Understanding Programs, Projects, and the Enterprise Program Tree

Programs are initiatives that are composed of one or more projects. Usually a theme is associated with a program, and all the projects that are within the program support that theme. In PeopleSoft Program Management, an enterprise program tree defines the hierarchical relationship of a project business unit's programs and their associated projects. This tree is required to define a program. To establish a program, use the Project - General Information page, and select the Program check box to indicate that you are defining a program, not a project.

You define the enterprise program tree for a business unit by using the Program Management Options page.

A project is a temporary endeavor that is undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Projects can be created by using one of these methods:

• Automatically by the system when you approve a submitted project request.

  You create project requests in either PeopleSoft Project Portfolio Management or PeopleSoft Program Management.

• Automatically by the system when you change a submitted project request to a status of costing.

  When you set project requests that you created in either PeopleSoft Project Portfolio Management or PeopleSoft Program Management to a status of costing, the system automatically creates a project in a processing status of pending.

• By a project manager or similarly designated person.

  You create projects by using the Project Definition component in PeopleSoft Project Costing and PeopleSoft Program Management.

• By the project copy feature, which copies an existing project into another project.

  The copy feature is part of PeopleSoft Project Costing.

• By the project template feature, which creates a project from an existing template.

  The create project from a template feature is part of PeopleSoft Project Costing.

• By PeopleSoft Resource Management.

  In PeopleSoft Resource Management, a service order can generate a project for the purpose of staffing resources to it.

• By PeopleSoft Proposal Management

  In PeopleSoft Proposal Management, the Contract Generation process creates projects and activities based on information that is contained in a proposal.

• By importing project data from Microsoft Project.

  You import projects from Microsoft Project by using the Create Project From Microsoft page in PeopleSoft Project Costing.

To associate projects with a program, you add the projects to the enterprise program tree by using the Enterprise Program Tree page; you can also use PeopleSoft Tree Manager to maintain it.

The data for all projects that are within a program are summarized at the program level, enabling program managers to quickly and easily assess how well a program is progressing. The Program Refresh process (PGM_PROGRFSH) updates project health and program data.