Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti

Theoretical background
organizational development programs (Dietrich, 2007). In a similar
manner, Gray and Bamford (1999) describe platform programs that aim to
improve an organization’s infrastructure.
It is worthwhile to note that program management is a form of multiproject
management, but the two terms are not synonymous. Particularly,
project portfolio management refers to the process of systematically
analyzing, prioritizing, selecting, and overseeing projects that share the
limited resources of an organization (Archer & Ghasemzadeh, 1999;
Cooper, Edgett, & Kleinschmidt, 1997). Although the management of scarce
resources is often an essential element in programs, the temporary nature,
common goal and close connections between the program’s projects make
program management distinct from project portfolio management
(Pellegrinelli, 1997; Turner & Müller, 2003). Some programs may resemble
a portfolio in the sense that they are formed by grouping loosely related
projects under the same umbrella (Gray, 1997; Pellegrinelli, 1997).
However, the present study focuses on goal-oriented programs
(Pellegrinelli, 1997) that consist of related projects and actions that aim at a
shared goal and require collective effort.
Goal-oriented programs consist of multiple projects that typically are at
least to some extent interdependent through their goals, deliverables,
methods, or resources (Dietrich, 2006, 2007; McElroy, 1996). The key roles
in the typical program organization include the program manager, who is in
charge of the operational management and coordination of the program,
and the project managers, who are each responsible for managing a project
in the program. The program manager’s tasks and responsibilities include
program-level planning, coordinating the projects’ work and deliverables,
supporting project managers in project execution, and maintaining
alignment with the business objectives (Ferns, 1991). In a typical program,
project managers report to the program manager, who further reports
upwards to the program steering group (or a steering committee or
program board), led by a program owner, program director or program
sponsor, or an alternative executive body who represents the wider
organization (ibid.). The program owner (or director or sponsor) has the
ultimate responsibility for the realization of the anticipated benefits (Office
of Government Commerce, 2007; Pellegrinelli, 1997). While delivery
projects or programs have external clients, the client of an organizational
change program is internal. The program owner may represent the client in
the internal program. A program (support) office can also be established to
support the program management, to facilitate information management at
the program level, and to provide procedures, tools, training, and support
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