As a program is a collection of projects that are related to each other in the delivery of certain organizational benefits, program management is the application of the appropriate knowledge, skills, experience, methods, and tools to manage of all those projects and related endeavors to achieve the program’s stated objectives and benefits. Program management includes activities and processes related to initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing the program. In general, the program management discipline provides a methodical and structured way to oversee, manage and control the program in the delivery of its overall business benefits.

One of the primary challenges in program management is for a program manager to align its various components (e.g. projects and sub-programs) to achieve a program’s stated outcomes and benefits. This alignment is possible by managing and controlling the inter-dependencies between various components of the program. In the PgMP standard’s context, this alignment is possible by applying the knowledge of the five domains of Program Strategy Alignment, Program Benefits Management, Program Stakeholder Engagement, Program Governance, and Program Lifecycle Managment.

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