How can you create a program quality and assurance framework?
As a program manager, you are responsible for ensuring that your program delivers value to your stakeholders and meets your strategic objectives. However, managing multiple projects, teams, and resources can be challenging and complex. How can you ensure that your program is on track, aligned, and compliant with quality standards and best practices? One way is to create a program quality and assurance framework, a set of processes, tools, and techniques that help you monitor, evaluate, and improve your program performance and outcomes. In this article, we will discuss how you can create a program quality and assurance framework in six steps.
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Tiago GomesPMI PMP® | PMI-ACP® | PMI DASSM® | PMO-CP® | PSM II® | DEVOPS® | ITIL® | I27001IA®| Google Project Management…
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Hariom Singh ᴘʜ.ᴅ. ᴘᴍᴘ® ʀᴍᴘ® ᴍʙᴀTransformative PMO Leader | Simplifier | Problem Solver | Product Partner | Innovation Driver | Operational &…
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Giovanni Sisinna🌟18x LinkedIn Top Voice: Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Cybersecurity, Portfolio-Program-Project Management…
The first step in creating a program quality and assurance framework is to define your program goals and scope clearly and precisely. Your program goals should be aligned with your organizational vision, mission, and strategy, and should be measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Your program scope should outline the boundaries, deliverables, assumptions, constraints, and risks of your program. Having a clear definition of your program goals and scope will help you establish the criteria and standards for assessing your program quality and assurance.
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The framework should evolve over time based on lessons learned and changing circumstances to consistently deliver high-quality results. Training and risk management are essential, and continuous improvement is encouraged through regular feedbacks. Communication with stakeholders and compliance with relevant regulations are also crucial. As mentioned , a program quality and assurance framework is a structured approach to ensuring that a program or project meets its objectives and maintains high standards throughout its lifecycle. Some key steps include defining clear objectives, identifying stakeholders, setting quality standards and metrics,developing a management plan, implementing quality assurance processes, and documenting procedures.
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Your framework for Program Quality and Assurance should be thorough and align well with best practices in the field. Specifically, including clear goal-setting and stakeholder involvement sets the stage for a focused effort. Developing and implementing a tailored plan with metrics ensures accountability and traceability. Evaluative steps and a feedback loop are essential for adaptive management and continuous improvement. It's a robust approach that effectively covers planning, execution, monitoring, and adaptation—key pillars for program success and quality assurance.
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📘 In my experience, aligning the program goals and scope with a quality and assurance framework often necessitates an intertwining approach, allowing for adaptability and scalability based on program needs and shifts. 🔍 Establishing KPIs: A pivotal role in gauging the success and adherence to the predetermined goals and scope. 🔐 Safeguarding Scope Boundaries: Implementing controls that flag deviations from the defined scope, ensuring preemptive action can be taken. 🔧 Embrace Agile: Adopt flexible methodologies like Agile or hybrids to stay adaptable without compromising on goals. 🗂 Employ a Detailed Risk Management Plan: Identify, categorize, and mitigate risks early to stay on track.
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The purpose of Quality and Assurance management is to ensure that all management aspects of the project are working appropriately and that it stays on target to achieve its objectives.
The second step in creating a program quality and assurance framework is to identify your program stakeholders and their needs. Your program stakeholders are the individuals or groups who have an interest or influence in your program, such as sponsors, customers, beneficiaries, partners, vendors, regulators, and team members. Your program stakeholders have different needs, expectations, and preferences regarding your program quality and assurance. You need to identify and prioritize these needs, and communicate with your stakeholders regularly to ensure their satisfaction and engagement.
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Success of every program depends on how it is perceived by the stakeholders, whether it is the end user, quality control or any other partner. Identifying and gathering feedback on what the actual requirements of the program are according to them, goes a long way. Especially in technology programs where the development is based on iterations, the end goal and stakeholder requirements which basically highlights that what benefit, information or purpose will the program present at the end of the day. Establishing requirements/needs report will allow development or execution to be completed in one go rather than going back to the drawing board again and again.
The third step in creating a program quality and assurance framework is to develop a program quality and assurance plan. This document should outline the objectives, standards, and criteria for measuring and evaluating program performance and outcomes. It should also list the roles and responsibilities of the program team and other stakeholders, as well as the activities, methods, and tools for monitoring, controlling, auditing, and reviewing program processes and deliverables. Additionally, it should detail the metrics, indicators, reports for tracking, analyzing, and reporting progress and results. Lastly, it should address any risks, issues, or changes that need to be identified, assessed, and managed throughout the program lifecycle.
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👁️🗨️ I believe that no matter how accurately and correctly we plan activities and processes, the important issue is how reasonable our plan is according to the existing conditions. ⬆ This means that despite the existence of standard conditions and frameworks, we can optimize all things by knowing the current status of the project, so that they can be done with less risk, less cost, and more simplicity and speed. ➡ It is very influential to have specific KPIs and evaluation forms for all departments and activities, but what person or group we assign to do this is much more significant. ↪ Quality control goes back to structures and processes, but to ensure quality we also need evaluation competence down to the micro level
The fourth step in creating a program quality and assurance framework is to implement your program quality and assurance plan. This means that you need to execute your program quality and assurance activities according to your plan, and ensure that your program team and other stakeholders follow the agreed-upon procedures and standards. You also need to collect, document, and store the relevant data and information that will support your program quality and assurance evaluation and improvement.
The fifth step in creating a program quality and assurance framework is to evaluate your program quality and assurance performance. This means that you need to compare your actual program performance and outcomes with your planned program objectives and criteria, and identify any gaps, deviations, or discrepancies. You also need to solicit and incorporate feedback from your program stakeholders and other sources, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or reviews. You should use both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate your program quality and assurance performance, and use various tools, such as dashboards, charts, or graphs, to visualize and communicate your findings.
The sixth and final step in creating a program quality and assurance framework is to improve your program quality and assurance processes. This means that you need to use the results of your program quality and assurance evaluation to identify and implement corrective and preventive actions, as well as opportunities for enhancement and innovation. You should also update and refine your program quality and assurance plan, objectives, standards, and criteria, as well as your program goals and scope, based on the changes and lessons learned from your program experience. You should continuously monitor and review your program quality and assurance processes, and ensure that they are aligned with your program strategy and stakeholder needs.
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