(1.0.P1)

Planning is a part of all programs. The larger the program the more important it is to spend a sufficient time on planning. Before the program work begins, you need to spend time in up-front planning to make sure that the work is properly understood and agreed to. This is not wasted time or 'overhead' time. This is the time the program manager spends ensuring that the program manager and the Program Sponsor have common perceptions of what the program is going to deliver, when it will be complete, what it will cost, who will do the work and how the work will be done.

At the end of a difficult program, the benefits of planning might be obvious. But the benefits are also known ahead of time as well. At a high-level, these benefits include:

• Understanding and gaining agreement on program objectives, deliverables, scope, risk, cost, approach, etc. This ensures that the Program Office and Program Sponsor agree on the work that is required.

• Validating the original Business Case is still valid. When the program was initially approved, the program cost and duration were probably estimated at a high-level – maybe up to ± 50%. After the planning process the estimated costs of the program should have a higher level of confidence.

• Providing high-level schedule and budget baselines from which progress can be compared. This is a result of creating the program schedule and high-level milestone schedule.

• Understanding the relationship between the various projects that make up the program. This might include financial, time or resource linkages that need to be understood before creating a final plan.

• Defining the processes used to manage the program and projects ahead of time. These processes should be created and communicated ahead of time by all interested stakeholders.