Program Management: Framework, Strategy, and Planning from Coursera

Businesses report that 80% more projects meet forecast ROI when benefits are aligned with an organization’s strategic goals (PMI). This course provides aspiring program managers (PMs) with the in-demand skills needed to align multiple projects with strategic goals and ensure program success.

Framework, strategy, and planning are essential tools in a PM’s toolkit that provide the structure and roadmap they need to align program objectives with organizational goals.

In this course, you’ll explore the three phases of the program lifecycle and the PM’s critical responsibilities in each phase. You’ll examine how programs align with organizational strategy, while balancing portfolio and operations management. You’ll learn how to implement strategic initiatives in a changing environment, define program activities and key deliverables to ensure success, and include effective risk management strategies.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain valuable hands-on practice through online labs. Plus, you’ll complete a final project that covers a real-world scenario in a practical setting.

Enroll today and build essential skills you need for success as a program manager!

What's inside

Syllabus

The Program Lifecyle

In this module, you will learn about the program management lifecycle in detail. The program management lifecycle is a three-phased process that manages a program from program definition through program delivery and closure. We will explain the various activities that occur in each phase and highlight the program manager’s critical responsibilities. We will also share three checklists to ensure you understand the specific activities essential to the success of each phase.

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Provides aspiring program managers with in-demand skills needed to align multiple projects with strategic goals, ensuring program success

Explores the three phases of the program lifecycle, detailing the program manager’s critical responsibilities in each phase

Examines how programs align with organizational strategy, balancing portfolio and operations management, which is essential for program managers

Includes a final guided project where learners will work on an e-commerce development program, managing a portfolio to enhance a company's online presence

Requires learners to understand the relationship between organizational strategy, program management, portfolio management, and operations management

Reviews summary

Program management: framework, strategy, planning overview

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation for understanding program management concepts. Students frequently highlighted the clear structure and the practical application of frameworks, strategy, and planning. The course is seen as a valuable starting point for those new to program management or looking to formalize their knowledge. The final guided project was particularly praised for allowing hands-on practice and consolidating learning, providing practical experience. While generally well-received, some feedback suggested the content is better suited for beginners and might lack the depth required for more experienced professionals, indicating it serves primarily as a comprehensive introduction.

Course structure and provided frameworks are clear.

"The course structure was very logical, following the program lifecycle made sense."

"Learned about useful frameworks that I can adapt for my own projects and programs."

"The content was organized well, making it easy to follow along."

"Liked how the different phases of the lifecycle were broken down."

Well-suited for those new to program management.

"This is an excellent course for beginners looking to understand the basics of program management."

"If you have little to no experience in PM, this course will guide you through the essentials effectively."

"Found the pace and level of detail perfect for someone just starting out."

"It's a fantastic entry point into the world of managing programs."

Concepts are applicable; project is very helpful.

"The guided project was the highlight for me. Applying the concepts to a real-world scenario made a huge difference in my learning."

"I appreciated the focus on practical tools and strategies that I can immediately use in my job."

"The course content wasn't just theoretical; the project helped me see how to implement these frameworks."

"Getting hands-on experience through the labs and final project was incredibly useful."

Provides a strong basis in core PM concepts.

"The course laid a very solid foundation for understanding the core concepts of program management. I feel much more confident now."

"This course was a great introduction to program management principles. Everything was explained clearly and logically."

"As someone new to this field, I found the course material incredibly helpful and easy to digest. A strong starting point."

"It gave me a good overview of the program lifecycle and how strategy fits in."

May not be deep enough for experienced PMs.

"While good for fundamentals, I was hoping for more advanced topics or deeper dives into complex scenarios."

"If you're already an experienced program manager, much of this course might feel like a review."

"Needed more detail on certain frameworks and execution strategies than was provided."

"Felt it stayed quite high-level throughout."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Program Management: Framework, Strategy, and Planning with these activities:

Review Project Management Fundamentals

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Reinforce your understanding of project management principles, as program management builds upon these foundational concepts.

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Review the key phases of project management.
Study the differences between project and program management.
Practice applying project management tools and techniques.

Read 'The Program Management Office'

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Gain insights into the role and function of a Program Management Office (PMO) and how it supports program success.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'The Program Management Office'.
Read the book, focusing on PMO functions and benefits.
Summarize the key takeaways and how they relate to program management.

Develop a Program Charter

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Practice defining a program's objectives, scope, and stakeholders by creating a program charter for a hypothetical initiative.

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Select a hypothetical program to develop a charter for.
Define the program's objectives, scope, and deliverables.
Identify key stakeholders and their roles.
Document the program charter, including governance and risk management strategies.

