Comparing Program Management and Project Management
The communication component of our Program Management methodology provides an Owner's oversight committee with the ability to track multiple projects simultaneously using an "umbrella" model, as depicted below:
The Owner's Representative defines, analyzes, and manages the overall construction program by directing all resources and activities at both the program and initiative levels. Project managers/contractors at the initiative level report their status to the Owner's Representative and communicate the directives from the Owner's Representative to relevant resources at the project levels. In contrast to multivariable project management, multi-tier program management provides operational efficiencies and financial advantages to the Owner, including:
- Accurate and timely alignment of external resources to their appropriate counterparts within the construction program
- Segregation fo discreet activities into separate projects, thereby maintaining separate documentation and reporting requirements throughout the program
- Multiple projects may be directed by multiple prime contractors, allowing superior program governance and increased accountability with lower costs
Our unique process-based approach allows an Owner's oversight committee to assign resources to a series of interdependent tasks on the critical path rather than permitting multiple project managers to execute such tasks independently. Retaining control of resource allocations also enables the Owner to effectively manage program outcomes.