Program Management & Coordination

TL;DR: Coordinates multiple related projects as a unified program to achieve benefits beyond what individual projects deliver alone. Manages program-level dependencies, resource sharing, governance, and benefits realization across constituent projects.

Principio Rector

Un programa no es una colección de proyectos — es un vehículo para entregar beneficios que ningún proyecto individual puede lograr. La gestión de programa agrega valor al coordinar interdependencias, optimizar recursos compartidos, y asegurar que los beneficios del programa completo excedan la suma de los beneficios de cada proyecto.

Assumptions & Limits

• Assumes a formal program charter exists with constituent projects identified [PLAN]
• Assumes each constituent project has its own PM and project plan [SUPUESTO]
• Breaks when constituent projects have no shared dependencies or benefits — use portfolio management instead
• Does not replace project-level management; focuses on cross-project coordination only
• Assumes organizational governance supports program-level decision authority [SUPUESTO]
• Limited to programs with 2-15 constituent projects; larger programs need sub-program decomposition

Usage

# Full program coordination setup
/pm:program-management $ARGUMENTS="--charter program-charter.md --projects 5"

# Benefits tracking only
/pm:program-management --type benefits-tracking --period Q2-2026

# Cross-project dependency analysis
/pm:program-management --type dependency-analysis --projects "proj-alpha,proj-beta,proj-gamma"

Parameters:

Service Type Routing

{TIPO_PROYECTO}: Multi-Program uses full program management; Digital-Transformation manages transformation as a program; ERP manages multi-module deployment as a program; SAFe manages solution trains as programs.

Before Coordinating

1. Read the program charter and each constituent project's charter to understand scope boundaries [PLAN]
2. Glob **/schedule_baseline* across all constituent projects to map timeline overlaps [SCHEDULE]
3. Read the resource plan from each project to identify shared resource conflicts [PLAN]
4. Grep for cross-project dependencies in all project risk registers and dependency logs [INFERENCIA]

Entrada (Input Requirements)

• Program charter with constituent projects
• Individual project plans and schedules
• Program-level benefits definition
• Shared resource pool
• Program governance framework

Proceso (Protocol)

1. Program structure — Define program components and their relationships
2. Benefits alignment — Map how each project contributes to program benefits
3. Dependency management — Coordinate cross-project dependencies at program level
4. Resource optimization — Manage shared resources across projects
5. Program governance — Operate program board and escalation processes
6. Integrated planning — Maintain master program schedule with milestones
7. Risk aggregation — Assess and manage program-level risks
8. Benefits tracking — Monitor program benefits realization progress
9. Change coordination — Manage changes that impact multiple projects
10. Program reporting — Produce program status reports for governance

Edge Cases

1. Single project dominates program resources (>60%) — Rebalance resource allocation or reclassify as project with supporting initiatives. Flag to program board for structural decision [STAKEHOLDER].
2. Constituent project cancelled mid-program — Reassess program benefits model; recalculate whether remaining projects still justify the program. Document impact on inter-project dependencies [PLAN].
3. Benefits realization timeline extends beyond program closure — Transfer benefits tracking to operational owner with defined KPIs and monitoring cadence. Do not close the program without a benefits handoff agreement [METRIC].
4. Cross-project dependency deadlock — Escalate immediately to program board with impact analysis on all affected projects. Propose three resolution options ranked by total program impact [SCHEDULE].
5. New project requests inclusion in program — Evaluate strategic fit, dependency alignment, and resource impact before approval. Require updated benefits case showing program-level value-add [INFERENCIA].

Example: Good vs Bad

Good example — Program dependency map:

Bad example — "Program" that is actually a portfolio: Five unrelated projects grouped under one label with no shared benefits, no cross-project dependencies, and no resource sharing. This is portfolio management, not program management. The absence of inter-project value creation means program overhead adds cost without benefit.

Salida (Deliverables)

• Program management plan
• Program-level schedule with cross-project milestones
• Benefits realization tracking dashboard
• Program risk register
• Program status report

Validation Gate

• Every constituent project has ≥1 mapped dependency to another project in the program [PLAN]
• Benefits realization model shows ≥1 benefit achievable only through program coordination [METRIC]
• No shared resource allocated >80% across combined program demand [SCHEDULE]
• Program risk register contains ≥5 program-level (not project-level) risks [PLAN]
• Cross-project milestone alignment verified with ≤5 days variance tolerance [SCHEDULE]
• Evidence ratio: ≥70% tagged [PLAN]/[SCHEDULE]/[METRIC], <30% [SUPUESTO]
• Every program-level decision traces to a business benefit [STAKEHOLDER]
• Program governance cadence defined with ≥monthly program board sessions [PLAN]
• All constituent project PMs acknowledged program dependencies [STAKEHOLDER]
• Benefits tracking dashboard updated within current reporting period [METRIC]

Escalation Triggers

• Constituent project failure threatening program benefits
• Cross-project resource conflict unresolvable at project level
• Program benefits realization tracking below target
• Program scope creep through project additions

Additional Resources

Output Configuration

• Language: Spanish (Latin American, business register)
• Evidence: [PLAN], [SCHEDULE], [METRIC], [INFERENCIA], [SUPUESTO], [STAKEHOLDER]
• Branding: #2563EB royal blue, #F59E0B amber (NEVER green), #0F172A dark

Sub-Agents

Benefit Stream Integrator

Benefit Stream Integrator Agent

Core Responsibility

Integrates benefit realization across projects ensuring program-level benefits exceed sum of project benefits. This agent operates autonomously within the program management domain, applying systematic analysis and producing structured outputs that integrate with the broader project management framework.

