The document provides an overview of program management processes including program initiation, execution, and closure. Key aspects covered include defining program scope, developing a program commitment document, conducting a program initiation meeting, tracking progress during execution through status reports and reviews, and monitoring performance against the program plan to identify needed adjustments. The goal is to deliver the program according to its commitments by coordinating multiple projects and stakeholders.

1. Program Management
Authored by Bhawani Nandan Prasad
(MS Computer Science and MBA)
#1 Program Initiation
A Program is defined as any product / service to customer where there are Multiple Engineering
groups within a Business Unit or across Business Units involved in delivering the solution to the
customers as per their expectations. The Program management is typically found in a Solution
to customer, where Product Genes / Modules / Infrastructure Genes are used as reusable
components. Programs could be any one of the following
a. Where multiple Business Units are contributing products / components to the final
solution delivered to the customer
b. Where multiple projects within the same Business Units are contributing products /
components to the final solution delivered to the customer
c. Where there are customizations to infrastructure components towards the final
solution
d. Where along with the product delivered by one Business Unit, hardware procurement
and infrastructure setup is provided by another Business Units
Program Initiation Phase begins when the customer accepts the proposal after formal demo and
approves the SOW/Contract. The Contract and other commercial documents such as MSAs,
SOWs, LOIs, POs are confidential and is for restricted circulation. The PD/Program Manager

2. prepares a Program Commitment Document based on the SOW / MSA / LOI / PO with budgeted
cost and resources. The Program Commitment Document serves as an internal SOW for the
Program / Project Manager.
This Phase includes steps like appointing Program manager and participating project managers,
identifying the Program methodology, deliverables, identifying and exploring alternatives,
validation of Estimates (L0), identifying the General Skill Requirements essential to execute the
Program successfully, Risk assessment, Mitigation planning and other critical factors affecting
the Program.
Procedure: 0. Handover from Pre-sales
1. Opportunity storyboard with customer business objectives clearly stated
2. RFP
3. Proposal
4. RMW covering all risks area
5. Estimation sheets
6. Inputs for PCD
7. Minutes of meetings held with customer during solution demo with the customer
8. Any other supporting documentation provided by customer that is required for project
execution
9 Documentation provided by Company to customer/demo version no used during fitment
study
10 Solution document with alternatives considered
 Partners involvement
o List down any commitments, responsibilities, communication requirements etc. if
the contract involves a partner

3.  List of Stakeholders from Customer’s end
 List Customer’s personnel interacting during Product fitment study
 Technical handover
[a] Work-in-progress to be transitioned (Eg. Signed off contract, Updated RMW after
identification of additional risks after project is awarded)
[b] Communication Details with Customer and Other Stakeholders
 Customer expectations (explicit and implicit) and Polaris
response/commitments
1. Hardware
2. Software related
3. License
4. Tools
5. Third party integration
6. Information security ( eg ODC specifications, IS trainings, BCP, FTP etc)
7. Language translation
8. SLA, OLAs, Acceptance criteria
9. Unstated customer requirements ( if any )
10. Features
11. Performance
 Open Actions / Other Issues
Procedure:1.Prepare Program Commitment Document (PCD)

4. Sl. # Activities
1 Understand about the Program
Discuss with pre-sales team using the handover note and understand the following
 Proposed estimates and detailed effort estimations
 Risks at the time of proposal
 Unstated customer expectations and Polaris commitments / response
2 Define and Validate Scope of the Program
Define / Validate the scope of the program clearly and the acceptance criteria. Underline
the customer priorities, constraints and preferences in the scope. Document the exclusions
if any.
3 Prepare Contractual commitment Tracker
Understand the signed Contract / SOW / LOI / Purchase order / MSA and translate the
contractual obligations into Contractual commitment Tracker of plan tracker . Document IPR
related points explicitly.
4 Identify Major Milestones and deliverables for the Program
Identify the major milestones for the Program.
Identify the Internal and External Deliverables for the Program based on the SOW.
Identify the development strategy, phases based on project characteristics, costs and
schedules.
5 Identify budgeted project estimates
Identify budgeted effort for the program based on the approved estimates
6 Identify and appoint Project Managers for the contributing projects
Identify and appoint Project Managers and provide orientation on the program.

