Program Management Manual - Mercy Corps

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Program Management ManualChapter 1Mercy Corps’ Commitment to Local Partnership1.3. What is Program Management?What is Program Management?“Program Management” refers to the process of applying skills, knowledge and tools to identify requirements,address needs, incorporate the concerns of stakeholders, and balance the competing demands of time, cost, andscope (sometimes called the “triple constraint”) to achieve incremental benefits through the integrated managementof multiple projects, each of which is designed to produce a unique product, service, or result.Program management is different from “business processes,” which refer to ongoing operations, such as accounting,fleet management, recruiting, office management, procurement, representation and similar. Good “businessprocesses” should be applied to operations, often in support of a portfolio of strategy and programs, while good“program management” should be applied to programs. These are distinct, but highly complementary practices.Why Does this Manual Use “Program” Instead of “Project”?Many of the processes described in this manual apply to “projects” as described in various “project management”literature and global standards. However, Mercy Corps – and other International Non-Governmental Organizations(INGOs) – most often refer to our initiatives as “programs,” and we use the title “Program Manager” for the managersof these initiatives. This manual primarily uses the term “program,” as individual grants or cost centers at Mercy Corpsmost often encompass a “program” or collection of projects managed together to bring about incremental benefits.The Minimum Standards presented in Chapter 2 are required at the “program” level. The processes outlined in thismanual and in PMD Pro may be applied at both the program level and to the component projects within.ProjectProgramPortfolioProject orProgramManagementOffice (PMO)Global Standard TerminologyA project is defined as a “temporary endeavorundertaken to produce a unique product,service, or result.” “Project management”refers to the practice of planning, organizing,and managing resources to bring about thedelivery of goals, outcomes, and objectives.A program consists of multiple projectsthat are managed together to bring aboutincremental benefits. “Program management”processes are quite similar to projectmanagement processes, but programmanagement also concerns itself with theintegration of more than one project into acohesive effort that achieves “incrementalbenefits.”A portfolio is a collection of projects,programs, and other work (businessprocesses, or operations) that are groupedtogether to achieve strategic objectives.A “PMO,” or Project or Program ManagementOffice, is the office that manages sharedresources between different projects andprograms, identifies methodologies andstandards, coaches and mentors Project andProgram Managers, manages compliance,and facilitates communication.Mercy Corps ContextThe unique products, services, or resultsthat collectively make up a program. Atthe discretion of the Project ManagementOffice, the policies in this manual mayalso apply to individual projects within theprogram.One or more awards or interventions witha common purpose, to which a singlemanager is assigned. The policies in thismanual fundamentally apply to the levelat which a single Program Manager isassigned; in the Mercy Corps context, thisperson might be called a “Project Manager,”“Program Manager,” “Program Director,” or“Chief of Party.”A Mercy Corps country portfolio orheadquarters business unit.The “Director of Programs” function andhis/ her team, or equivalent (“Head ofDepartment”). In some cases different titles,such as “Program Coordinator,” are used.At times, the Country Director, CountryRepresentative or equivalent may also fill thisfunction. The term “global standards” is used throughout this manual as a catch-all phrase to encompass Project Management Institute (PMI) tools,including but not limited to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK); Project Management in Controlled Environments(PRINCE2) tools; and, Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro) tools.mercycorps.org< Table of Contents
Program Management ManualChapter 1Mercy Corps’ Commitment to Local PartnershipExamples of Portfolios, Programs and Projects at Mercy Corps are depicted in the table below:PortfolioProgramManagerAssignedProject(s)PMOField ExampleMercy Corps EthiopiaRevitalizing Agricultural/ Pastoral Incomesand New Markets (RAIN)Chief of Party (CoP)– Training of Selected Farmers in HighImpact Crop Production Technology– Collective farmer marketing of crops– Linking farmers to financial servicesDirector of Programs and his/ her team,EthiopiaNotesProcesses in this manual are recommended;processes on Minimum Standards Checklistare requiredCoP is ultimately accountable for ensuringthat the policy requirements are fulfilledAt the discretion of the CoP and PMO, theprocesses in this manual may be applied tothese projects, or may apply to the programlevel only1.4. The Program Manager’s Role and Generally-Accepted Knowledge/Competency AreasThe Program Manager is the person assigned by Mercy Corps to achieve program objectives. The Guide to PMD Prodescribes the competencies required of good Program Managers in the development sector. These are referencedhere so that users of this manual are familiar with the requirements, but for details please refer to PMD Pro, Section1: Chapter 1.The required Program Manager competencies include:• Technical• Leadership/ Inter-personal• Personal/ Self-management• International Development-specific (that is, specific to the sector, context, and cross-cutting themes inquestion)Mercy Corps Program Managers are expected to continuously strive for excellence in all four of the above competencyareas.< Table of Contentsmercycorps.org
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Program Management Manual - Mercy Corps

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