Process

1. Gather Inputs. Collect all relevant data, documents, and stakeholder inputs needed for analysis. Validate data quality and completeness before proceeding.
2. Analyze Context. Assess the project context, methodology, phase, and constraints that influence the analysis approach and output requirements.
3. Apply Framework. Apply the appropriate analytical framework, methodology, or model specific to this domain area with calibrated rigor.
4. Generate Findings. Produce detailed findings with evidence tags, quantified impacts where possible, and clear categorization by severity or priority.
5. Validate Results. Cross-check findings against related project artifacts for consistency and flag any contradictions or gaps discovered.
6. Formulate Recommendations. Transform findings into actionable recommendations with owners, timelines, and success criteria.
7. Deliver Output. Produce the final structured output in the standard format with executive summary, detailed analysis, and action items.

Output Format

• Analysis Report — Structured findings with evidence tags, severity ratings, and cross-references.
• Recommendation Register — Actionable items with owners, deadlines, and success criteria.
• Executive Summary — 3-5 bullet point summary for stakeholder communication.

Cross Project Coordinator

Cross Project Coordinator Agent

Core Responsibility

Coordinates across projects: dependency management, resource sharing, milestone synchronization. This agent operates autonomously within the program management domain, applying systematic analysis and producing structured outputs that integrate with the broader project management framework.

Process

1. Gather Inputs. Collect all relevant data, documents, and stakeholder inputs needed for analysis. Validate data quality and completeness before proceeding.
2. Analyze Context. Assess the project context, methodology, phase, and constraints that influence the analysis approach and output requirements.
3. Apply Framework. Apply the appropriate analytical framework, methodology, or model specific to this domain area with calibrated rigor.
4. Generate Findings. Produce detailed findings with evidence tags, quantified impacts where possible, and clear categorization by severity or priority.
5. Validate Results. Cross-check findings against related project artifacts for consistency and flag any contradictions or gaps discovered.
6. Formulate Recommendations. Transform findings into actionable recommendations with owners, timelines, and success criteria.
7. Deliver Output. Produce the final structured output in the standard format with executive summary, detailed analysis, and action items.

Output Format

• Analysis Report — Structured findings with evidence tags, severity ratings, and cross-references.
• Recommendation Register — Actionable items with owners, deadlines, and success criteria.
• Executive Summary — 3-5 bullet point summary for stakeholder communication.

Program Reporting Aggregator

Program Reporting Aggregator Agent

Core Responsibility

Aggregates project-level reports into program-level dashboards with cross-project insights. This agent operates autonomously within the program management domain, applying systematic analysis and producing structured outputs that integrate with the broader project management framework.

Process

1. Gather Inputs. Collect all relevant data, documents, and stakeholder inputs needed for analysis. Validate data quality and completeness before proceeding.
2. Analyze Context. Assess the project context, methodology, phase, and constraints that influence the analysis approach and output requirements.
3. Apply Framework. Apply the appropriate analytical framework, methodology, or model specific to this domain area with calibrated rigor.
4. Generate Findings. Produce detailed findings with evidence tags, quantified impacts where possible, and clear categorization by severity or priority.
5. Validate Results. Cross-check findings against related project artifacts for consistency and flag any contradictions or gaps discovered.
6. Formulate Recommendations. Transform findings into actionable recommendations with owners, timelines, and success criteria.
7. Deliver Output. Produce the final structured output in the standard format with executive summary, detailed analysis, and action items.

Output Format

• Analysis Report — Structured findings with evidence tags, severity ratings, and cross-references.
• Recommendation Register — Actionable items with owners, deadlines, and success criteria.
• Executive Summary — 3-5 bullet point summary for stakeholder communication.

Program Structure Designer

Program Structure Designer Agent

Core Responsibility

Designs program structure: constituent projects, shared services, governance hierarchy, and dependency map. This agent operates autonomously within the program management domain, applying systematic analysis and producing structured outputs that integrate with the broader project management framework.

Process

1. Gather Inputs. Collect all relevant data, documents, and stakeholder inputs needed for analysis. Validate data quality and completeness before proceeding.
2. Analyze Context. Assess the project context, methodology, phase, and constraints that influence the analysis approach and output requirements.
3. Apply Framework. Apply the appropriate analytical framework, methodology, or model specific to this domain area with calibrated rigor.
4. Generate Findings. Produce detailed findings with evidence tags, quantified impacts where possible, and clear categorization by severity or priority.
5. Validate Results. Cross-check findings against related project artifacts for consistency and flag any contradictions or gaps discovered.
6. Formulate Recommendations. Transform findings into actionable recommendations with owners, timelines, and success criteria.
7. Deliver Output. Produce the final structured output in the standard format with executive summary, detailed analysis, and action items.

Output Format

• Analysis Report — Structured findings with evidence tags, severity ratings, and cross-references.
• Recommendation Register — Actionable items with owners, deadlines, and success criteria.
• Executive Summary — 3-5 bullet point summary for stakeholder communication.