Moses MuhahalaSr. Technical Program Manager| AmazonBurnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Hello Community, I have been managing programs for 5 years now. I own the programs and work with other Project Managers in the Program, but they don't report directly to me. We all report to the same PMO/Program Director. I'm applying for PgMP, but the experience section on the form asks for Direct Reports in the various programs. How can I approach this? Does one have to have direct reports in order to be a PgMP? Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
This is an odd organisational structure that you are expressing as if it is a functional program where the program manager acts as a coordinator.
Even in this case, you should have some people who do report directly to you. If you don’t, then just say 0 and when explaining the details of the program, explain why you have no one reporting to you for clarity.
Good Luck
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1 reply by Darren Paladino
Oct 19, 2020 7:19 AM
Darren Paladino
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Rami and Moses thank you for highlighting and discussing the direct reports issue. My program was like this also since it covered the enterprise but was distributed among the major organizations.
Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Moses
direct reports is often understood as people in a department you lead.
In the context of a program organization the project managers should report to the program manager as outlined in the orgchart and the roles and responsibilities document. The project team members are then direct reports for the project managers, not you.
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1 reply by Adrian Carlogea
Aug 09, 2020 2:59 PM
Adrian Carlogea
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Hi Thomas.
Programs and especially projects are temporary in nature. Programs may last longer but the projects from within a program usually finish in a few months or a few years.
Permanent employees however will generally remain in the organization even after the projects they are working on are finished. Or they can move from project to project, program to program or project/program to operational non project work and vice versa.
For the reasons above Project Managers usually don't have direct reports (the team members don't directly report to them) and they don't directly report to Program Managers either. What if a Project Manager manages in parallel two projects from different programs each program managed by a different Program Manager? To which Program Manager should such a Project Manager report?
Normally team members directly report to functional managers and project managers and program manager directly report to the head of the relevant project/program management department.
Some Project and Program Managers may have line management responsibilities for project management staff but their direct reports may not necessarily work on the same program as they do.
Moses
direct reports is often understood as people in a department you lead.
In the context of a program organization the project managers should report to the program manager as outlined in the orgchart and the roles and responsibilities document. The project team members are then direct reports for the project managers, not you.
Hi Thomas.
Programs and especially projects are temporary in nature. Programs may last longer but the projects from within a program usually finish in a few months or a few years.
Permanent employees however will generally remain in the organization even after the projects they are working on are finished. Or they can move from project to project, program to program or project/program to operational non project work and vice versa.
For the reasons above Project Managers usually don't have direct reports (the team members don't directly report to them) and they don't directly report to Program Managers either. What if a Project Manager manages in parallel two projects from different programs each program managed by a different Program Manager? To which Program Manager should such a Project Manager report?
Normally team members directly report to functional managers and project managers and program manager directly report to the head of the relevant project/program management department.
Some Project and Program Managers may have line management responsibilities for project management staff but their direct reports may not necessarily work on the same program as they do.
...
1 reply by Thomas Walenta
Aug 10, 2020 5:39 AM
Thomas Walenta
...
Adrian
agree that program managers seldom have direct reports in the meaning of employee assignment to a manager.
As the context is program management certification, there might be another interpretation of direct report. Project managers who lead projects in a program, report to the program manager, who often also rakes the role of the project sponsor. In contrast to their project team, they report directly without an intermediary.
Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Aug 09, 2020 2:59 PM
Replying to Adrian Carlogea
...
Hi Thomas.
Programs and especially projects are temporary in nature. Programs may last longer but the projects from within a program usually finish in a few months or a few years.
Permanent employees however will generally remain in the organization even after the projects they are working on are finished. Or they can move from project to project, program to program or project/program to operational non project work and vice versa.
For the reasons above Project Managers usually don't have direct reports (the team members don't directly report to them) and they don't directly report to Program Managers either. What if a Project Manager manages in parallel two projects from different programs each program managed by a different Program Manager? To which Program Manager should such a Project Manager report?
Normally team members directly report to functional managers and project managers and program manager directly report to the head of the relevant project/program management department.
