A company is releasing a new product geared toward a specific geographic are a. The program manager has received the program objectives and developed the program roadmap, which consists of six program components. Approval from the program governance board has been obtained. What is the program manager’s next step?

According to PMI’s “The Standard for Program Management – 4th ed.”, once the program roadmap has been completed and approved by the program governance board, the program moves from the Definition phase to the Delivery phase. The very first process in the Delivery phase is “Authorize Projects and Components,” in which the program manager issues component charters, assigns project managers, and allocates the required resources. Stakeholder identification, benefits classification, and the business case are all definition-phase activities that must already be in place before the roadmap can be endorsed.

B. Benefits classification occurs during Benefits Analysis & Planning (Definition phase, §3.2.4.1) and must precede development and approval of the roadmap.
C. Sponsor and key stakeholders are identified while creating the program charter (§3.2.3); they are needed for the governance board that has already approved the roadmap.
D. The business case is the very first Definition-phase deliverable (§3.2.2) and is required to justify creating the roadmap; it cannot follow roadmap approval.

1. PMI. “The Standard for Program Management

” 4th ed.

Project Management Institute

2017:

• §3.2.2

pp. 53-55 – Develop Program Business Case.

• §3.2.3

pp. 57-61 – Develop Program Charter (stakeholder identification).

• §3.2.4.1-3

pp. 64-70 – Benefits Analysis & Planning; Develop Program Roadmap.

• §3.3 & §3.3.1

pp. 73-75 – Program Delivery Phase; Authorize Projects and Components (assign PMs/resources).

2. Hobbs

J.B. & Martel

J. “Program Management Processes: A Comparative Review

” International Journal of Project Management

2017

35(4): 679-690. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.11.007 – confirms transition from roadmap approval to component authorization.