Program Governance

Source: PMI SPM V2.0

baveramurty@yahoo.com

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1. 2. What the Program Governance ensures? It ensures Decision making and delivery management activities are focused on achieving program goals in a consistent manner, addressing appropriate risks and fulfilling stakeholder requirements What the Program Governance really needs for conducting its activities through all phases of the Program Life Cycle? Organizations to establish and enforce policies that address the following Common Procedures for all components within the program Appropriate controls to ensure consistent application of procedures Approach for developing and documenting program assumptions and decisions Approach for managing program change Quantifiable measures for evaluating the success of individual projects and the program Common Practices for capturing risks, issues, benefits measurements and lessons learned The Program Governance Team member has taught how to handle any escalations from customer to one of my Component Team, when they brought a recent bad news of customer dissatisfaction to his knowledge. Team did address the customers concerns and achieved customer satisfaction accordingly. The component team was happy for the given support by Program Governance team member but myself and Progra12m Board were not. Guess why? Governance must be proactive and not performed afterwards The Governance Structure ensures Programs _______ and _______ are aligned with the _______ goals and objectives of the ______________s Goals, Objectives, Strategic, Enterprises ___________ by their nature may overlap with number of enterprises, with one or more being ________, performing organizations, stakeholders or suppliers Programs, customers The _______ _______ ensures that important interfaces are managed carefully to minimize the program and inter-component conflicts Governance Framework Effective Governance ensures the following: The strategic alignment and the ________ that has been promised is _________ and ________delivered Value, Realized, Benefits All stakeholders are appropriately communicated with the kept aware of _________ and __________ Progress, Issues The appropriate ________ and _________ are used in the program Processes, Tools The _______ are being made rationally and with Justification Decisions The ___________ and accountabilities are clearly defined and applied Responsibilities All of above is done with the ________ and _________of the partner organizations and is measured to ensure compliance Policies and Standards

3.

4.

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8. What are the responsibilities of below roles of Program Governance Structure Executive Sponsor Program Board Program Manager Project Managers Program Management Office Project Team and Team Members When benefits becomes value? When benefits are utilized by the organization, community or other program or project beneficiaries 9.

10.

The benefits realization plan identifies _________ and ________ these benefits to be realized and may specify _________s that should be in place to ensure that the benefits are fully realized over time.
When, How, Mechanisms

11.

What subsidiary plans of Program Management Plan you may use to plan and establish program governance structure.
Program Charter, Program Business Case, Sponsor and stakeholder requirements (to find minimum acceptance criteria)

12.

What the Benefits Realization Measurement Analysis requires?

Linking benefits to expenditures (Not just financial), Measurement Criteria, Measurement and Review Points

13.

What are the three outcomes of Plan and Establish Governance Structure
Governance Plan, Issue Escalation Process and Audit Plan

14.

What the Governance Plan is comprised with?

Program Governance Goals, Program Governance Structure and Composition, Program Governance Role and Responsibilities, High level governance plan and meeting schedules, Gate Review Requirements, Component Initiation Criteria and Periodic Health checks

15.

What the governance board usually do after creating Program Governance Goals?
Communicates to Program and Component Teams

16.

What a component manager should do once he receives the Program Governance Goals?
He/She should prioritize his/her goals and include them in Project Charter and Project Management Plan and advice how these goals need to be met

17.

What the program governance structure and composition section of Governance Plan describes?
How Program Governance will be implemented, Roles and Responsibilities, Stage Gate Review Requirements, and execution

18.

What is the most important activity of program governance?

To ensure the program components are being managed effectively

19.

What the phase gate review requirements should address?

What is to be gated?, How is it gated (Process), Who is responsible?, What are the measurement criterions?

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20.

What is the Primary Criteria for Component Initiation?

Right components are initiated at right time

21.

Periodic Health Checks are substitute to Phase-gate reviews. True or False?

False

22.

Phase-gate reviews assess performance against expected outcomes and against the need to realize and sustain program benefits into the long term. True or False?
False. This applies to Periodic Health Checks

23.

What are the objectives of Periodic Health Checks?

24.

How many levels of escalations are in Program Management

Between Program Management Team and Component Teams and Program Management and Organizational Executive Management or other stakeholders

25.

Where do you find the Audit objectives and schedule in Program Artifacts?
Audit Plan

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26. How a Program Manager should be prepared for audits?

27. 28. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

33.
34. 34.

