MSP is helping Syngenta address the challenges of sustainably increasing agricultural yields to feed a growing global population. MSP provides a standardized framework for program management that helps Syngenta integrate technologies and expertise to develop innovative solutions for farmers. Syngenta implemented MSP in their research and development programs to help transform how they deliver integrated solutions to farmers and achieve business benefits. Initial training of over 150 employees has led to more effective program management and translation of strategies into deliverable capabilities.

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International
How MSP®
is helping Syngenta feed
more people sustainably
A method
our timesfor
Author: Kate Winter
Published: October 2013
© APMG-International 2013

2. The world’s farmers need to increase yield per hectare sustainably, without
using more water or other natural resources, and using chemical inputs
as efficiently as possible. By 2050, we must provide 9 billion people with
enough to eat: food that is nutritious, affordable and accessible. To produce
the necessary quality and quantity of food, while protecting the natural
resources on which we depend, we must learn to grow more with less.
These are the challenges that
Syngenta is addressing.
In its present form, Syngenta is a young company. It was
founded in 2000 when Novartis and AstraZeneca merged their
agribusinesses. ‘Syngenta’ means bringing people together.
It’s an apt description for an organization which aims
to ensure the planet can continue to feed its
growing population, in a sustainable way.
’Bringing plant potential to life’ is the
vision shared by 27,000 Syngenta
employees in 90 countries.
Syngenta’s ambition is to bring
greater food security in an
environmentally sustainable
way to an increasingly
populous world by creating a
worldwide step-change in farm
productivity.
To meet this ambition, Syngenta
puts the grower at the centre of
everything it does. Syngenta’s
strategy calls for ‘thinking like a
grower’ and to understand how
he thinks about his land and his
crop in a holistic, integrated way. With
a wide breadth of technologies in crop
protection, seeds and seed treatment, and
tremendous agronomic expertise, Syngenta is
uniquely placed not only to provide the grower with
integrated offers now, but also to develop truly innovative and
transformative technologies for the future. These solutions will
help the grower to meet the increasingly complex challenges of
today and tomorrow.
Land and water are two of the largest limiting factors in food
production. Population growth, urbanization, deforestation,
soil erosion and demand for water are increasing the pressure
on the agricultural ecosystem at an alarming rate. Syngenta is
developing seeds, chemistry, ‘integrated solutions’ - based on a
combination of technologies - and services that help farmers grow
more food while ensuring that natural resources can be managed
sustainably. That means more food with less land, less water, less
labor, less energy and less carbon released into the
atmosphere
Innovation in research and development
ensures that Syngenta continues to
help growers increase productivity
in a sustainable way. Over the last
60 years, modern agricultural
technology has helped growers
to double food production on
the same hectare of land. Crop
losses to insects, weeds and
diseases in the field or post-
harvest would be 40 percent
higher without crop protection.
Such losses are effectively a
waste of the resources needed to
grow the crop.
In 2011, Syngenta began combining its
Crop Protection and Seeds businesses
to focus more comprehensively on the
challenges farmers face. This has enabled it to
present a fully integrated offer to growers for each
of its strategic crops that draws on its combined biological and
chemical capabilities as well as adjacent technologies and their
agronomic expertise. This has also changed the way people work
at Syngenta.

