A Pharmaceutical Company Establishes a Program Office

A key department within one of the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical companies identified a number of initiatives for completion over a three-year time span. Department leaders understood that while some teams had development experience, the project control and discipline required for successful implementation was insufficient. Management engaged West Pole to support the development of a framework for coordination across initiatives. Additionally, management sought more effective leveraging and deployment of project management resources across the department.

A Framework for Project Coordination

West Pole led the development of a framework by meeting with key stakeholders. Ultimately, West Pole and the client team proposed the creation of a Program Office, within which the department would consolidate coordination of the initiatives. West Pole’s contributions to the proposal, which later became the basic manual for the Program Office, included the design of two alternative development approaches, creation of a phased release schedule, and development of document template standards. Additionally, West Pole supported management in identifying and specifying key roles needed for staffing the Program Office. Subsequent to the establishment of the Program Office, West Pole continued in an advisory role, assuming management responsibility for a portion of the project portfolio.

Organizational Structure That Pulls it All Together

Staffed by both client colleagues and West Pole team members, the Program Office successfully coordinated all project plans for the initiatives, allocated team members to individual projects, and served as a central office for architecture repositories. The Program Office continues to operate as a nexus for reviewing overall program status, discussing new approaches, and reviewing the corporate operating model. Additionally, the Program Office serves as both a centralized resource pool for project management and requirements analysis within the department, and as a conduit for communication with executive sponsors of the initiatives.

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