What is a Program?
A program is a collection of related projects and activities that are managed in a coordinated way to realize broader benefits. Unlike a single project, a program is ongoing or long-term, often with evolving components that must remain aligned with institutional goals.
In higher ed, programs are often strategic in nature. For example, a multi-year student success initiative, a digital transformation plan, or a faculty development strategy. Each component project may have its own scope, timeline, and deliverables, but the program integrates them to deliver more significant results.
What are the benefits of program management?
Managing projects as part of a larger program can provide better visibility, alignment, and long-term success. Benefits include:
- Strategic Alignment: Programs keep individual projects aligned with broader institutional goals.
- Resource Efficiency: Programs allow shared resources (staff, tools, budget) to be coordinated across projects for better impact.
- Risk Management: Programs allow for coordinated risk assessment and mitigation across interdependent efforts.
- Improved Communication: Program-level leadership can support consistent messaging and stakeholder engagement.
- Enhanced Reporting: Programs can use tools like dashboards to track impact across multiple projects.
Where might you see programs in higher education?
Programs are typically found in institutional priority areas, such as:
- Student retention and success initiatives
- Campus sustainability programs
- Academic innovation strategies (e.g., expanding online offerings)
- Faculty or staff development initiatives
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion programming
Each of these involves multiple coordinated efforts that benefit from program-level oversight.
A step-by-step guide to program management
- Define the program’s strategic goals and desired outcomes.
- Identify and group related projects that align with those goals.
- Assign a program lead or manager responsible for coordination, reporting, and strategic alignment.
- Establish program governance, possibly through a steering committee or executive sponsor.
- Set up shared tools, such as program-wide dashboards, risk tracking, and communication plans.
- Monitor inter-dependencies among projects and adjust resource allocation as needed.
- Evaluate outcomes not just at the project level but across the program as a whole.
Reflective questions
- Are there initiatives in your institution that could benefit from being structured as a program?
- How do you currently coordinate multiple related projects?
- What challenges do you face in aligning projects with long-term strategic goals?
- How might program management help improve communication and reduce redundancy?
- What role could program management play in sustaining institutional priorities?