I said in a previous blog (The Value of a Program of Projects) that projects are a way of ".....pulling one or more of the levers of revenue, expenses or investment in a "controlled" manner. Because projects are a deliberate and "controlled" mechanism that supports proper governance with defined expenditure, risks, schedules and outcomes or benefits."

I just wish to provide more insight into what I said above.

If we accept that every organisation or business has a business plan of some sort and we also make the assumption that the business intent is to grow, change or otherwise move the organisation with or in response to the changing environment. Then we can also assume that the organisation uses its capabilities or competencies to do all this.

These capabilities or competencies are supported by a whole host of systems including marketing and sales systems, client liaison systems, product development systems, human resource management systems, payroll systems, contract management systems and so on.

This is the case even with government departments - they must move with the changes of government/politics, the changes in demography, the social fabric changes of society and so on. I would also hope it is safe to assume that most also have a business plan or strategic plan of some sort.

If a business is to then change or move forward, then it does so generally as part of an intent articulated in its business plan. To do this, a business must also change, modify, obtain or develop new systems, products or services. In some cases plainly, an emergent strategy becomes evident that was not part of the original intent. This doesn't obviate the need to implement changes in systems or capabilities. It is just that the changes may be less planned than anticipated or even desired.

Now ....if a business wishes to change in a "controlled" manner - that is with proper budgetary and expenditure controls, in preferred timelines, with the required benefits articulated and measured and with proper risk management measures in place ...then look no further than using a series of Vehicles to impact those Systems. This is brought together as a rolling program of projects.

Projects are inherently "bounded" to achieve certain things for specific systems in a given time frame and within a defined budget - so they are "targeted" efforts at change. From a corporate governance perspective this is a great mechanism.

I have illustrated this below.

We can look at this from a number of perspectives such as the two below:

• Going from left to right - a business plan is supported or achieved by corporate or organisational capabilities, products, services and/or systems which are in turn added, changed or removed by vehicles.
• Going from right to left - Vehicles add, change or remove corporate or organisational capabilities, products, services and/or systems to support or achieve the business plan.

I hope to provide further insight into these sorts issues further down the track.