Saturday, August 18, 2018

Programs and programs

My recent work has included a lot of interaction with human services businesses. They use the word 'program' differently from its use in generic project management; indeed, even the public sector based Prince2 system conceives as programs exclusively in such terms too. (in the MSP system).

In human services, 'program' when it is not applied to infrastructure, for example, the hospital construction program, means, not a collection of related projects, but a systemic intervention to bring change in people's lives; the 'people' are usually known as the 'target group' (in the Army we used 'target' to mean something we would obliterate...not so here, of course!).

These programs are based on what it terms a 'program logic model'. This sets out how the program will work to effect the results in peoples lives that it sets out to achieve. Conceptually much like an infrastructure project.

The PLM works back from the results to 'Inputs' via (in backwards order): Outcomes, resulting from Outputs, resulting from Activities, detemined, or defined by Resources or Inputs selected on the basis of Need or Opportunity.

Again, there is an obvious resemblance to the typical project course.

Where the major difference is is in the Activities-Outputs-Outcome set. This trio is a constant cycle that operates for the duration of the program, and may be a permanent operation, for all practical purposes. For example, the 'road safety program'.

The PLM is not only a plan (at high level) but a means of inquiry into the program; so it forms the basis for definition, specification, design and delivery; much like a schedule; but brings together schedule, WBS and delivery in one unit.

A typical PLM is below.




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