Project and programme context
Project and programme context
This domain tests whether you can place work in its wider organisational setting: separating project, programme and portfolio; using the business case; reading context; and choosing success measures.
Core rules
- A project is a temporary endeavour producing a unique output. A programme is a group of related projects managed together for benefits not available from managing them separately. A portfolio is the collection of projects and programmes aligned to strategic objectives.
- The business case justifies investment and is reviewed at stage boundaries; it covers costs, benefits, risks and strategic fit.
- Use PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental) to scan context; record assumptions and constraints.
- Success is measured by outputs (deliverables), outcomes (behaviour or process change) and benefits (measurable value).
Worked example
A hospital trust plans a new patient records system plus two clinical workflow projects. The records project alone delivers software; the programme exists to reduce patient wait times (benefit). The project manager defines success as go-live on time and within budget, while the programme manager tracks wait-time reduction. The portfolio board compares this programme with a facilities upgrade for strategic funding. Reasoning: boundaries follow benefit ownership, not just shared technology.
Traps
- Calling a programme 'a large project' and missing cross-project dependencies.
- Treating delivery on time as the only success measure, ignoring benefits.
- Writing a business case once and never revisiting it at gates.
- Forgetting external context such as regulatory change or supplier market shifts.