A self-paced essentials course for project managers, PMO staff and change leaders who need to manage change beyond individual projects. Seven lessons cover the differences between projects, programmes and portfolios, programme vision and blueprint, benefits management, tranches and programme governance, portfolio categorisation and prioritisation, capacity and balancing, and portfolio reporting and the PMO. Each lesson includes a practical exercise.
What you will learn
- Distinguish projects, programmes and portfolios
- Write a programme vision and blueprint
- Build a benefits map and benefit profiles
- Plan tranches and programme governance
- Categorise and prioritise a portfolio
- Balance a portfolio against capacity and risk
- Design portfolio reporting and a PMO service
Lessons
- Projects, Programmes and Portfolios
- Programme Vision and Blueprint
- Benefits Management
- Tranches and Programme Governance
- Portfolio Categorisation and Prioritisation
- Capacity and Balancing the Portfolio
- Portfolio Reporting and the PMO
Self-paced course from Tech Skills Library. Educational content only; it is not an accredited qualification, licence or credential.
Lessons
Projects, Programmes and Portfolios
Programme Vision and Blueprint
A programme needs a clear picture of the future it is working towards. The vision describes it in inspirational terms; the blueprint describes it in detail. Vision statement A short description of the future state that motivates stakeholders. It focuses on outcomes for customers, staff and the organisation, not on projects or systems. Blueprint The […]
Benefits Management
Programmes exist to deliver benefits. Benefits management ensures benefits are identified, planned, owned, measured and realised. Outputs, capabilities, outcomes and benefits Projects deliver outputs, which create capabilities. When capabilities are used, they produce outcomes, which result in measurable benefits. Benefits map A benefits map links projects to outputs, capabilities, outcomes, benefits and strategic objectives. It […]
Tranches and Programme Governance
Programmes deliver change in tranches: groups of projects and activities that deliver a step change in capability, followed by a period of embedding and benefits realisation. Planning tranches Each tranche ends with a stable intermediate state. Plan tranches so benefits are delivered early and the organisation can absorb change. End-of-tranche reviews At each tranche end, […]
Portfolio Categorisation and Prioritisation
Portfolio management ensures the organisation invests in the right change initiatives. Categorising and prioritising initiatives is at its core. Categorisation Group initiatives into categories, such as mandatory compliance, sustaining operations, efficiency improvement and strategic growth. Different categories may be assessed differently and have target investment levels. Prioritisation criteria Strategic alignment. Financial return. Risk to the […]
Capacity and Balancing the Portfolio
A portfolio must match available capacity and maintain a healthy balance of risk, return and types of change. Capacity constraints Money is rarely the only constraint. Specialist skills, management attention and the organisation’s ability to absorb change are often scarcer. Change load Map which business areas each initiative affects and when. Avoid overloading any area […]
Portfolio Reporting and the PMO
Portfolio and programme offices provide the information and support leaders need for decisions. Portfolio dashboard Initiative status against time, cost and scope. Benefits forecast and realised. Top risks and issues. Resource usage and constraints. Decisions required. Consistent data Use standard templates and definitions across projects so data can be aggregated reliably. PMO services Planning support, […]