5. 7 Prepare Program Commitment Document (PCD)
PD/Program manager prepares a Program Commitment Document based on the SOW / MSA
/ LOI / PO with budgeted cost and resources. PCD serves as an internal SOW for the Program.
PCD is mandatory for all programs, regardless of the nature of program, life cycle, billing
type, status of contractual documents (signed or not).
ADD reviews Program Commitment Document with SOW / MSA / LOI / PO to ensure all
relevant aspects are transferred into the PCD.
Approved copy of PCD needs to be handed over to the PMO for P Code creation
Following are the criteria for revising PCD
 Change request impacting the PCD in terms of Scope, budget, timelines
 Significant changes in team composition
 New / Change in commitments
 Amendment to SOW/ Renewal of SOW / Contract / PO / MSA
 For every scope change in roadmap projects
All versions of PCD need to be signed off and maintained.
8 Handover Program Commitment Document
The PD/Program manager hands over the Program Commitment Document to the PMs and
PMO. PMs ensure that the PCD contains the approved effort, timelines and cost budget
within which the program must be executed. The commitment of Program Manager is to
deliver the program as per the PCD.
Procedure:2.Register the Program in Program Management tool
 Create Project code and IP
 Email notification is sent to all relevant stakeholders (HR, BSC Head, ADD, PD/Program
manager, QD, IA team, Finance, Account Manager, PM).
Procedure: 3. Plan for Program Initiation
 Program Startup Checklist
 Revisit Project/Program methodology
 Identify Architecture of the Program

6.  Revisit Project/Program Estimates - Estimation tool
 Revisit Risks - Risk Management Worksheet
 Study Alternate Solutions - DAR
The following items should be considered to evaluate each alternative:
 Impact on the existing environment
 Performance, volume and time considerations
 Alternatives of solution approach
 Effort and resource estimates for the next phase
 Cost/benefit, Pros and cons
 Customer Preferences and Constraints
 Opportunity Cost
 Business and technology risks
 Security / Regulatory / Audit requirements
 Most popular technology in the application area, Customer Preferences and Constraints,
Opportunity Cost.
After considering the Alternatives, recommend the best option along with justifications.
 Prepare Top Level WBS - Program Initiation Report
 Identify Major Skill Requirements of the program - Program Plan Tracker
 Identify the required Development Environment, Testing Environment and other
requirements
 Prepare a draft Program Initiation Report
Procedure: 4. Conduct Program Initiation Meeting

7.  Conduct Bootcamp for Programs
o GATE for Solution Engineering methodology / Waterfall methodology
 Conduct Program Initiation meeting
o Invite senior management based ob project scroring and complexity requirement
such as BSC Head, AD, PM, QD, PACE Team, CTOO SPC, Platform / Practice Head,
Service / Product Quality Head, Head - Operations HR and BSC HR Director, CTO,
CEO, COO etc
 Review / Discuss all these dimensions during the Program Initiation Review
o Program overview, details the scope of the proposed Program/participating
Projects, Budgets, Estimates, Assumptions and Constraints
o Contractual commitments and Acceptance criteria
o CTO contribution - Solution, Design & Architecture, NFR and Infra Genes, all
technology upgrade / porting / migration / re architecture projects (where one
or more applications are expected to be moved to a different technology or
different versions of existing technology)
o Project / service objectives aligning to organization / customer goals
o L0 Architecture
o Design Approach needs to be validated by a panel of experts
o Test approach
o Evaluations of alternatives, recommendation and justifications
o Resource requirements, including Hardware, Software, Staffing and team
composition
o Information Security Management System related checkpoints - ISMS Induction
training, Background check requirements, - Compliance and Security
Requirements of the customer, Data Classification and IP Protection
requirements, Physical Security and Safety requirements, Software / Hardware
Governance, Compliance and Security Risks, BCP Requirements, Customer
insisted Audits

8. o Major Milestones and Project Deliverables. List of hard copy deliverables to
customer based on customer's printing policy
o Issues during Presales handover, Critical Issues highlighted in the Start-up
checklist, if any
o Risk assessment and mitigation planning
o Various customer touch points and the interaction model
o Consider the need for a kick-off meeting with the customer for Konark projects.
As part of kick-off with customer, governance model to be presented, must
include steering committee meeting frequency, and stakeholders commitment to
be obtained.
 Program Initiation Workshop / Meeting must be completed within 1 week from the
project commencement.
 Obtain commitment for the project milestones / deliverables / timelines from all
relevant stakeholders preferably a sign off mail from all stakeholders.
 Update the Program Initiation Report with the deliberations and action points of the
initiation Workshop / Meeting.
 Prepare Program Management Plan
Make sure the following are ready post Program initiation ton start Program execution
 Approved Program Management Plan
 Program and participating projects registered in tools
 Approved Program Commitment Document
 Program and Support delivery Model
 Quantitative Quality Plan
 SCM Plan
 Risk Management Plan
 Checklists and trackers
 Review Status Report
 MOM

