Difference Between Project And Program

There's no denying that Agile teams and their leaders have to respond quickly to opportunities and challenges with new and bold initiatives while organizing the talent around them in today's fast-moving digital world. However, leaders often experience difficulties in deciding whether to implement a new program or a new project to address the respective challenges and opportunities. 

It should be known that a project only deals with a small-scale deliverable within a tight schedule. On the other hand, a program refers to overseeing and organizing several related projects, all leading toward a large-scale deliverable. But there’s more to know about the differences between a program and a project than just the aforementioned concepts, so we're adding an in-depth guide below. 

What do you mean by a project?

A project is defined as a one-time process – either to create a new service or a new product having a certain start & endpoint. A project can also be referred to as an organizational unit dedicated to pursuing a goal, which means the satisfactory accomplishment of creating a product on time, within a specified budget, and thereby meeting the required performance levels.

Generally, a project comprises a specific set of interlinked activities and routines and a definite goal, which must be completed using defined resources and within specific periods. Projects can vary in size—small, medium, or large.

The primary features of a project include:

• Time-bound
• Unique
• Has a purpose
• Dynamic
• Controlled by a team
• What do you mean by a program?

A program can be defined as a framework containing work plans, which further comprises a set of projects that complement each other and are aligned in an ideal sequence to achieve the perfect economies of scale. 

You must learn that in a program, multiple projects are grouped, and the benefit obtained from handling a single program simply supersedes the task of handling multiple projects. The objective of a program is to reach the organization's goals by completing a set of projects together. 

Comparison between Program & Project 

The following chart showcases the basic differences between project and program that you need to know about:

Key features of a project

1. Objectives are straightforward

If you're unaware, a project usually starts by listing all the strategic objectives well-detailedly. The entire project team will be briefed as a singular unit on the project's common goal and their roles in ensuring that those objectives are fulfilled. 

2. More emphasis on the deliverables

Tasks are allocated based on the need for deliverables before the deadline. This means that team members working together on a project are expected to collaborate and complete tasks in a way that's aligned with the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) set by the project manager. 

3. Process matters

Different projects will need different strategies. However, the team should be able to establish and emphasize an approach that the entire team can follow. 

4. Short duration and limited scope

Projects generally tend to have a limited scope and are carried out within a specific period. Even though some projects may carry on for multiple months on a stretch, most tend to be time-bound for completion within some days or weeks. 

5. Handled by a single team

Even though multiple tasks in a project can be delegated to individual team members, a project is usually managed by a single team of individuals. For instance, a project can be assigned to the marketing department, where the tasks are delegated to a five-person copy-writing team. 

Key features of a program

1. More emphasis on the overall outcome

In a program, the emphasis is more on the overall outcome or goal rather than the deliverables. This means that additional attention is provided to the program's direction and recognition of whether it's going precisely as it was intended or outlined beforehand. Projects can sometimes be reorganized, resource wastage reduced, or even new individuals hired to ensure the final objective is achieved. 

2. Properly structured in various phases

Compared to a project, an end date is rarely set in a program because the success or failure of a program depends on the inter-project dependencies. Therefore, the deliverables of each project will finally decide the program's outcome, which means that it can be difficult to predict an end date. Such is why programs are generally structured so that developments can be accommodated as they continue to occur so that strategies could be refined along the way and end dates can be shifted, as required. 

3. Acts as a collection of projects

A program will often contain multiple projects managed by a project management officer, who will also act as a communication portal with top-level management. It is possible that not all of the projects are correlated with one another, but all of them will be taken into account when the key outcome metrics ultimately measure the program's failure or success. 

4. Massive in scope and scale

Since a program contains multiple projects, you can expect it to have a massive scope and scale. Multiple program management professionals will be hired to oversee the progress of an entire program operation – learning its overall reach and effectiveness. Compared to a project, a program is vast. 

5. Flexible goals

As the success or failure of a program depends upon the individual projects, it means that the goals of a program are highly flexible and can be changed based on the needs & requirements of the individual projects. 

How to select between a project and a program?

According to experts, the following set of factors should be looked at before finally deciding which process should be undertaken:

1. The scope

Before deciding which process or method to follow, the scope must be known and whether that scope is loose or right. If you want to adhere to strict timelines for obtaining project deliverables, opting for a project is better. However, if you want to opt for a less-stricter process but want to focus more on obtaining the ideal outcome or goal, then opting for a program makes sense. Moreover, it should be known that in the case of a project, your scope should be aimed at the short term, while for a program, the scope should be aimed at the term. 

2. The departments

If you only need to engage one or two departments to complete the task, opting for a project-based process is better. However, if the task requires multiple parties to collaborate and more than one project management professional, it’s safe to proceed with the program process. 

3. The cost-effectiveness

It must be remembered that a project requires much less manpower and resources to complete than a program. Therefore, if your organization lacks the needed resources, it's better to opt for a project rather than a program. 

Conclusion

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that both programs and projects are highly valuable to any enterprise, and each will have a critical role to play at certain moments. Projects tend to form a crucial component of a program, while the failure or success of a program will easily influence the decision-making upon the individual projects. Therefore, it’s up to the team leaders to decide which one they’d like to choose, based on the circumstances, challenges and objectives
The question of whether one should opt for a program or a project depends on many variables. It should be remembered that what works for a certain kind of scenario one day might not work the same the next. Therefore, proper research and consideration should be undertaken before making the final decision because the process will undermine success or failure. Simpliaxis offers a Project Management Professional (PMP) course, providing comprehensive training to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in project management roles.