Program management (PgM) is fast developing as the essential link between strategy and projects and as a vehicle for organizational change as it offers the means to manage groups of projects with a common business purpose in an integrated and effective way. Recently, the PMI has published their first Program Management Standard and launched the PgMPreg; Certification, which has strengthened PgM's credibility as an essential area of expertise in the project management domain. The United-Kingdom has had a standard for Program Management (Managing Successful Programmes or MSP) and associated certification since year 1999 and is quite advanced in this domain. The latest version (2004) of the Japanese Standard ("A Guidebook for Project and Program Management for Enterprise Innovation" or P2M) clearly identifies PgM as 3rd Generation PM and essential to the management of complex endeavours. This book is based on practical applications of PgM in different countries, as well as the leading standards, and 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. It analyzes the best organizational structures for program management and provides with 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 will also feature a number of case studies.
Industry Reviews
AWARD: 'Award of Merit' 2010 Canadian Project Management Book Awards, run by the Project Management Association of Canada. 'Well organized with the ending of one chapter leading into the next. Very informative on the subject matter, supported by references and tables...' 'I believe Program Management addresses a significant gap in program management literature. Thiry ties many years of research and findings from Value Management to Project Based Organization and relates it to Program Management. He explores utilization of Program management in a multi-faceted approach, from organizational aspects to benefit management, from program lifecycle to deployment of a strategy as a program, from measurement to dissolution of the program. Program Management provides an excellent bridge between PM theory and practical ways to reach organizational goals using program management. This is truly brilliant!' - Deniz A. Johnson, PMP, Vice President, Program Management, Acadian Asset Management LLC, Boston 'If you are interested in improving your delivery capability and effectiveness then Program Management should be on your must read list. In my 15 years of project and program management experience I have yet to find a book which has addressed the subject from such a global perspective.' - Chris Richards, PMP, Assistant Director Business Operations, US-Based Technology Services Company 'For me Program Management simply and concisely explains how realising strategies and bringing in the benefits to the organisation is achievable. This is a first, a theoretical text which really understands what I do!' Anne Boundford, Programme Manager, Thomson Reuters, US-UK 'Program Management describes the practical considerations often overlooked when translating ideas into real, value generating programs. The model marrying Programs to Strategic Decision Management (Chapter 3) is alone worth the book.' Ron Sklaver, Enterprise Program Manager, Tate & Lyle, US-UK '[Thiry] provides an excellent example of his Benefit Breakdown Structure (BBS), showing benefits at Level 1, followed by critical success factors, specific actions, and deliverables. It is further detailed...with actions describing the current state and the proposed future state, plus capabilities and dates required to achieve them. He presents an achievability matrix for projects within the program and a discussion of risk packages. A program manager could take the BBS plus these concepts and relate it to the program work breakdown structure and have a powerful technique to apply.' Project Management Journal 'I would recommend that program managers who want a simple and useful guide to get hold of a copy of the book and keep it handy. Organizations should place a copy of the book in their library along with books on strategy and strategy implementation. For academics teaching a course in program management it would be a good as a textbook or as a reference book from which relevant readings can be suggested to students'. Associate Professor Shankar Sankaran University of Technology, Sydney for PPPM eJournal 'I would recommend this book and have in fact used it at work to help clarify governance issues and solutions with colleagues. Definitely a book to add to your library.' ProjectManager.com Australia 'This is an informative book full of useful illustrations providing visual interpretations of the text...The book is well structured into three parts: the programme content, the programme components and the programme lifecycle, with a very useful conclusions section at the end. This structure made it easy to go forward and backwards without losing the thread. Although aimed at larger organisations, this book will prove valuable for any project of programme manager.' Quality World Magazine, September 2012 'I consult and teach in this area and welcome this book as a very useful contribution on the topic...It is certainly the best book I have read on the specific subject of Program Management, and represents considerable research, reflections on experience and new thinking on a current prominent subject.' Harold Ainsworth on Amazon.com 'The highlight of the whole book is how it deals with and explains programme governance. What makes this theme throughout the book so refreshing is that it clearly places governance in the context of organisational strategy rather than the normal command and control model that is often assumed to be good governance... In summary, Program Management is a thought provoking book... It forces the reader to consider programme management as a discipline in its own right.' Project magazine , May 2012