Four other activities

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Create a Presentation on Benefits Realization

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Deepen your understanding of benefits realization by creating a presentation that explains the process and its importance in program management.

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Research the benefits realization process in program management.
Develop a presentation outline covering key concepts and examples.
Create visually appealing slides with clear and concise information.
Practice delivering the presentation to refine your communication skills.

Study 'Managing Benefits'

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Enhance your knowledge of benefits management and learn how to optimize the return on investment from programs.

View Fundamentals of Benefit Realization on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Managing Benefits'.
Read the book, focusing on benefits identification, planning, and tracking.
Apply the concepts to a real-world program scenario.

Develop a Risk Management Plan

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Solidify your understanding of risk management by creating a comprehensive risk management plan for a program.

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Identify potential risks associated with a program.
Assess the likelihood and impact of each risk.
Develop mitigation strategies for high-priority risks.
Document the risk management plan, including roles and responsibilities.

Volunteer as a Project Coordinator

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Gain practical experience in program management by volunteering as a project coordinator for a local organization.

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Identify organizations that need project coordination support.
Offer your services as a volunteer project coordinator.
Apply program management principles to real-world projects.
Document your experiences and lessons learned.

Career center

Learners who complete Program Management: Framework, Strategy, and Planning will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Program Manager

A program manager is responsible for overseeing multiple related projects, ensuring they align with an organization's strategic goals, a key focus of this course. They plan, execute, and monitor programs, guiding them from inception to completion. This course helps build a foundation in the program lifecycle, strategy alignment, and risk management, all critical to the success of a program manager. Understanding how programs relate to portfolios and projects, as taught in this course, is essential for making informed decisions about priorities and dependencies, thereby helping the program manager to coordinate multiple components effectively. The final project focusing on an e-commerce development program provides practical, hands-on experience that is directly applicable to this career.

See salaries and explore the career path for Program Manager

Program Analyst

A program analyst supports program managers by collecting, analyzing, and reporting data. This course's deep dive into the program lifecycle and its components can help a program analyst better understand the data they're working with. The course material on strategy, benefits planning, and risk management, while delivered within the context of program management, are highly valuable for a program analyst. Additionally, the course's emphasis on program integration can enable a program analyst to appreciate how different program elements fit together. By taking this course, a program analyst can gain valuable context for performing their duties.

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Portfolio Manager

A portfolio manager oversees a collection of programs and projects, ensuring that they contribute to an organization's strategic objectives. This course helps build an understanding of how programs fit into broader portfolios and how to balance competing demands across different initiatives. The course explores strategy alignment and benefits planning, which are crucial for effective portfolio management. A portfolio manager would find the course content about the program lifecycle, program integration management, and implementing strategic initiatives directly relevant to their role. This course provides a solid grounding in how to manage programs designed to realize maximum business value.

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Strategic Planner

A strategic planner works to develop and implement strategic plans for an organization, and this course helps to build a foundation in how those strategies are implemented through program management. The course's focus on aligning programs with organizational strategy is particularly relevant. A strategic planner will find the discussion of strategic initiative development a key topic. The course also explores the relationship between program, portfolio, and operations management, which can help a strategic planner better understand the practical aspects of strategic planning. The elements relating to risk management are also potentially useful for a strategic planner.

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Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for the planning, execution, and closure of specific projects, and they must ensure they are aligned with an organization's overall program goals. While this course focuses on programs, it covers essential project management skills related to project initiation, planning, execution, and closure. Learning key aspects of the program lifecycle and how it relates to project strategy can be advantageous for a project manager. The course also covers risk management and benefits planning, which are highly relevant for managing projects successfully. By taking this course, a project manager could gain a valuable perspective on how their individual projects fit within a larger programmatic context.

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Change Manager

A change manager is responsible for guiding an organization through periods of transformation; this course may help them apply a program management framework to change efforts. The course covers strategic initiatives in a changing environment, which is highly applicable to change management. The course material on program lifecycles, activities, and deliverables can help a change manager with project implementation. The course's focus on program integration will also be useful. This course may help a change manager understand various methods to help an organization adapt to change by implementing key strategic programs.

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Management Consultant

A management consultant advises organizations on how to improve their performance, and this course may help them by providing insight into program management, essential for many large-scale initiatives. The course provides a solid foundation in how to align programs with strategic goals and to manage the program lifecycle. The course also covers strategy alignment, benefits planning, and risk management, all relevant to a management consultant's work. A consultant will be able to use this information to guide their clients. This course may be particularly helpful for consultants working on implementation projects, and it may improve the advice they give in general.

