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

Theoretical background
Similarly, program management standards (Office of Government
Commerce, 2007; Project Management Institute, 2006) recognize that
programs deliver benefits and capabilities that support the parent
organization in achieving its goals. The value of the program to the parent
organization may be articulated, e.g., in the form of a business case (e.g.,
Office of Government Commerce, 2007; Pellegrinelli et al., 2007) that is
described to provide a basis for the value management process (Thiry,
2002; 2004a) during the program’s lifecycle.
Literature on program management also describes how program
managers need to maintain an external focus (Blomquist & Müller, 2006),
as they must ensure connection with the evolving organizational goals to
secure the viability of the program. Programs are long-term endeavors and
the environment of the program may develop and change significantly
during the program’s lifecycle. Thus, compared to project managers,
program managers need to be more conscious of and responsive to changes
in the program’s external environment (Pellegrinelli et al., 2007). Program
management standards also regularly highlight stakeholder management
(Office of Government Commerce, 2007; Project Management Institute,
2006), and describe how program directors, sponsors and steering groups
are in a central role in ensuring that the desired benefits are achieved.
Even though program management literature has acknowledged the need
for an external focus, Pellegrinelli et al. (2007) argue that the current
standards and guidelines for program management do not sufficiently cover
the need and the means to manage the program’s connection with its
operating environment. For example, although the current program
management standards suggest that program governance should fit within
the wider governance framework of the parent organization (Office of
Government Commerce, 2007; Project Management Institute, 2006), the
standards do not sufficiently take into account the need to adapt the
program management practices to the needs of different organizations and
programs (Pellegrinelli et al., 2007). There is also very limited research
evidence on the actual means of managing the change program’s
interaction with its parent organization.
Many aspects suggest that the early program phase is particularly
interesting in terms of the program’s interplay with its organizational
context. During the early stage, the program plan should be aligned with
the wider requirements and organizational strategy (Turner, 1999). The
involvement of various stakeholder groups, each with their specific interests
and expectations, is emphasized during program initiation (Thiry, 2004a).
Also, Gray and Bamford (1999) note how the proposer of a new change
54