Implementing Program Management: Templates and Forms Aligned with the Standard for Program Management
In early 2007, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) piloted the now highly sought after Program Management Professional (PgMP®) credential, reflecting the growing trend for organizations to coordinate the work done on numerous stand-alone projects into a cohesive program-type structure. Written by two successful PgMPs, Implementing Program Management: Templates and Forms Aligned with the Standard for Program Management Second Edition–(2008) is a complete guide that presents a step-by-step methodology, suitable for the novice to the seasoned professional, enabling managers to seamlessly move their programs from theory to practice.
Providing a detailed protocol for managing a program from initiation to closure, this volume parallels PMI’s Standard for Program Management–Second Edition (2008). Filling the void in the program management literature, the book goes beyond the best practices listed in the PMI’s Standard to provide detailed guidance for these practices, enabling program managers in any organization to successfully coordinate any program.
Recognizing that each organization has unique requirements, the templates described in the text can be customized and tailored as required through a CD-ROM that is included with this book. This unique package of ready-to-use documents, tools, forms, templates, and reports empowers program managers to bring their programs to a successful finish and deliver its intended benefits to stakeholders.
Review By: Herb Ford Jr.
07/27/2010
A smorgasbord of forms and templates is how I describe this book. For all management teams that have faced numerous issues with project lifecycles such as scope creep, poor development planning for test scripts, over budget, and lack of approval, this book is for you. It has a variety of forms any company can implement and use immediately. I do not believe that this book is one you pick up for general reading purposes. This is a solutions book, so one will have to be driven to this book as a result of issues occurring in the project lifecycle. The authors provide each and every member of the project team forms for accountability to ensure what was requested is what will be delivered—with no surprises at the finish line.
I have gone through project lifecycle changes probably four or five times in my sixteen years of working in corporate America, and I can say the one factor that always makes implementing a new process difficult is acceptance by the entire company. It will always be tempting to revert back to the way things were, since it is common and known.
I see this book being used by project managers and the group within a company responsible for meeting the bottom line. Moreover, each group within the project lifecycle will be able to find something useful in the book. I would recommend companies read this book and use the forms and templates at their discretion.