3. Convincing the organization
Elvira and Chuck were convinced that Syngenta could benefit
from the use of MSP. But winning over hearts and minds in a
large organization, scattered all over the world, was no minor
task. Elvira was conscious that Syngenta was already undergoing
some major changes to integrate the Crop Protection and Seeds
organizations.
“There were some big initiatives already underway before MSP
came along. I wasn’t sure that the organization would accept
MSP and may perceive it as just another change on top of
previous initiatives.”
Applying best practices to enable
integrated solutions to growers
Research and Development (R&D) is at the core of Syngenta.
To deliver integrated solutions, R&D had to change the way it
was organized. A number of initiatives to deliver the necessary
change and new solutions, where the complexity and scope
required a different approach to project management, were
launched.
The R&D Project, Program and Portfolio Management Office
is led by Dr. Elvira Molitor. Elvira was convinced that Syngenta
R&D needed to adopt a formal program management
methodology in order to complete a successful transformation.
“Our strategy is to integrate, innovate and outperform. Delivering
large programs, and achieving the desired outcomes and
benefits from these programs is essential to achieving this
strategy” Elvira said.
Within Elvira’s team, Dr. Chuck Mihaliak assumes responsibility
for Project and Program Excellence. Chuck explained, “In
November 2011, I was invited to participate in an MSP training
course by Joe Sopko of Siemens. I was struck by what I learned
and thought that we needed such a framework for Program
Management in Syngenta R&D. I went back to Elvira and she
agreed.”
Elvira had already looked at other program management
approaches and had adopted the concept of grouping projects
into programs. When Chuck asked her to look at the MSP
framework, she was convinced by the completeness of the
model - specifically the governance themes, transformational
flow and the clearly described roles and responsibilities.
“When I was made familiar with MSP, I was struck by
how it focuses on identifying and achieving benefits
and fully integrates the business change manager
into the leadership of the program. It shows that program
management is about iteration and is not a linear process. This
is a reflection of what happens in reality and is what made MSP
resonate with me so clearly. The philosophy of Syngenta R&D is
to enable and foster collaboration and with MSP we had a guide
that would help us to do so,” Elvira says.
The collaborative spirit also applied to the way Project, Program
Portfolio Excellence group team interacts with APMG and other
MSP experts. “We are in the business of delivering change and
solutions to the growers and take advice from those who are in
the business to develop and optimize the program management
framework.”
3.4 billion
Today’s rural population
is 3.4 billion. It is not
expected to increase.
Population pressures
80 million more
mouths to feed
every year
By 2050, the world’s population will have
increased by almost a third. We will have
2 billion more mouths to feed.

4. Getting engagement
In order to get support for MSP, Elvira and Chuck decided to start
small, approaching key influencers in the organization. “We knew
if we approached the right people, they would instantly ‘get it’ and
the framework would make sense to them. We were right and we
had a hugely positive response from those key people.”
A first wave of participants was then chosen to complete MSP
courses. After that, support multiplied quickly, talk about MSP
in the organization became more and more positive. A second
group of people was then chosen to go through the training.
“Suddenly, we had established a common language around
program management and the enthusiasm began to spread
beyond R&D. The organization began to understand the power
of a single method. I think it’s very hard to go to the top office
and say “I have found the philosopher’s stone – honestly!”; it’s
much more effective to go to the right people, give them the
opportunity to experience it and then a create critical mass of
support.”
Syngenta has established a Project, Program, Portfolio
Management (3PM) Academy to support their Portfolio, Program
and Project Management maturity and engaged the ILX Group to
provide training and support in MSP. Eddie Kilkelly, Consultant of
ILX Group said: “Syngenta quickly recognized the potential that
MSP had to work for them and went about implementing the
framework in a considered and pragmatic way. This helped to
build interest, support and ultimately need.”
Consumer pressures
‘Enough’ is a
moving target
While almost a billion people today are
undernourished, another billion are overweight.
As affluence increases, consumers demand
greater variety, quality and quantity of food.
In growth economies such as China, they
are switching from crop-based to meat-
based diets that are significantly more
resource-hungry.
10,000 years
We need to produce more
food in the next 50 years
than in the past 10,000.

5. Benefits
It’s now a year and a half since the first courses were run and
Syngenta has formally trained over 150 people in MSP across the
company. The existing project management structure has been
integrated with MSP. The MSP framework has proven structural
enough to support rapid change and flexible enough to adapt and
embed successfully in an organization with high expectations for
growth and efficiency.
“There are many appealing things in MSP. The methodology
explains that programs are complex packages of work with
a business change focus. It’s a really good starting point for
understanding how global, complex, multi-million dollar programs
work. Historically Syngenta was good at setting strategic
objectives and it was also good at running projects. But the bit
in the middle, translating the vision into discreet capabilities that
can be delivered by projects, and embedding the change in the
organization that would allow full benefits realization was where
we struggled. MSP is helping us to do this with great effect,”
Chuck says.
Syngenta’s early work with MSP has already meant that the term
‘program management’ is now being used consistently. It was
also quickly recognized that MSP must be used selectively and
for the right reasons. “In the context of introducing MSP we went
through a period where everything seemed to look like a program
where in fact there are only a limited number of true programs
in the organization. MSP requires heavy governance for good
reasons and projects do not require that approach, nor would it
be effective and affordable” Elvira explains.
“Syngenta is approaching the problems to be solved from the
growers’ point of view – and anticipating the challenges they
will face in the future. The combined chemical and biological
expertise of its R&D teams is being augmented through new
partnerships and collaborations, utilizing adjacent technologies
and bringing new offers to market more quickly,” Elvira explained.
“We are starting to recognize and understand the power and
value of MSP, which fits nicely with what Syngenta is trying to do
organization-wide.”
Creating an integrated R&D organization means Syngenta
must successfully deliver the benefits of several organizational
transformational change programs. By going through the MSP
from mandate and program initiation to program definition has
helped us to achieve a better understanding how and when
change would be delivered.
Syngenta is making rapid progress in transforming the
organization as well as the development of a fully integrated offer
on a global crop basis. It is looking beyond single products to
create complete solutions that will benefit both people and the
land for the long term.
MSP is making a significant contribution to helping people
in R&D deliver on this strategy.
Land pressures
We lose a soccer
field of farmland
every second
Soil erosion and urbanization are reducing
available farmland. Every second, we lose an
area about the size of a football field – while
adding two more people to the world’s
population. We have to produce more food
from less land.
5 people
In 1960, a hectare could
feed two people. By 2030
it will have to feed five.

