Program management is essential for coordinating complex IT projects to ensure they are interoperable, secure, and deliver integrated capabilities. It provides governance, requirements management, change control, and configuration management across projects to deal with interdependencies and integrate disparate components into a coherent solution. Without program management, individual projects may deliver pieces that do not fit together or create security vulnerabilities for the overall system.

1. Why program management
is essential for IT projects
Brad Bigelow
Programme Manager
NATO Communications and Information Agency
Brussels, Belgium
PMI IS CoP Webinar
3 October 2012

2. NATO Communications &
Information Agency
• Established 1 July 2012
• Primary agency for developing and operating NATO’s civil
and military information services and networks
• Over 3,500 military and civilian staff
• Over 30 locations in Europe, USA and Afghanistan

3. What is NATO?
• NATO is a political and military alliance whose
primary goals are:
• The collective defence of its members
• The maintenance of a democratic peace in the
North Atlantic area
• Established in 1949
• 28 Member Nations
• Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the
Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Gree
ce, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxem
bourg, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sl
ovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
• Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

4. How NATO Capabilities are Funded
Funded collectively
by all 28 Member NATO Civil and Military Organizations
Nations Facilities, Equipment and Systems
“Over and Above”
Member Nations
Funded by each
Member Nation
Individually Forces, Facilities, Weapons, Equipment and
Systems

5. NATO Information and Network Services
SATCOM
NATO Deployable
Forces
Civil Gateways
NATO HQ
Military
NATO Command Structure NATO Operations
Gateways
NATO Naval Operations
National Systems

6. Programme Management Practice Standards
Office of Government Commerce Project Management Institute

7. “A program is a group of related projects managed
in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control
not available from managing them individually.”
“A portfolio of projects and activities that are
coordinated and managed as a unit such that
they achieve outcomes and realise benefits.”

8. Not All Projects Need Program Management
New NATO Site in Naples New NATO HQ Building in Brussels
Two projects:
• No significant interdependencies
• No driving need for a common architecture
• No direct schedule relationships
No major value added through
managing as a programme

9. Information Technology Layers
Customized Business Applications
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

10. Information Technology Layers
Customized Business Applications
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

11. Information Technology Layers
Customized Business Applications
Service Management
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

12. Scope of Information Technology Projects
Custom Development Business Applications
Customized
Service Management
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

13. Scope of Information Technology Projects
Customized Business Applications
Custom Development
Service Management
Enterprise-wide COTS Database Engine
Information Security
Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

14. Scope of Information Technology Projects
Customized Business Applications
Custom Development
Service Management
Database Engine
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Portal Reports/Forms (e.g., Portals)
Service Applications
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

15. Scope of Information Technology Projects
Customized Business Applications
Service Management
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Upgrading IT Infrastructure
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

16. Scope of Information Technology Projects
Customized Business Applications
Service Management
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Operating Systems
Establishing a Data Centre Storage Systems
Processing and
Network Services

17. Scope of Information Technology Projects
Customized Business Applications
Service Management
Information Security
Enterprise-wide COTS Applications
Core Enterprise Service Applications (e.g., Portals)
Equipping a New Facility
Operating Systems
Processing and Storage Systems
Network Services

18. You Don’t Need Program Management
If Your Project is Building a Stand-alone System

19. IT Projects have lots of interfaces
Customized Core Enterprise
Business Service Applications
Applications (e.g., Portals)
Service Project
Management ABC Operating Systems
Processing and
Storage Systems
Information
Enterprise-wide COTS
Security Network Services
Applications

20. Interfaces = Interdependencies
Customized Core Enterprise
Business Service Applications
Applications (e.g., Portals)
Service Project
Management ABC Operating Systems
Processing and
Storage Systems
Information
Enterprise-wide COTS
Security Network Services
Applications

21. Interdependency: the Theory
• A Project Manager should establish
a bi-lateral control mechanism
at every point where:
• It depends on an input from another project
• It provides an output to another project

22. IT Project Managers Hate Interdependencies
Interdependencies

23. Why?
• Interdependencies are sources of:
• Schedule slips
• Cost increases
• Scope creep
• Uncontrolled risks
• Technical complications

24. How Project Managers Like to See Things

25. A Typical IT Project Manager

26. But—How Many Projects Deliver Value If …
Customized
Business
Applications
Project
ABC
… they deliver products that are not interoperable
with other custom applications?

27. But—How Many Projects Deliver Value If …
Core Enterprise
Service Applications
(e.g., Portals)
Project
ABC
… they deliver products that are not integrated
with Core Enterprise Applications?

