Position in the organization
• Member of the program team
• Reports to the program owner team
• Gets organizational support from the program office
• Leads the project owner team and the project managers
Tasks
Tasks in the program start
• Design the program start process (together with the program team)
• Hold program team meetings
• Design adequate program plans and the program organization (together with the
program team)
• Risk management and development of a specific program culture (together with the
program team)
• Design program context relationships and perform program marketing
• Develop program management documentation “Program start” (with support from the
program office)
Tasks in program controlling
• Design the program controlling process (together with the program team)
• Hold program team meetings and participate in program owner team meetings
• Coordinate all resources required in the program
• Agree on or perform controlling measures (together with the program team)
• Set project priorities within the program
• Adapt program plans (with support from the program office)
• Develop program progress reports (with support from the program office)
• Perform program marketing tasks (with support from the program office)
• Start new projects (together with the relevant project owner team and project manager)
• Perform strategic control of the current projects together with the respective project owner
team; networks between current projects and the program
• Define a project discontinuity (together with the respective project owner team)
• Contribute to project close-downs, transfer of know-how into other projects of the program
Tasks in resolving a program discontinuity
• Work out immediate measures (together with the program team)
• Perform cause analysis (together with the program team)
• Work out alternative strategies (together with the program team)

• Perform measures to resolve the crisis and check for success (together with the program team)
• End the program discontinuity (together with the program owner team and the program team)
Tasks in program close-down
• Design the program close-down process (together with the program team)
• Hold the program close-down meetings (together with the program team) and participate
in the closing program owner team meeting
• Develop the program close-down report
• Transfer know-how into permanent organization and make agreements for the postprogram
phase
• Perform closing program marketing
Formal authority
• Decisions about coordinating the program (together with the program team)
• Decisions on the project priorities within the program
• Responsibility for the program budget
• Calling program owner team meetings
• Coordination of resources required in the program
• Starting projects (together with the respective project owner team and project manager)
• Changes to project objectives, definition of a program discontinuity, and closing down
projects (together with the respective project owner team)
FIGURE 7.8 Role description: Program manager.