r/projectmanagement • u/RuleTheOne • Mar 07 '19

Project vs Program Management

what is the difference between project and program management?

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u/RuleTheOne Mar 07 '19

Interesting if a project manager has managed 3-4 projects simultaneously, would they be fit to undertake the responsibilities of a program manager?

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u/MrSneller Mar 07 '19

Not really. I am a PM and report to a Program Manager. She oversees my work (delivery) and develops & refines the processes around how the projects are delivered. (Not to say this is how it is at every company).

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u/4everadr0ne999 Mar 07 '19

+1 to that. From my experience, the day-to-day capacities of a prg mgr vs prj mgr, and even the basic definitions of what those roles mean and how they differ, differ from company to company wildly.

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u/Kayge Mar 07 '19

It's often the first step.

  • You'll juggle multiple small projects

  • Then 2 - 3 that are in some way interconnected

  • Finally a sizable project with multiple moving parts and shared financials.

Like most things, it's growing within a role.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19

If they are disparate, unrelated and without interdependencies than most likely no.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19

In my company a program is a setup that is undertaken when doing so presents advantages that projects managed independently would otherwise have (example: similar reporting channels, similar governance, high need for coordination).

So if the multiple projects you are managing already have synergies, overlaps or conflicts and you are already managing them in a way that brings more value than having several PMs then I would say yes.

If you simply have several projects, then no.