28. But—How Many Projects Deliver Value If …
Project
ABC Operating Systems
Processing and
… they require non-standard Storage Systems
operating systems,
hardware or connectivity? Network Services

29. But—How Many Projects Deliver Value If …
… they don’t work
Project with standard
ABC enterprise-wide
COTS products?
Enterprise-wide COTS
Applications

30. But—How Many Projects Deliver Value If …
Project
ABC
Information … they create security vulnerabilities?
Security

31. But—How Many Projects Deliver Value If …
Service Project
Management ABC
… they require specialized management tools or
skills the organization doesn’t have?

32. The Things that Create Interdependencies
COS
RISK
T
DEL
AY DEL
COS AY
RISK
T

33. The Things that Create Interdependencies
… Are Often the Things that Add Value

34. You Don’t Need Program Management
If You Only Have One Project

35. Many organizations are juggling dozens of IT
projects at the same time
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36. Key Projects
Ops C2 AirC2IS LandC2IS Maritime SOF
NATO COP INTEL FS Logistics FS TOPFAS
Ops Support
ETEE CBRN FS APMS FinS
Enabling Core GIS Environmental
In fact, this is what I deal with every day
Info Portal
Tasker
Tracker
Core
Messaging Directory Gateways SOA
Internet
Infrastructure Transmission NetworkCore Access Secure Voice
Cyber Defence Legend
NCIRC NATO PKI
On Contract
In Procurement
03/10/2012 NATO UNCLASSIFIED
In Planning

37. And even if all the projects are launched in a
well-coordinated manner

38. They don’t
always finish
that way …

39. Program Management provides the persistence layer
across different project life cycles
Program Management
Triton
Maritime
C2IS MCCIS 4.0 MCCIS 5.0 MCCIS 6.0 MCCIS 6.1 MCCIS 6.2 MC2IS 1.0 MC2IS 2.0 MC2IS 3.0
MCCIS
Core Multiple Legacy GIS
Services Core GIS Inc 1/2 Core GIS Inc 3 Core GIS Inc 4 Core GIS Inc 5
Operating XP Vista Win 7 Win 8 Win 9? Win 10?
System
Dedicated Common Shared Infrastructure
Cloud
Information Server per Shared Virtual As a
Computing
Infrastructure Application Servers Servers Service

40. IT Program Management Functions
• Programme Governance • Security Management
• Change Management • Systems Integration
• Communications Management • Architecture Management
• Risk Management • Requirements Management
• Schedule Management • Test Management
• Cost Management • Verification & Validation
• Configuration Management • Transition Management
• Quality Management • Capability Improvement
An IT Program involves both management and technical functions

41. Change Management is Key
Without centralized change control, inter-project change becomes
unmanageable
Project Manager Issue Project Manager
Change
Change
Project Manager
Change
Issue
Project Manager
Change
Issue
Change
Issue Change
Project Manager Change Project Manager

42. Key Element: Change Management
Business Programme Manager
Units
Project
Mandate Issue Change
O&M Assessment Direction
Support
Change
Technology
Programme
Industry Change Change Management
Interoperability
Change Project
Project Baseline Creation
Partners Interface Issue Change
Change
New
Project A Project B
Other Project
Programmes
IT Program

43. System Integration without a Program
Business
Apps
Project B
Service
Mgmt
Project C
Portals
Project D
Core Enterprise
Services
Infrastructure
Security
Services
43 NATO UNCLASSIFIED

44. Service Integration with a Program
IT Program Scope
Service
Project B Project C Project D Infrastructure
Mgmt
Core Enterprise Directory
Portals Security Services
Services Services
Interfaces, Specifications, Sta
ndards, Development and
Test Support Requirements
44 NATO UNCLASSIFIED

45. Key Element: Requirements Management
Programme-wide Requirements
Many requirements—
particularly non-functional
Project Project Project requirements—are
A B C
common across all the
Project
D
Project
E
Project
F
projects in an IT program

46. Key Element: Configuration Management
System
Project IC Acceptance Project
Brief TBCE Authorization IFB CDR Test Closure
Proposed
High-Level Approved Detailed Updated Updated Final
Target High-Level Target Detailed Detailed Detailed
Architecture Target Architecture Target Target Target
Outline Architecture Architecture Architecture Architecture
Target
Architecture
Architecture Management
Functional Baseline Development Baseline Production Baseline
Program Configuration Management System
Virtual Testing
Accessible by Developers Integration Testbed
Program configuration management

47. IT Program Management 101
IT Projects deliver the pieces
The Program makes sure they fit
NATO UNCLASSIFIED 47

48. The result can be
a masterpiece.