A Program Manager (PgM) is responsible for management of unique stakeholder requirements for a set of related projects, services, or activities. The PgM integrates program information to make accurate program projections necessary to support workload analysis and is often the POC for interaction with stakeholders.
The PM manages scope, schedule, budget, and quality while leading a PDT across the project’s acquisition life cycle to successful execution. This individual is the primary interface with the stakeholder and is also FED’s primary internal project advocate. PMs manage all project resources, information, and commitments; integrates and focuses the efforts of the PDT and proactively manages all project risks. The PM’s active role as consultant is essential to ensure the stakeholder’s quality objectives are clearly articulated and ensures the stakeholder understands the essential professional standards, laws, and codes which must be incorporated into the project. In performing these functions, PMs must operate consistent with their responsibilities as a federal official. PMs provide PDT leadership and collaborative management with responsibility for assuring that the project stays focused on stakeholder needs and expectations. PMs must rely on the most appropriate method of communications (i.e. verbal, written, or face to face meetings) to accomplish the work.
FED PMs follow the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” cycle as illustrated below:
1. Plan
Assign the right people with the right skills and tools to work on the right project, building quality into our work at each step in the process. Systematically identify stakeholder quality goals; develop an effective plan and processes to achieve those goals, and measure attainment of the quality objectives. Assist stakeholders to express their desired outcomes in objective, quantitative terms, ensuring mutual understanding of standards and processes. It is essential for the PDT, including all stakeholders, understand the costs and benefits of selected quality standards and the processes to be used to achieve mutual objectives. Identify appropriate standards and determine how to achieve them, consulting lessons learned on previous projects as appropriate. Consider risk factors and complexity of each project and adapt processes to provide the requisite level of quality. Consult, advise, and reach consensus with stakeholders prior to project commencement.Utilize value engineering when it serves to increase the quality of our projects.
2. Do
Do work according to the approved PMP and documented procedures. Procedures are developed and documented with sufficient detail to ensure actions are accomplished correctly and completely each time. Project and program execution is a dynamic process. The PDT must communicate and adapt to changing conditions and modify project plans to ensure project objectives are met.
3. Check
Perform sufficient independent technical review, management oversight, and verification to ensure quality objectives are met. PDT members periodically check performance against the plan and verify sufficiency of the plan and actual performance to meet or exceed agreed-on objectives. After action reviews are conducted to facilitate sharing of lessons learned. Findings are shared with project teams and other personnel to facilitate continuous improvement.
4. Act
Take specific corrective actions to remove systemic causes of any non-conformance, deficiency, or other unwanted effect. Continually improve quality through systematic analysis and refinement of work processes. The process of continuous quality improvement leads to the refinement of the overall quality system. Quality improvements include appropriate revisions to quality management plans, alteration of procedures, and adjustments to resource allocations.