The program architecture plan, while in the exposure draft of the Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008), has been removed from the final edition. We have kept it here as a reminder of the program-level architecture con-siderations, but we appended the word baseline to its name, indicating that its nature is indeed a baseline, rather than a plan to produce a baseline. This base-line (Figure 5.10) is prepared in the develop program architecture process in the Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008).
Program Architecture Plan—Baseline Instructions
The program architecture plan—baseline includes the following:
Purpose: A brief introductory statement defining the purpose of the architec-ture plan —baseline, such as:
The architecture plan —baseline describes the structure of projects and other components in the program as it relates to delivery of the capabili-ties necessary to ensure the program realizes its expected benefits.
The architecture plan—baseline sets the stage for the development of the program work breakdown structure, as it shows the technical relation-ships among the various components of the program. It builds on the
Program Management Life Cycle: Program Setup Program Architecture
Figure 5.10 Program architecture plan—baseline.
The Program Setup Phase 113
initial program requirements and defines the structure of the program components and their interactions and dependencies. As the plan is pre-pared, it may be appropriate to conduct some trade-off analyses of differ-ent architecture approaches since differdiffer-ent approaches will have differdiffer-ent cost implications.
This plan then is used to show where the program is expected to be at a certain time, how it will get to this point, and how stakeholders will know the program is successful. Serving to provide direction to manage the relationships across the various program components, this plan provides a consistent archi-tecture. It also shows how the projects and nonproject work in the program will deliver the capabilities needed to achieve the program’s benefits. It also helps in providing direction as the program’s initial cost estimates are prepared.
Once the plan is approved, an architecture baseline is established. In the Project Management Institute’s Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008), this baseline is an output of the develop program architecture process. It is an input to the following processes:
Manage program architecture
Manage component interfaces
Monitor and control program scope
Monitor and control program risks
Estimate program costs
Budget program costs
This plan is an iterative document and should be reviewed periodically by the program management team, other key stakeholders, and the members of the governance board, as the work of the program continues throughout the various phases in its life cycle, especially when there are schedule, financial, and other program changes. If there are changes, a change request form should be prepared and processed. These changes may result in a need to update the architecture plan—baseline and may affect various projects in the program.
Program structure: This section describes the structure of the program in terms of its various components. The section discusses each component’s charac-teristics, timing, deliverables, and interfaces and states how the components relate to one another in terms of dependencies. It shows the order in which the program’s incremental benefits are planned for delivery. Various compo-nents will relate to one another in different ways. It is then used to establish a baseline so changes to it can be actively tracked and monitored to ensure that risks or threats to the program and its components are minimized.
114 Implementing Program Management: Templates for Success
Management approach: This section describes the approach the program man-agement team plans to use to manage the relationships among the program components, both projects and nonproject work, so the architecture is con-sistent as deliverables are completed, and benefits are realized, in order that changes to the baseline are not required. It describes roles and responsibili-ties of the program management team and the project managers to not only develop the program architecture but also to keep it up to date. The program management team may need to perform trade-off analyses since different architectures will have different schedule and financial considerations.
Change management: Because changes are inevitable in programs, and because components will be added during the program’s life cycle and other compo-nents will be completed or terminated at various times, this section describes the process to follow to update the architecture plan—baseline as required.
Issues that occur during the program also may result in a need to update this plan. Change requests should be submitted following the program’s change control process. As the change requests are analyzed and possibly approved, it may be apparent that changes to the program’s architecture also may affect the schedule, financial status, product deliverables, and program documents as appropriate. These changes then may lead to the need to update the pro-gram management plan.
Approvals: This section contains the written approval of the architecture plan—by the program sponsor, program manager, program management office, members of the governance board, and any other key stakeholders as appropriate.
Program Architecture Plan—Baseline Template
<Insert Program Name>
Architecture Plan
Program name:
Program manager: PM’s email address here as a hyperlink Program sponsor:
Actual start date:
Approved end date:
Program no.:
Revision history:
Business unit:
The Program Setup Phase 115
A. PurPoSe
A brief introductory statement defining the purpose of the architecture plan—
baseline such as:
The architecture plan—baseline describes the structure of projects and other components in the program as it relates to delivery of the capabilities necessary to ensure the program realizes its expected benefits.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
B. ProGrAM STruCTure
This section describes the structure of the program in terms of its various com-ponents. It discusses each component’s characteristics, timing, deliverables, and interfaces and states how the components relate to one another in terms of dependences. It shows the order in which the program’s incremental benefits are planned for delivery.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
C. MAnAGeMenT APProACh
This section describes the approach the program management team plans to use to manage the relationships among the program components and describes the key roles and responsibilities of the team to develop the architecture and to keep it up to date.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
D. ChAnGe MAnAGeMenT
This section describes the process to follow to update the architecture plan—
baseline as required.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
e. APProvAlS
This section contains the approval of the architecture plan—baseline by the pro-gram sponsor, propro-gram manager, propro-gram management office, members of the governance board, and other key stakeholders as required.
116 Implementing Program Management: Templates for Success
SignatureSand date approval obtained
Program manager ____________________________________
Program sponsor ____________________________________
Program management office director ____________________________________
Governance board chairperson ____________________________________
Governance board member 1 ____________________________________
Governance board member 2 ____________________________________
Governance board member N ____________________________________
Stakeholder 1 ____________________________________
Stakeholder 2 ____________________________________
Stakeholder N ____________________________________