This document discusses program governance and its role in executing business strategy through careful project selection and consistent progress toward strategic goals. It outlines critical areas of focus for program governance including the need for governance and use of program controls. The document then recommends best practices for program governance and controls, including establishing a Program Governance Board, implementing Project Portfolio Management, and creating a Project Management Office.

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Program Governance Best Practice
Implementing Program Governance and its role in
preserving and executing to an agreed Business Strategy
Program Governance provides a systematic and disciplined approach to
execution of business strategy through conscious and careful project
selection; it enables consistent progress towards strategic goals, while
assuring an expected return across the range of investments in short and
long term Information Technology (IT) projects.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2
2. Background 2
3. Critical Areas of Focus 3
a. Need for Program Governance 3
b. Use of Program Controls 3
4. Implications and Impact 4
5. Solution Definition 5
a. Program Governance Best Practice 5
b. Effective Program Controls Best Practice 6
6. Recommended Implementation Approach 7
a. Program Governance Board (PGB) 8
b. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) 9
c. Project Management Office (PMO) 10
7. Opportunities 12
8. Conclusions 13

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Progressive Intelligence
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Introduction
Most organizations are well-versed in business governance practices, but
they do not realize the benefits of extending and integrating these
practices in their Information Technology (IT) project management
discipline. Often the strategy for governance is disconnected from the
tactics of ensuring an agreed return on investment from a “program” or
project portfolio.
This white paper examines the reasons behind this gap in governance at
the program level. We look at several pragmatic approaches to
establishing and integrating program governance across projects. In
outlining best practice and effective tools, each approach illustrates its
usefulness in realizing the benefits of program governance.
If you would like experienced and hands-on experts to assist you with
putting in place effective Program Governance, contact us at:
Dr. Sanjeev B. Ahuja
Managing Director
Progressive Intelligence
E: sanjeev.ahuja@piplinc.com
M: +44 7785 336 497
W: +1 847 496 3919