| Failure reasons in change management are many and | | | | - A Programme is all about delivering the overall |
| varied. But several things are very clear: | | | | business benefits in line with the strategic vision and |
| Any organisational initiative that creates change - or | | | | over a longer period of time than a project. |
| has a significant change element to it - has a 70% | | | | - Whereas a Project has a definite start and finish |
| chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged. | | | | point, with the aim of the delivery of an output that |
| There are 3 main reasons for failure: | | | | may be a product, service or specific outcome. |
| 1. The gap between the strategic vision and a | | | | - Programme management focuses on the |
| successful programme implementation and the lack of | | | | management of all key stakeholder relationships and |
| a practical change management model and tools to | | | | the delivery of defined business benefits and in addition |
| bridge that gap. | | | | to managing the project portfolio will also include the |
| 2. The "hidden and built in resistance to change" of | | | | management of any other activities that are |
| organisational cultures, and the lack of processes and | | | | necessary to ensure a complete delivery. |
| change management methodologies to address this. | | | | - Whereas Project management has narrower terms |
| 3. Failure to take full account of the impact of the | | | | of reference with clear, specific and (relative to the |
| changes on those people who are most affected by | | | | overall Programme) limited scope of its deliverables. |
| them i.e. the absence of good strategies for managing | | | | And yet despite the fact that programme |
| change. | | | | management as a discipline has been around for over |
| It may occur at project level [at the execution "getting | | | | 10 years - the failures still keep mounting. |
| it all together" level] so that the initiative doesn't get off | | | | Men always dislike enterprises where the snags are |
| the ground - or doesn't get completed. | | | | evident..." [Machiavelli "The Prince"] |
| This is where most people focus - on the "getting it | | | | The whole of my approach to change management |
| done" bit. | | | | and dealing with the "snags" such as fear of change |
| But the bigger and more critical issue here is that even | | | | and resistance to change is based on this model of a |
| when the projects - the new capabilities - are | | | | programme approach. |
| completed on time and in budget, a failure can still | | | | My preference for this is that it forces senior |
| occur at programme level - and from a statistical | | | | management (and their advisors) to take a holistic and |
| perspective it probably will! | | | | structured look at the wider factors that need to be |
| A programme level [more accurately a "no | | | | addressed - and that are often "mission critical". |
| programme" level!] failure occurs when the envisaged | | | | 80% of companies [or rather 80% of directors] - |
| benefits [the whole raison d'etre] of the initiative are not | | | | haven't got a clue about programme management |
| achieved. | | | | In my experience the size of a company is no indicator |
| The root cause of failure | | | | as to whether or not it employs a programme |
| The root cause of this failure is lack of clarity and lack | | | | management approach. I have sat across the table in |
| of communication - and even more fundamentally - the | | | | meetings with directors of UK based £1bn+ turnover |
| lack of a language and contextual framework to | | | | corporates - household names in some cases - who |
| articulate and manage the necessary processes of | | | | didn't have a clue about programme management. |
| change. | | | | I would go further and say that the vast majority of |
| This is what a Programme Management based | | | | companies know little to nothing about programme |
| approach to change is all about and why it so | | | | management. |
| important. | | | | A useful indicator is the number of online searches on |
| As with most specialist areas of knowledge, there is | | | | Google Adwords for project management and |
| within this discipline a universal or generic set of "truths" | | | | programme (or program) management |
| that transcend the boundaries of the formalised | | | | For the month of March 2009 there were 450,000 |
| models and tools of programme management, applies | | | | searches for project management and 39,200 |
| to all organisations experiencing step change, and can | | | | searches for programme (or program) management. |
| be expressed in simpler language. | | | | One reason why programme management has not |
| Just as an aside, I feel that whilst it is absolutely | | | | yet permeated the business "mainstream" is because - |
| necessary for there to be experts and centres of | | | | in my opinion - it appears to be complex and to |
| technical excellence - the very processes by which | | | | address dimensions that don't resonate or connect |
| they function separates them and the knowledge from | | | | with mid range corporates and larger SMEs. |
| the far wider audience who could benefit most from | | | | This is partly because corporates are more complex - |
| that knowledge. | | | | but also because the talented and experienced |
| Time for some definitions: | | | | professionals who compile these things think that way! |
| Programme Management | | | | However, it is my belief and experience that the broad |
| - Is the holistic perspective - takes in the bigger picture. | | | | principles of programme management can be set out |
| - Is the coordinated management of a Portfolio of | | | | in a simple model and using simple language that can |
| Projects that change organisations to achieve benefits | | | | be applied in any organisation of any size. |
| that are of strategic importance. | | | | For more on this - see here: Failure reasons in change |
| - Is the understanding and management of Benefits, | | | | management - and how to avoid them |
| Risks and Issues and the provision of an Organisation | | | | Equip yourself to avoid the 70% failure rate of all |
| Structure and Process Definition. | | | | change initiatives with the "Practitioners' Masterclass - |
| - Does not replace Project Management - it is a | | | | Leading your people through change, putting it all |
| supplementary framework | | | | together and managing the whole messy business. |
| Differences Between Programmes and Projects | | | | |