Program Management
Managing ten projects is not managing one project ten times. Programs fail on inconsistency: different budget formats, different schedule logic, different reporting, and no way to compare one project against another or to move money between them intelligently.
We build and run the framework that makes a portfolio governable.
One standard across an entire capital program
Public agencies passing a bond measure, districts executing a capital improvement plan, developers phasing a large community, and corporations rolling out facilities all face the same problem. Individually each project may be well run. Collectively, nobody can answer basic questions: which project is actually behind, where is the contingency, and what happens to the program if this one slips.
Program management answers those questions by imposing a single framework and then running the projects inside it.
The framework
- A common work breakdown structure and cost coding used on every project
- One estimating standard, so budgets across projects are genuinely comparable
- A master program schedule with each project schedule linked to it
- Standard contract templates and procurement procedures
- A single monthly reporting format with roll up to program level
- Program level contingency management with defined draw down authority
- A shared risk register maintained across the portfolio
- Consistent document control and records retention
Framework programs for construction management
For agencies and owners that will continue building after our engagement ends, we develop the procedures manual itself: the estimating standard, reporting templates, change order thresholds, schedule specification, and inspection protocols. That framework outlives any one project and any one consultant.
Sequencing and cash flow across projects
The most valuable program level decisions are usually about sequence. Which project goes first given funding availability, agency review capacity, market conditions, and the interdependence of infrastructure. We model those scenarios so leadership is choosing among priced alternatives rather than reacting.
Program level reporting
Leadership receives one report that rolls up every project: budget versus commitment versus expenditure, schedule status, contingency remaining at both project and program level, procurement pipeline, and the three to five issues that actually require executive attention.
Program management scope
- Program governance structure and decision authority
- Standard work breakdown structure and cost coding
- Program budget development and contingency strategy
- Master program schedule and project linkage
- Procurement standards and contract templates
- Consistent estimating and reporting standards
- Project controls systems and document control
- Cash flow modeling across the portfolio
- Program level risk register
- Monthly executive roll up reporting
- Consultant and contractor performance tracking
- Program closeout and lessons learned
What you receive
Every engagement is scoped in writing before it begins, so you know exactly what is being produced and when.
Program execution plan
The governing document defining structure, standards, authority, reporting, and procedures for every project in the program.
Master program schedule
An integrated schedule showing every project, its milestones, its dependencies on other projects, and the program critical path.
Program budget model
Rolled up budget with project level detail, funding source tracking, commitment and expenditure position, and contingency at both levels.
Standards manual
Estimating, scheduling, procurement, change control, reporting, and document control procedures that outlast any single project.
Executive dashboard report
A monthly one document view of the entire program with exception reporting on the projects that need attention.
Scenario analysis
Priced alternatives for sequencing, phasing, and funding decisions, so leadership chooses among quantified options.
Questions owners ask about this service
What size program justifies program management?
Generally three or more concurrent projects, or a single phased program with distinct funding and delivery stages. Below that threshold, project by project construction management is usually sufficient and less expensive.
Do you replace our existing project managers?
Not necessarily. Program management often sits above existing project teams, providing the standards, reporting, and controls while the project managers continue to run their projects. We can also staff project management directly where capacity is short.
Can you manage a bond funded public program?
Yes. We work within public contracting code, prevailing wage requirements, and agency procurement rules, and we understand the documentation standards that bond funded programs must maintain for audit.
How do you handle program contingency?
With explicit rules established up front: how much sits at project level, how much at program level, what triggers a draw, who authorizes it, and how it is reported. Undefined contingency is spent contingency.
Talk to us about Program Management
Send us the project details and we will tell you what a defensible scope of work looks like and what it would cost. Initial consultations carry no fee.
Send us the project
Tell us the site, the scope, and the deadline. Initial consultations carry no fee and no obligation.