In what phases the audits usually performed? During Program Execution or at end of Program Completion Where the audit results would be recorded? Each audit results should be recorded in Audit Plan with feedback to Governance Planning function The majority of the Quality Planning, Assurance and Control occur at the Program Level . True or False? False Program Quality is primarily defined by____________ __________ ________ Successful Benefits Realization What is really enables a Program manager to define appropriate quality standards and measures? Complete understanding on Scope and nature of the benefits What you must consider when you plan on how much quality you need to achieve? Cost/Benefit Tradeoffs What is the primary benefit of meeting quality requirements? Less Rework i.e. Higher Productivity, Less Costs and increased Stakeholders Satisfaction What is the better tool for developing Quality System to ensure any items are not missed ? Checklists How checklists helps Quality Management Planning Reduce the development time of the same How do you measure the cost of quality? Prevention Costs (total cost of all efforts to achieve product or service quality) Appraisal Costs (total cost of all efforts to ensure conformance to quality requirements) Failure Costs: (total cost of all efforts resulting from internal and external non-conformance)

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35. 36. 37. 38. 39. What the Quality Management Plan should include? Minimal quality standards for Components Minimal Testing Requirements for Components Minimal Quality Planning, Quality Assurance and Quality Control for components Any Program level Quality Assurance or Quality Control activities required Roles and Responsibilities to perform Program level Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities required In what are the phases of Program Life Cycle the Approve Component Initiation can occur? During any phase except closing Which plan controls the timing of component initiation? Program management plan provides overall guidance for Initiating Components What elements of Program management plan use the Approve Program Initiation process ? Program Charter including Program Scope Statement guide individual component charter through Define various daily operational components and identify when they become part of program Program Strategic Plan : Companys strategic plan should be the defining document for program and should be reflected in Program charter. The Program and Component Plans should support company strategic plan What the Approve Component Initiation Process takes care at Program Level?

40. 41.

What the Program Manager may delegate with other Program Manager during Approve Component Initiation? When any with-in component manager unable or unwilling to release the resources for the new component resource requirements What may triggers by Approve Component Initiation Process? Redeployment of human and other Resources from one component to other

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42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. What each component really requires before begin their work? Approved COMPONENT Charter. What evaluates the COMPONENT against the organizations approved selection criteria to make a decision on whether component should be initiated? Component Initiation Request Where you should define the criteria for approval of component initiation? Program Governance Plan Who would review and approve the Component Change Requests? Program Governance Board Define Governance! Process of developing, communicating, implementing, monitoring and assuring the POLICIES, PROCEDURES, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES, and PRACTICES associated with the given program. The simplest definition is OVERSIGHT and CONTROL. What request you would raise at end of phase completion or when you found an issue or when you receive a new proposal from customer or when you find a risk? Governance Decision Request along with Support Documentation When you notice a Program change, which process you must follow before you approach Governance Board for a FINAL DECISION? Monitor and Control Program Changes Audit Reports from planned and unplanned audits are an example of external viewpoints that can be used as a ___________ and ___________opinion for the governance boards decision process Check, Balance Changes that do not affect the _________ _______ _____will USUALLY not require governance board review. Overall programs performance What really enhance the effectiveness of the governance process? Regularly Scheduled Meetings, Well Planned Agendas and Documented Decision Records The Decisions are documented formally using ________ ______ ______ ______ ____ or other forms of decision records.
Meeting Minutes and Action Items Logs

48.
49. 50. 51. 52.

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53.

The Program Closure Recommendation would typically be proposed to the_____ for the final closure decision
Programs Sponsor

54.

What Manage Program Benefits ensures?

A set of reports or metrics reported to PMO, Program Stakeholders, Governance Committee and/or Sponsors that helps them to assess the health of the program and take necessary actions for successful benefits delivery

55.

How Program Management Plan helps for managing program benefits?

When the identified Benefit Realization Events are scheduled? And those events are included in PHASE GATE reviews and are the decisions emanating from these PHASE GATE reviews

56. 57.

Program Components need to review the ________ ________to derive planned benefits.
Program Charter

What are the artifacts you keep review for managing the program benefits?
Program Management Plan, Program Charter, Program Performance Reports, Governance Plan

58.

Benefits should be described in an effective manner, explaining how they add value. If benefits are not presented in a coherent fashion, then the value may not be understood. If you can ensure this, your facilitation of ________ very effective.
Review

59.

What is the difference between usual Program Risk Management and Risk Management during Benefits Realization Analysis?
Risks to benefits realization is managed in the enterprise than management of specific risks

60.

What do you focus on Risk Management of Benefits Realization Analysis?

Ensure Senior Enterprise officers aware of the risks, Understand the enterprise RISK TOLERENCES, Manage the Intercomponent and enterprise-level risks

61.

