10 Commandments of Quarterly Planning: Principles of Program Management

Effective quarterly planning is essential for program management success. Here are 10 commandments to guide you, incorporating the planning rate formula and other relevant details:

1. Define Goals & Objectives: Align program goals with the organization's overall strategy.
2. Identify Deliverables & Dependencies: Determine deliverables and interdependencies between teams/projects.
3. Allocate Resources Effectively: Allocate resources (budget, personnel, equipment) effectively across teams, considering project priorities and team capacity.
4. Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Create a hierarchical WBS that breaks down the program into smaller, manageable tasks.
5. Schedule Development: Develop a realistic schedule for each quarter, considering task dependencies, resource availability, and buffer time for unforeseen issues.
6. Risk Management: Identify potential risks that could impact the program and develop mitigation plans to address them.
7. Communication and Monitoring: Establish clear communication channels and reporting procedures to track progress, identify any issues early, and ensure stakeholders are informed.
8. Performance Measurement: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress towards goals and objectives, and regularly review and adjust the plan as needed.
9. Utilizing the Planning Rate: The planning rate formula helps estimate the number of story points a team can complete based on their capacity and historical data. Here's the formula: Planning Rate = Planned story points / Team capacity (in hours) = Story points completed / Annual headcountBy calculating the planned story points, team capacity, and annual headcount, you can estimate the number of story points a team can realistically complete within a specific timeframe.
10. Additional key factors to consider: Total Budget, Number of Teams, average team size, Average Backlog Budget per team, Average Salary per person.

By following these commandments and considering the key factors, you can create effective quarterly plans that set your program up for success.