6. Vegetables R&D
Syngenta Vegetables R&D is a global organization with key sites
in all regions. Most groups in Syngenta focus on one crop but
Vegetables R&D covers multiple vegetable crops growing in an
extensive number of countries. Vegetables are a key food group
and our ability to grow productive crops in diverse climates with
local pest and disease challenges is essential in order to feed a
multiplying world population.
“I was aware of MSP as I had some training about five years
ago. Then our organization went through a change in strategy
and wanted to provide combined solutions, aligning its seed and
chemical portfolio. We had some key projects which we could
bring together in programs.
“MSP enabled us to stand back and look at what we were doing
from a more encompassing perspective. At Syngenta we are
used to getting things done, however it’s easy to forget about the
bigger picture. MSP makes people aware of other factors they
need to consider in order to deliver the new types of solutions.
Our organization is complex and particularly when you are
delivering a new type of product it is essential to have considered
all aspects. The MSP framework helped us plan effectively,
create visibility and visualize the complexity of what we were
being asked to deliver.”
Andrea advises any organization looking to adopt MSP to seek
professional external help.
“You need someone well versed in the methodologies that can
encourage people to think about the benefits of doing things in
a different way. You also need people in the organization to be
receptive and have open minds. In a huge company like Syngenta
you can’t afford to do something like MSP in an isolated part of the
organization. We started rolling out MSP in R&D and soon realized
that other parts of the organization involved in our programs would
benefit from it as well.”
MSP in action at Syngenta:
Sugar Cane R&D
Sheetal is a portfolio and program manager working on developing
solutions for sugar cane growers across the globe.
“Syngenta has set out strategic goals that leverage our knowledge
and technology in genetics and chemistry. Combining these
effectively creates additional benefits for growers. We also integrate
other technologies that are not part of Syngenta’s core expertise.
This may require partnering with other organizations or outsourcing
areas where we don’t have the expertise, to ensure the customer is
getting a compelling solution. We had an idea of a particular solution
we wanted to develop, but delivering it meant integrating multiple
functions that were not used to working together, and utilising core
and non-core expertise. There had to be a step change in our
approach.”
Sheetal says it was difficult to envisage how they were going to
achieve the synergies they wanted in the organization. “Before
MSP the job appeared complex and daunting. MSP gave me the
framework, language and structure I needed to tackle it. It enabled
us to reduce the complexity into actionable items. MSP ensured
we started from the business objective and worked back to define
benefits and capabilities, rather than working up from the project or
Sheetal Shah
Program Manager, North Carolina, US
Andrea Lake
R&D Portfolio Manager, UK
3 years
Stocks of major crops have
now fallen for the third year
in a row, and demand
continued to grow by
1.4 percent each year.

