The Key Differences Between Program Manager and Project Manager

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Dec 19, 2023 Updated: Dec 19, 2023
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The Key Differences Between Program Manager and Project Manager
Program Manager vs. Project Manager

As businesses progressively implement new working models, there are substantial changes taking place in the project management environment. Due to this adoption's rapid growth, cross-functional remote and hybrid teams are becoming commonplace, and more complicated project management is becoming necessary. To manage these teams, corporations need program and project managers. Program managers and project managers both play comparable positions, although their duties are very different.

In this article, we will assist you in understanding the differences between a program manager and a project manager.

Understanding Projects And Programs

A program is a collection of tasks that a company prepares and oversees to accomplish a certain strategic goal. A strategic objective may be, for instance, improving corporate operations, formulating a marketing plan, or carrying out sales enablement.

A project is a collection of tasks that a team completes in order to produce visible results. To finish a project, teams must make a project plan and distribute resources wisely.

What Is a Project Manager?

Project managers are in charge of specific tasks that advance broad objectives or plans. These projects frequently have clear deadlines and are short-term and specific in order to maintain momentum. While this position is in charge of their own team and is accountable for the efficient completion of their assigned tasks, they also report progress to the program manager.

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What Does a Project Manager Do?

Project managers are crucial in the planning, execution, control, monitoring, and completion of all project-related duties from project planning to project closing. They are responsible for the project's overall scope, team, budget, and resources, and consequently for the project's success. In order to find areas for improvement, a project manager establishes a project plan, assigns tasks, determines the project's scope, establishes timelines, and assesses project deliverables.

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Role Of a Project Manager

The job description for a project manager is more narrowly focused, usually just covering the one or two projects they are selected to handle. Yet, there are different responsibilities that fall under their jurisdiction depending on the project at hand. However, the following duties sum up the primary duties of the project manager, who is in charge of the project management office (PMO), with a key qualification being Prince2 certification.

  • List the tasks that must be completed for the project.
  • Provide detailed policies and regulations for specific project procedures.
  • overseeing project operations, which includes planning, tracking progress, and, if required, resolving problems that could delay the project's completion.
  • Plan out the project's timelines.
  • Inform the program manager of the project's development.
  • Ensure the budget is secured and keep an eye on how the project's resources including people and technology are being used.

Skills Of a Project Manager

  • Communication skills: Project managers must continuously communicate with their teams and stakeholders.
  • Negotiation skills: Project managers serve as the team's point of contact with stakeholders during negotiations. It's critical that they can set reasonable expectations and goals.
  • Project scheduling: Creating realistic project schedules that support efficient task, time, and resource management is a skill that project managers must possess.
  • Task management: Project managers must establish the project's scope, control their team's workload, establish task dependencies, and develop a schedule that accommodates all project operations.

What Is a Program Manager?

Program managers are in charge of managing the complete program, as opposed to project managers. In our conference example, the program manager would be in charge of making sure the conference as a whole is successful. For this job, it's essential to have a thorough awareness of the program's goals and objectives as well as how the success of each project will affect the company's bottom line. To guarantee that each project is consistently and efficiently carried out, oversight of project managers is frequently a crucial component of this function.

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What Does a Program Manager Do?

A program manager coordinates project delegation, supervises stakeholders, coaches project teams, and keeps track of the whole life cycle of the program. Because they affect an organization's long-term growth as well as short-term or standalone programs, program managers have more duties than project managers. Program managers play a strategic role and increase an organization's worth. Program managers are needed by businesses with long-term, highly complex project clusters to manage projects, people, skills, timeframes, and budgets.

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Role Of a Program Manager

The primary responsibilities of a program manager are to define the program that will be implemented in the organization and to guarantee that it is successful. The program manager's duties are fairly comprehensive because they involve monitoring the development of several initiatives that fall under the program. They consist of:

  • Establish program goals and put them into practice.
  • Determines the projects that will be carried out.
  • Establish the program's success metrics.
  • Organize and monitor the program's projects' development.
  • Oversee teamwork amongst project teams.
  • Examine the overall success of the project and the program.
  • Act as a comprehensive source of knowledge.

Skills Of a Program Manager

  • Communication skills: Project managers must engage with a variety of people, including the project team and stakeholders.
  • Leadership skills: Managing the performance of numerous team members, including project managers, project sponsors, and key employees, requires strong leadership abilities.
  • Project budgeting: A program manager must monitor the finances of numerous projects.
  • Resource management: An effective program manager can assign, reallocate, and monitor program resources across projects.
  • Risk management: A program manager is in charge of determining whether a program will succeed or fail. Because of this, this position requires exemplary risk management abilities.

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Program Manager Vs. Project Manager Certifications

Worldwide, there are millions of master's degree holders, which makes it challenging for businesses to identify the proper people. As a result, they favor program managers who have earned the PgMP or MSP Practitioner certifications in managing successful programs. PMP certification, along with PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), and Certified ScrumMaster certification (CSM), are given preference when hiring project managers.

End Note

Although the fields of project management and program management are very different from one another, both positions are crucial for giving clients a seamless experience. 

The ultimate objective should be to successfully provide the goods and services on schedule, within budget, and to the greatest standard feasible, regardless of the kind of project or program you are carrying out. This is doable with the appropriate information, resources, and tactics. If you want to become a project manager or program manager, enroll today in the world-leading online learning platform SKILLOGIC Institute. Skillogic Institute offers comprehensive courses to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful project and program management. Enroll today to enhance your capabilities and achieve excellence in your managerial endeavors.

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