Today the organization has prioritized its portfolio of projects by putting them in competition with each other. However, some business areas started to organize their projects into programs and now the organization is wondering if it can prioritize projects along with programs at the same time. Is this possible? Saving Changes...
You can prioritize them at the same time, however you might have some logical dependencies like evaluating the projects in a program before evaluating the program.
I would be skeptical about using the same criteria for both, however it may depend on the specifics. Programs are generally much broader than projects such as covering design, build, and operation of some product, while a project might only cover a manufacturing improvement. Evaluating both on revenue generation would not make sense for projects that while important may have not impact on revenue, but rather improve employee safety, reduce errors, etc. Saving Changes...
I'm not sure that comparing projects to programs is a fair approach even if the same measures are used for both. A program is likely to generate much greater outcomes than an individual project so you'd almost need to look at comparing programs to a set of similar projects to be able to get a "bang for the buck" fair comparison.
You can do that at the same time. However, as Kiron mentioned, comparing projects to programs may not be an apple-to-apple approach. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
You should be able to boil down programs and projects to the net value they add to the organization. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
I see programs as including a collection of projects and that projects within a program have to be evaluated and prioritized as they may benefit that program. Having a high priority project within a low priority program may not be very effective. Projects need to be evaluated and prioritized for their impact on the program which they form part of. Programs need to be evaluated on their impact on the higher plane. That being said, I think its a two step process - programs first followed by projects. Why waste effort on a project within a program that is not going to make the cut?
The common element is the beneficial impact on the operation. Saving Changes...
Vijay SuryavanshiProject Manager - Engineering| RECARO Aircraft SeatingPlantation, Fl, United States
The key difference between program and project management is the scope. While program management focuses on the broader strategy, continuous improvement, and benefit realization, project management focuses on the specific tasks, deadlines, and tactical execution necessary to achieve the overall program goals. When executed properly, they are synergistic and complimentary.
Project prioritization is usually based on resource availability or band width, delivering business value, identifying those based on importance.
Program prioritization is more strategic. or focusses on strategic values. Example if two programs can be combined delivering to same customer etc. Saving Changes...
