Introductory description

Organisations are increasingly operating in volatile, uncertain, and complex environments. In order to cope with these changing circumstances, many are using programmes and projects as vehicles of adaptation. Research shows that organisations are investing large amounts in programmes and projects, yet the levels of success are often disappointing. It is known that one of the contributing factors to these failures (partial or complete) is ineffective practices in the strategic analysis, planning, and initiation of programmes and projects.
This module complements the Programme and Project Management (PPM), and Managing the Multi-Project Environment (MMPE) modules. It is positioned to extend, and enhance student’s knowledge in the derivation, from corporate strategy, of business change programmes and their comprising projects, and then the chartering, structuring, and governance of those collections of projects. It includes exploration of stakeholders’ perceptions of benefits, their decision-making processes, their criteria for measuring success of these enterprises, and connection of all of these to the strategies for the management of the interlinked projects.
This module assumes that students have some awareness of business strategy and programme/ project management.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Strategic context of programmes and projects, linking strategy to programmes and projects
2. Complex factors affecting perceptions of programme and project success and failure
3. Methodologies, tools, techniques and frameworks for translating strategy into programmes and projects
4. Programme and Project strategy: governance control frameworks
5. Dealing with uncertainty, complexity, volatility, ambiguity: risks, issues and assumptions, changes and change control, clarity of objectives and requirements
6. Decision making, biases and heuristics
7. Leadership, communication and stakeholder analysis and engagement

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Know, comprehensively understand, and operate within the context in which programmes and projects are initiated
• Know, understand, and apply the principles, practices and techniques that underlie successful multi-project and programme management strategies
• Critically analyse the theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding of the multiple human, systemic and operational factors that influence the initiation and governance of projects and programmes
• Have knowledge, understanding, and the ability to systematically apply the methodologies and tools used in multi-project and programme management strategising

Indicative reading list

Programme and Project Strategy
Reading List 2019-20

This is a Masters-level module. There is no single reference text for this course. Students are expected to read widely and to use or cite relevant journal articles. Several journal papers have been added to Moodle as a starting point.
However, here are some useful books on programme management as introductory reading:
Thiry, M. (2010) Programme Management, Gower Publishing Ltd
Snowden, Rod & Cabinet Office (2011) Managing Successful Programmes, Stationery Office; 4th ed., 2011 edition (30 Aug 2011)
APM Programme Management Specific Interest Group (2013) Introduction to Programme Management, Association for Project Management; First edition (30 Oct 2007)
Additional Reading (alphabetical order):
APM Programme Management Specific Interest Group (2013) Introduction to Programme Management, Association for Project Management; First edition (30 Oct 2007)
Bartlett, J. (2002). Managing Programmes of Business Change: A Handbook of the Principles of Programme Management. Project Manager Today Publications.
Brown, J.T (2014) The Handbook of Program Management: How to Facilitate Project Success with Optimal Program Management, McGraw-Hill Professional; 2nd Second Edition also 1st edition (2008) Views programmes as a collection of projects.
Morris, PWG and Pinto, JK and Söderlund, J, (eds.) (2011) The Oxford Handbook of Project Management, Oxford University Press
Project Management Institute (2013) The Standard for Programme Management, Project Management Institute; 3rd edition
Reiss, G. (Ed.). (2006). Gower Handbook of programme management. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
Reiss, G. & Raynor, P. (2012) Portfolio and Programme Management Demystified: Managing Multiple Projects Successfully, Routledge; 2nd edition
Tends towards view of programmes as collection of projects.

Snowden, Rod & Cabinet Office (2011) Managing Successful Programmes, Stationery Office; 4th ed., 2011 edition (30 Aug 2011)
Thiry, M. (2010) Programme Management, Gower Publishing Ltd
Williams, D, & Parr, T. (2003). Enterprise programme management: delivering value. Palgrave Macmillan.

Other topics of interest (some are available on Moodle page):
Association for Project Management, A Guide to the Governance aspects of Project Sponsorship,
Association for Project Management, (2014) Directing Change: A Guide to Governance of Project Management, 2nd edition
Association for Project Management, (2014) Co-directing Change: A Guide to the Governance of Multi-Owned Projects
César, B. (1998). Managing sensitive projects: A lateral approach. Psychology Press.
Flyvbjerg, B., Bruzelius, N., & Rothengatter, W. (2003). Megaprojects and risk: An anatomy of ambition. Cambridge University Press.
Littau,P. Jujagiri, N., Adlbrecht, G., (2010) “25 Years of Stakeholder Theory in Project Management Literature (1984-2009)”, Project Management Journal, Sept 2010
Morris, PWG and Pinto, JK and Söderlund, J, (eds.) (2011) The Oxford Handbook of Project Management. Oxford University Press
Muller, R. (2009) Project Governance: Fundamentals of Project Management, Gower Publications
Porter,M (1996) “What is strategy?”, Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1996
Porter, M. E. (2008). The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard business review, 86(1), 25-40.
Pellegrinelli, S. (1997). Programme management: organising project-based change. International Journal of Project Management, 15(3), 141-149.
Pellegrinelli, S. Partington,D., Hemingway, C., Mohdzain,Z.,& Mahmood Shah (2007) "The importance of context in programme management: An empirical review of programme practices." International Journal of Project Management 25, no. 1 (2007): 41-55.
Patanakul, P.and Shenhar, A. (2002) “What Project Strategy Really Is: The Fundamental Building Block in Strategic Project Management” Project Management Journal, Feb 2002
Turner, R. (2003) Contracting for Project Management, Gower Publishing Ltd; New edition: Sep 2003
Walley, P (2013) “Stakeholder management: the sociodynamic approach”, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 6 No. 3, 2013, pp. 485-504

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

PMA includes research and critical reflection on a case study or work-related programme and its context supported by references to relevant academic and 'best practice' literature

Subject specific skills

Strategic and organisational awareness, programme and project management context, planning techniques, prioritisation, stakeholder analysis and engagement, benefits mapping, programme and project definition (incl vision, blueprint, benefits, business case, project objectives and Critical Success Factors), decision-making and common biases and heuristics, problem definition and problem solving, risk, issue, monitoring and change control management approaches and techniques, current programmes and project management methods and techniques

Transferable skills

Critical thinking, critical analysis and reasoning, problem solving, communication, teamwork and working effectively with others, organisational and programme /project contextual awareness, research skills, information literacy.