Why do you have to consider Strategic Alignment as one factor during Benefits Realization Analysis?
To understand the linkage between How Enterprise Operations Manager and Program Manager defines, maintain and validate the program value proposition.

62.

What you focus while you analyzing the benefits realization from strategic alignment perspective?
How will the realization of benefits affect the flow of operations? How negative effectives can be minimized? How organization is going to manage the inbuilt disruptions in components ?

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63. 64. 65. Share any thing you know about how benefits get translate into value! Service Level Agreements, Achieving the results (e.g. increasing market share), What do you focus while analyzing the benefits realization from VALUE DELIVERY perspective? Time Window of Opportunity and Investments for a benefit to be turned into value What do you focus while analyzing the benefits realization from Resource Management perspective? Ensuring that the appropriate resources are made available to components and returned to the enterprise at the appropriate time for optimal utilization What do you focus while analyzing the benefits realization from Performance Measurement perspective? Tracking and Monitoring the Strategy Implementation, Component Completion, Component Deliverables, Resource Usage, Process Performance, Establishing or Influence the Service Level Agreements Monitor each Component Performance impacts other components to ensure ability to deliver benefits is not compromised How do you measure the benefits realization? Dimensions of the benefit (e.g. the date when realization must start) Quantification of the benefit (e.g. Hours save, Profits Increased, Market Share increased) Which artifact measures each component against the benefits realization plan? Benefits Realization Report You just rejoined office after a vacation. One of your Governance Board Team member said informally that he heard one of the benefits realization was compromised? What do you do next? Verify the same in Benefit Realization Report and identify the required actions in Decisions Log If true, consult Monitor and Control Program Benefits and Report Program Performance before reporting PROGRAM PERFORMANCE to corresponding Enterprise Executives with a suggestion that the impacted component need to be realigned or terminated Ensure a change request was raised and approved. Update Develop Program Requirements accordingly Verify that any changes required to Governance Process, Governance Plan, Governance Roles and Responsibilities and Governance Structure. Update GOVERNANCE PLAN accordingly.

66.
67.

68. 69.

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70.

Who makes decisions regarding the proposed changes to the Program Management Plan?
Program Governance

71.

A Component Manager has sent one line email to you that a CR# was opened for your approval? Whom you represent? What are your next steps.
The Program Governance/Change Control Board/Appropriate Authority As per Integrated Change Control Process, analyze the CR (#) from the Change Request Log and review the Program Management Plan to ensure that proposed changes are consistent with the current direction of the program Conduct Reviews to ensure the delivery of any benefits were not compromised by decisions made during the execution of the program and its components Conduct Impact Analysis and explore the effect of the proposed changes on any specific component and overall program, identifies RISKS and BENEFITS to the component arising from the change if it were to be accepted. Change decisions are made with an understanding of the documented program benefits and would be consistent with the current program benefits. Change Request Log updated and Stakeholders are communicated, after any change approval/rejection/modified for further consideration, Incase change approval, ensures the changes are communicated to components for implementation and actions.

72.

As part of closure, what are the dual requirements that components must confirm?
Program Component Closure Requirements as well as Component Closure Requirements that defined by Program Management Plan and Governance Processes

73.

What the last gate-review ensures?

Validation of component-level closure was occurred appropriately and component has achieved its objectives relative to the overall program Program Component Closure Requirements as well as Component Closure Requirements that defined by Program Management Plan and Governance Processes Non-project components must be approved for transition or termination as appropriate The resources that become available may be reallocated to other components Communication to a larger or different set of stakeholders may be necessary

74.

Recommendation to close the PROGRAM is part of which process?

Program Governance Oversight

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75.

Who makes Component Closure Request?

Component Manager/Team

76.

Who makes component closure decisions?

Program Governance Board arising from normal project completion or from terminations

77.

What may effect component, result in termination?

Program Scope Change may influence the component termination Cost Controls may influence the component termination Component failure to provide the benefits outlines in Benefits Realization Plan may influence the component termination

78.

Where do you find the documented decisions of transitioning or closure of components?

Project Transition/closure certificate

79.

What do you do when you find documented decisions of transitioning or closure of components?
Inform Stakeholders and Component Personnel Store the decision documents in archives, and in accordance with regulations, laws and organizational requirements Update the benefits realization report to summarize how component has delivered the desired benefits Capture Lessons Learned throughout the life cycle of the program and project Following component closure, Update Program Management Plan and Decision Log and create Project Transition/Closure certificate
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 Program Governance Tasks from ECO Audio File

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