Some Project and Program Managers may have line management responsibilities for project management staff but their direct reports may not necessarily work on the same program as they do.
Adrian
agree that program managers seldom have direct reports in the meaning of employee assignment to a manager.
As the context is program management certification, there might be another interpretation of direct report. Project managers who lead projects in a program, report to the program manager, who often also rakes the role of the project sponsor. In contrast to their project team, they report directly without an intermediary.
...
1 reply by Adrian Carlogea
Aug 10, 2020 6:16 AM
Adrian Carlogea
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Hi Thomas,
I agree with you, direct reports may not mean direct reports in the HR context but direct reports in the "program" context.
Normally Project and Program Management certifications should not require having direct reports in the traditional sense. Maybe this actually means how many project managers were working on the programs managed by the candidate.
Similarly for project managers this could mean how many team members were working on the managed projects even if there were no real direct reporting relationships.
Adrian
agree that program managers seldom have direct reports in the meaning of employee assignment to a manager.
As the context is program management certification, there might be another interpretation of direct report. Project managers who lead projects in a program, report to the program manager, who often also rakes the role of the project sponsor. In contrast to their project team, they report directly without an intermediary.
Hi Thomas,
I agree with you, direct reports may not mean direct reports in the HR context but direct reports in the "program" context.
Normally Project and Program Management certifications should not require having direct reports in the traditional sense. Maybe this actually means how many project managers were working on the programs managed by the candidate.
Similarly for project managers this could mean how many team members were working on the managed projects even if there were no real direct reporting relationships.
...
1 reply by Craig Marker
Oct 19, 2020 12:31 AM
Craig Marker
...
Can you elaborate in what you mean about direct reports in the "program context" ?...
I agree with you, direct reports may not mean direct reports in the HR context but direct reports in the "program" context.
Normally Project and Program Management certifications should not require having direct reports in the traditional sense. Maybe this actually means how many project managers were working on the programs managed by the candidate.
Similarly for project managers this could mean how many team members were working on the managed projects even if there were no real direct reporting relationships.
Can you elaborate in what you mean about direct reports in the "program context" ?...
...
1 reply by Thomas Walenta
Oct 19, 2020 6:16 AM
Thomas Walenta
...
Direct reports in a program context are people in the program orgchart that directly report to the program manager, e.g. with status reports, escalations or other program related information.
Examples are the project managers , integrative functions like QA, Risk manager, Claim manager on the program level.
People reporting to these would be indirect reports.
I had a program with 120 people and 20 of them led components or functions and reported directly to me. I communicated with the 20 on at leasrt weekky basis, but did not meet all of the other 100.
Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Oct 19, 2020 12:31 AM
Replying to Craig Marker
...
Can you elaborate in what you mean about direct reports in the "program context" ?...
Direct reports in a program context are people in the program orgchart that directly report to the program manager, e.g. with status reports, escalations or other program related information.
Examples are the project managers , integrative functions like QA, Risk manager, Claim manager on the program level.
People reporting to these would be indirect reports.
I had a program with 120 people and 20 of them led components or functions and reported directly to me. I communicated with the 20 on at leasrt weekky basis, but did not meet all of the other 100. Saving Changes...
Darren PaladinoEngagement Director| SalesforceDenver, Co, United States
Aug 08, 2020 12:51 PM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
...
This is an odd organisational structure that you are expressing as if it is a functional program where the program manager acts as a coordinator.
Even in this case, you should have some people who do report directly to you. If you don’t, then just say 0 and when explaining the details of the program, explain why you have no one reporting to you for clarity.
Good Luck
Rami and Moses thank you for highlighting and discussing the direct reports issue. My program was like this also since it covered the enterprise but was distributed among the major organizations. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
I don't think it's unusual. Sometimes, a "Program Manager" or "Portfolio Manager" is the boss and has all the authority needed to drive the program. But often, they merely report to the boss, and have no direct reports or real authority. Just answer the question honestly, I'm pretty sure PMI is aware of the different types of organizational structures. Saving Changes...
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