Resources and Ideas for Program Managers

Program managers in the federal government face the hefty task of overseeing collections of projects within a team, agency, or department. And juggling many tasks – while they may sometimes be intertwined – requires that you have some extra tricks up your sleeve, especially to achieve your program-specific goals.

As the departmental agendas brought in by new leadership continue to be outlined and implemented, this is the perfect time to learn about a few new tools to add to your program manager arsenal. Below, you’ll find ideas and resources (complete with links that provide a deeper dive) to help you optimize your role in your organization.

1. Learn about Agile (and apply it!): What is Agile? Briefly, it’s a method of managing your program or project activities in a flexible and interactive manner, and it’s embraced by several federal agencies. The TechFAR handbook, for example, outlines why government would benefit from adopting Agile for IT program management, including a reduction of risk, increased flexibility, and improvement in investment and budget management. GAO has even identified practices for the best application of Agile in IT projects. Here are a few resources to get you thinking Agile:
   • The Agile Government Leadership website has a ton of background, resources, and support, including an academy in case you’d like to dig in.
   • 10 Steps to Making Your Agency Agile (Nextgov)
   • Is Government Ready for Agile? (FCW)
   • 4 Roadblocks to Agile Development and How to Overcome Them (Government Technology)
   • Agile and Lean Program Management: Scaling Collaboration Across the Organization

2. Understand benefits realization: Benefits realization management is a method through which the time and resources invested in your program or projects are managed in a way that results in the desired outcomes being achieved. The practice has been growing in popularity since the UK government adopted it 2003.
   • A PowerPoint introduction
   • PMI’s Benefits Realization Management Framework
   • PMI’s Benefits Realization Management series

3. Research the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act and determine how it might impact you: In December, the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act became law. The intent of the legislation is to promote best practices and greater accountability in program and project management across the federal government by creating a formal job series for program managers, developing a standards-based program management policy, encouraging knowledge sharing by creating an interagency council on program management, and designating Program Management Improvement Officer in federal agencies to help enhance the role of program managers. You can read more about how it might impact your work here:
   • Bill text and summary 
   • A summary from CIO
4. Consider certifications: If you’d like to signify your advanced experience in the program management field, consider a professional designation by completing one of these certification programs:
   • The Project Management Institute offers the Program Management Professional (PgMP)® certification. The certification process requires that you have a minimum of a four-year degree, 6,000 hours of project management experience, and 6,000 hours of program management experience or a two-year degree, 6,000 hours of project management experience, and 10,500 hours of program management experience.
   • The George Washington University and TwentyEight Strategy Execution offer a Master’s Certificate in Program Management that requires you to complete seven courses within four years.
   • The Federal Acquisition Institute offers the Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) for individuals at any federal agency who are acquisition professionals and conduct program management activities.
5. Learn how to frame your success: As a program manager, you need to set realistic expectations based on a complete picture of the work in front of you and the resources you have to put your project on the path to success. Here’s one of the most robust resources out there to help you:
   • The Handbook of Program Management: How to Facilitate Project Success with Optimal Program Management

6. Connect with other program managers and find the resources you need: There are a wealth of websites out there that can help you connect with or read about other program managers and learn from their successes and failures.
   • ProjectManagement.com includes 150 wikis outlining techniques and strategies relevant to program managers and a specific section of the website is dedicated to program managers
   • The Project Management Institute also has a portion of its website dedicated to Program Managers

Are you a program manager? What has been most important thus far to ensuring success within the areas you oversee?