Difference between project manager and program manager roles

He or She coordinates the time, budget and resources needed to complete the work within the program guidelines. Moreover, he reports to the Program Manager on progress and any changes made to the initial project plan. The role of the project manager is more tactical than that of the program manager. If program managers are architects, project managers are like team leaders. A project manager focuses mainly on the execution and management of the functional elements of the project , this includes meeting deadlines, respecting the budget, delegating activities and achieving results.

Once the project has been completed and its goal has been achieved, the role of the project manager, with respect to that single project, ceases.

One can think and believe that a program manager possesses a wider range of skills and power with respect to a project manager.

In reality, a program manager must wear different glasses in order to look at the program from different perspectives and thus have an overview. Through these different perspectives, the correct identification and segregation of individual projects arises in order to achieve the company goal. Once these perspectives are established and segregation is carried out, the role of project managers becomes prevalent. Project managers do not need glasses to get a general vision, but rather they focus on the goals of the project and manage the process and the workflow that can lead to the success of the single project.

After listing the main differences between these two professional roles, it remains only to mention a great resemblance between the two. Did you know the difference between project manager and program manager?

Do you believe there are further noteworthy differences between these two? Leave us your opinion. Skip to content. This means that running a program is far more complicated than overseeing a single project which means that different skill sets and objectives apply when it comes to managing the overall effort.

To put it another way, a project is a temporary effort that has a singular goal while a program is several projects grouped together because of their general similarities.

For example, a marketing campaign may be considered a program that promotes several different projects that include traditional media, promotions, social media, public relations, and more.

This is the leader of a department or section that oversees several projects that fall along the same general lines. So, someone who is head of marketing for a company would be a program manager running the different projects that fall under the advertising campaigns. Their job would be to define and initial the projects necessary to reach a specific goal for an overall program.

They choose the leaders of each project, focus on the overall strategy, and make sure that the projects are completed by the deadline. A project manager runs the individual project under the program manager. They help set up, initiate, budget the time and resources needed to complete the project on time.

They also delegate tasks within the project to different people. If a program manager is a General, then the project manager is a Captain or Major leading a smaller force within the larger organization. The program is to build a house to live in. The different projects within this program could be wiring the electrical connections, installing the plumbing, making doors and windows, etc.

While developing tools and IT solutions for our clients, the QuickScrum team is mindful of the program-project distinction. All our intelligent tools offer different dashboards, views, and analytical parameters for data insights, related programs and projects. Both the program manager and project manager are critical roles in an organization. A program manager is responsible for defining the strategy and objectives of a program.

They outline the vision that the organization hopes to achieve with the successful completion of the program. The program manager also spells out the list of related projects that will comprise the program. Taking our example of building a house forward, we can say that the program manager is the architect who creates the blueprints and floorplan for the house. Just as an architect would not be engaged in painting the house walls, the program manager does not work directly on projects within the program — but oversees everything.

They are responsible for hiring the right people who will work on the program, defining a budget, determining the returns on the investment, strategizing and other initiatives that impact several projects at once. The program manager is supposed to look at the big picture and think of the broad impact the program can make on the organization. The program manager is responsible for overall company goals. Their focus is internal and external to ensure that best practices are followed, processes are efficient and effective communication with customers.

Program manager s should be clear about the strategic direction of the organization and take decisions accordingly. Program manager s create a roadmap spanning the entire length of the program.

This includes defining the different projects within the program and creating a plan for them. Program manager s deal with metrics that describe the ROI of the entire program. This includes estimating the associated risks, planning for risk mitigation, and resource utilization.