Appraising projects and programmes

5.76 Programmes usually form part of a wider organisational strategy and contribute to organisational objectives. The key differences between projects and programmes which should be reflected in the way they are appraised are:13

programmes focus on the delivery of outcomes and projects usually focus on the delivery of outputs

programmes are usually made up of enabling projects and activities

programmes usually have a longer life span, involving a series of projects or stages and take a number of years to deliver

programmes are usually more complex, with a wider scope and provide an umbrella for enabling projects to be co-ordinated and delivered

5.77 Individual projects within a programme are subject to the usual approval, development and processes set out in the HM Treasury Business Case guidance. The existence of a programme business case should shorten and simplify the business case for the constituent projects. In some cases the business case process can be shortened with agreement of the approving authority. Guidance is available to support planning and approval of Agile digital and IT projects.

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13 The differences affect the way they are appraised, approved and evaluated as further explained in HM Treasury Business Case Guidance and the Treasury Approvals Process.