7. R & D Transformational Change Program
Steffen is the lead of a change program that will support with traceability of Syngenta
biological materials and seeds. The program he is leading will standardize global processes
and deliver an IT platform that will support these processes.
“We knew that we couldn’t just impose changes on users and had to foster engagement.
This meant working hard at the beginning of the program to understand the variation
between the various processes that users were familiar with in a yet fragmented organization
and sitting down with the business to find the smallest common denominator and map out
a set of globally standardized processes supporting a true global organization.
“When I was introduced to MSP, I was hooked within the first few sentences of the manual.
I knew it was what I needed to help create engagement in the business. I encouraged two
colleagues – the project coordinator and the business change manager – to take the first
course with me. We were the first team to be trained in the new method. We created a lot of
momentum in the organization as our enthusiasm was infectious.”
“I believe that structure is important in program and project management, i.e. for
multi-disciplinary efforts which needs to be run as a partnership between R&D (“the
business”) and R&D IS (“the service provider”). Being fully aware of your exact role and
responsibilities is key. MSP helped me convey my ideas on structure to my team, which
is a big win. Applying MSP also allows you to make sense of complexity; it helps you
understand the essentials, and not be afraid to get started. And it will help you draw up
the big picture as you go along.”
Chuck mentored the program team on creating a blueprint using MSP. The team is using
it to maintain focus on delivering the required transformation and business change. “When
our sponsor challenged us, we were able to demonstrate our activities with transparency
thanks to that blueprint. It helped us communicate with our team of 75 people and with
senior management on how the program will look like. Our primary users helped design the
program which we hope will help to be successful,” Steffen says.
“Now that everyone is aligned, we don’t stumble on language or views – we can move
forward with one vision. We have enough structure to have a transparent approach and
flexibility. It’s a brilliant framework.”
functional perspective which tended to be
more within the team’s comfort zone.”
MSP has also helped get different working
groups in the organization aligned in their
thinking, as Sheetal says.
“Misaligned stakeholders can be a
significant problem.”
Without clearly articulated business
objectives and a vision this is often the case.
Through the MSP methodology, we were
able to clarify the objectives and vision with
the leadership, which reduces potential
misunderstandings and speeds up our
progress. This has had a huge impact on
all the program stakeholders and has been
very empowering.
“Our sponsors now have a good
understanding of MSP and they can see
the benefits of it. Similarly, project teams
also appreciate MSP because they have
clarity on project targets. They understand
the need to interact with the wider business
and the blueprint provides the broader
context showing how their efforts impact the
program goals. Any resistance is overcome
when they see this and recognize how they
are making a positive contribution to the
organization.”
Steffen Weber
Program Lead, North Carolina, US
One person
consumes
2,000 liters of
water a day
Farming uses 70 percent of the world’s
fresh water withdrawal: growing food
for one person takes about 2,000 liters
of water a day. We have to produce
more food with less water.

8. International
APMG International
Head Office: Sword House, Totteridge Road, High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire, HP13 6DG, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1494 452 450
Fax: +44 (0) 1494 531 952
Email: servicedesk@apmg-international.com
Web: www.apmg-international.com
MSP®
is a registered trade mark of Axelos
PRINCE2®
is a registered trade mark of AXELOS
Author: Kate Winter
Published: October 2013
© APMG-International 2013
1. Seven principles
The principles set out that the program must remain
aligned with corporate strategy, lead change, envision and
communicate a better future, focus on benefits and threats to
the organization, and design and deliver a coherent capability.
It should also add value and learn from experience.
2. Governance Themes
Governance themes need to be continually addressed
throughout the program. This is the control element, with
a purpose of successful completion of a program as well
as providing information for stakeholders. The governance
themes comprise organization, vision, stakeholder
engagement and leadership, blueprint design and delivery,
benefit realization, planning and control, business case, risk
management and quality.
3. Transformational flow
Transformational flow refers to a series of processes created to
direct the program management team. This starts at identifying
and defining a programme, to managing the tranches,
delivering the capability and realizing benefits and ending with
the closing of the program.
The MSP framework comprises
three elements:About MSP
MSP is the global de facto standard
for program management.
MSP incorporates business change, concepts, roles, approaches
and governance. It introduces the concept of really carefully defined
program definitions of blueprints and benefits. It manages the
tension that arises between corporate strategy, delivery mechanisms
for change and the business-as-usual environment, to deliver
transformational change that meets the needs of the organization
and its stakeholders. It also provides standardized vocabulary.
The methodology was developed by the UK government to
help organizations deliver successful long term programs
which deliver strategic change. It defines Program
Management as ‘the co-ordinated organization, direction and
implementation of a portfolio of projects and activities that
together achieve outcomes and realize benefits that are of
strategic importance.
About ILX
ILX is firmly established as a global leader in Implementation
Consulting, Portfolio Programme & Project Management, IT
Service Management and Business Financial Literacy. We
provide a full service offering of high quality consumer and
corporate digital learning solutions and have delivered learning
products and services to over 5,000 organisations across
more than 100 countries, including those in local and national
government, public sector and commercial businesses in
almost all sectors. Our courses are fully accredited by the
appropriate governing bodies, including The APM Group,
APM and BCS ,the Chartered institute for IT. Our vision is to
transform the way people learn and we create formal and
informal learning products, utilising our digital expertise to
develop interactive multimedia e-learning, m-learning, games,
mobile apps and other associated learning and assessment
tools, as well as employ innovative
technology in the classroom. We currently
have a local presence in the UK, Australia,
New Zealand, Middle East, Africa, Europe
and the USA.