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Business Analyst

A business analyst works to identify an organization's needs and to propose solutions that meet these needs; a business analyst may find that the broad view of program management is valuable. This course's emphasis on aligning programs with strategic goals means that the course may improve a business analyst's understanding of the overall business context. Although this course is not strictly a business analysis course, topics like benefits planning and risk management are very relevant. The course's focus on the program lifecycle can help a business analyst see how initiatives move from concept to delivery. This course can help a business analyst to appreciate key factors necessary for successful strategy execution.

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Project Coordinator

A project coordinator provides support to project managers, and this course may improve their career trajectory by expanding their understanding of project and program management. The course provides an overview of the program lifecycle, strategy alignment, and key deliverables, which are all relevant for supporting project work. The course also introduces the concept of program integration, which may help a project coordinator understand how multiple projects fit together. This course may allow a project coordinator to see the wider context of an organization's project work, and it may assist them in becoming more effective in their roles.

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Program Coordinator

A program coordinator provides administrative support to program managers. While this course is not focused on administration, it does offer a helpful framework for program execution. The course content on the program lifecycle and key deliverables can assist a program coordinator in understanding the activities they are supporting. The course material on risk management and benefits planning may enhance the coordinator's understanding of the program's objectives. Program integration covered by the course can prove useful for coordinating various aspects of a program. This course provides a program coordinator with the broader context in which their work is situated.

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Product Manager

A product manager is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and execution of a product. They may use this course to better understand the program lifecycle. The course material on program activities and key deliverables can be helpful for a product manager to understand how initiatives are planned and delivered. The course will also help them appreciate the importance of aligning various product initiatives with the organization's overall strategy. While the course focuses on programs rather than products, the course content on strategy, risk management, and benefits planning can be relevant for a product manager. By taking this course, a product manager can appreciate program context.

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Business Development Manager

A business development manager focuses on developing new business opportunities and strategic partnerships. This course's emphasis on strategy alignment and benefits planning can be useful to this role since they must understand the context of business goals. The course's coverage of the program lifecycle and its various phases can provide a framework for business development managers to understand how new initiatives are operationalized. The study of strategic initiative implementation in this course can be valuable for a business development manager who wishes to consider the logistics of such programs. The course, while not directly related, may be a useful support for this position.

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Operations Manager

An operations manager is responsible for the day-to-day activities of an organization. Although their tasks are not about programs or projects, the knowledge of program management can assist them in understanding how various parts of the organization come together. This course emphasizes the alignment of programs with strategic goals and the program lifecycle, which can inform an operations manager about a broader perspective on how various projects are delivered. The course may be useful because a portion of the course deals with the relationship between operations management and program management. Additionally, an operations manager may find the components of strategy, risk management, and benefits management to be relevant to their career.

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Director of Operations

A director of operations oversees a company's daily operations, and therefore they may find it useful to have a working knowledge of how program management overlaps with operations. This course explains the relationship between program management, portfolio management, and operations management. The course also discusses how to implement strategic initiatives in a changing environment, which may be useful to a director of operations. The course material covers the program lifecycle, which may provide a useful framework for the director as it relates to program deployment. They may also find risk management, benefit planning, and program integration to be relevant to their role.

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Chief Operating Officer

A chief operating officer (COO) is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of an organization. While this course is not aimed at the C-suite, having a working knowledge of program management can assist a COO to understand the operations of a particular organization. This course examines the alignment between organizational strategy and program management; this can provide a COO with an understanding of how strategy is implemented. This course also explores the program lifecycle, which may be relevant for a COO who wishes to manage the operationalization of those programs. Additionally, the course's focus on benefits management, program integration, and risk management may be useful for a chief operating officer.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Program Management: Framework, Strategy, and Planning.

Putting Knowledge to Work

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Provides a comprehensive guide to establishing and managing a Program Management Office (PMO). It covers the key functions of a PMO, including program governance, resource management, and benefits realization. This book is particularly useful for understanding how a PMO supports program management activities and aligns them with organizational strategy. It is commonly used as a reference by program management professionals.

Putting Knowledge to Work

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Putting Knowledge to Work

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Fundamentals of benefit realization

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Provides a detailed guide to benefits management, covering the entire lifecycle from identification to realization. It offers practical advice and tools for planning, tracking, and optimizing benefits in programs and projects. This book is valuable for understanding how to align program objectives with organizational goals and measure the success of strategic initiatives. It is often used as a reference by program and portfolio managers.

Fundamentals of Benefit Realization

Paperback

Program Management

Framework, Strategy, and Planning

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Program management: framework, strategy, planning overview

Activities

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