9. #2 Program Execution
The Program Execution Process is used to continuously assess the progress of the Program
vis-à-vis the program management plan and ensure that the all participating teams are making
satisfactory progress towards the Program goals. The purpose is to track all major program
variables - cost, time, scope, and quality of deliverables.
The overall objectives of the process are to:
 Track and review actual program accomplishments and results to Program plans.
Revise the Program plan to reflect accomplishments thus far, and to revise the plan for
remaining work, if needed.
Provide visibility into progress as the Program proceeds, so that the team and
management can take corrective action early when program performance varies
significantly from original plans.
 This phase involves executing the program management plan and taking
corrective action whenever the program deviated from the plan. In other words, it
involves tracking and controlling the implementation of the project Plan. This phase
incorporates many periodic tasks, such as monitoring project quality and status and
taking corrective steps, if necessary.
Perform Regularly
o Status Monitoring and Control of the program
o Reporting the status to the participating BSCs as planned.
o Conduct Progress Reviews and Communicate with Stakeholders
o Conduct Program Reviews
o Conduct Steering Committee Meeting
o Manage Requirement Changes
o Manage Handovers in the team
o Maintain Program Plans with Corrective actions and revision of program plans

10. o Monitor Commitments
o Monitor Risks
o Monitor the Configuration management activities
o Monitor compliance with the standard organization Process through Quality
facilitation reviews and internal audits
o Monitor Issues and take corrective actions to closure
o Build Interaction Model
Manage Tailoring Options
 Identify situations under which some of the procedures or steps mentioned in the process can be
tailored such that it benefits the project in terms of efficiency and productivity.
Program Management Plan contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose & Objectives
1.2 Target audience
1.3 Organization of the document
1.4 Glossary
1.5 References
2 Program Overview
2.1 Business Objectives and general overview
2.2 Problems with the current system
2.3 Scope of the Proposed Solution
2.4 Benefits Realization
2.4.1 Customer Benefits

11. 2.4.2 Company Benefits
2.5 Contractual Commitments
2.6 Stakeholder Involvement
2.7 Program Mission
2.8 Lifecycle Model
2.9 Exclusions
2.10 Acceptance Criteria
2.11 Budgets, Estimates and Schedules
3 Proposed Solution
3.1 Summary of Alternatives
3.2 Recommended Alternative and justification
3.3 Artifacts referred from PAL & Learnings from Role model program
3.4 Critical dependencies and success factors
3.5 Performance Considerations
4 Program Organization & Resource requirements
4.1 Program Organization
4.2 Support Organization
4.3 Solution implementation model
4.4 Governance Model
4.5 Client Interaction model
4.6 Resource requirements

12. 4.7 Infrastructure requirements (Hardware, Software and others)
4.7.1 Hardware requirements (Including desktops)
4.7.2 Software Requirements
4.7.3 Other Requirements
5 Tools and Components
5.1 Re-useable Component
5.2 Training Requirements
5.2.1 Business
5.2.2 Technical
6 Major Milestones and Deliverables
6.1 Major Milestones
6.2 Deliverables (Internal/External)
7 Risks and Mitigation Plan
8 Program Monitoring and Control
8.1 Assumptions
8.2 Dependencies
8.3 Constraints
8.4 Tracking and control Mechanisms

13. 9 Issue Management
9.1 Issue Tracking
9.2 Issue Escalation
10 Program Standards
10.1 Technical Standards
10.2 Performance Standards
10.3 Tailored Options
10.4 Deviations
10.5 Program specific process
10.6 Process improvement
10.7 Knowledge management
10.8 Program closure plan (plan for handover to PEG post warranty support)
10.9 Sign off
Program Management Flowchart

15. Program Monitoring, Review and Closure
Monitor the actual values of the Program planning parameters against the Program management plan
like the attributes of work products and tasks, schedule, cost, effort, size, etc., Monitor involves
measuring the actual values of the above Program planning parameters, compare the actual values to
the estimates in the plan and identify the significant deviations.
Recording actual values of the Program planning parameters includes recording associated contextual
information to help understand the measures. An analysis of the impact that significant deviations have
on determining what corrective actions to take is handled is described in the procedure.