CHAPTER 3: DEFINING PROGRAMS

Key Concepts

ExamplesScopeService characteristicsOutcome patternTarget GroupsOutcomes

Self-Assessment

0/10 completed

Before moving to the next chapter, ensure you can:

Create a complete program definition with all seven components?Write a clear, outcome-focused program purpose statement?Define program scope with explicit inclusions and exclusions?Identify target groups and document their characteristics?Define measurable outcomes with baselines and targets?Apply the scoping decision framework to determine program boundaries?Classify programs using multiple classification schemes?Distinguish programs from services, projects, initiatives, and organizational units?Identify and document program hierarchies and relationships?Evaluate whether a program definition is clear, complete, and useful? **If you answered "yes" to 8-10**: You can define programs with architectural rigor. You're ready to build logic models and alignment models. **If you answered "yes" to 5-7**: You understand program definition concepts but may need practice applying them. Work through the exercises with real programs. **If you answered "yes" to <5**: Re-read the sections where you're uncertain. Program definition is foundational - the clarity you build here makes everything else easier.

Reflection Questions

Apply these concepts to your own context:

1. **Definition Discipline**: How well are programs defined in your organization? Do programs have clear purpose statements, scoped boundaries, and measurable outcomes - or are they vaguely described?

2. **Naming Clarity**: When people in your organization say "program," do they mean ongoing value-creation programs, or do they also use "program" for projects, initiatives, organizational units, and services? What confusion does this create?

3. **Scope Challenges**: What drives program scope in your organization - outcome logic (right-sized), organizational boundaries (silo-driven), or historical accident ("we've always grouped these together")? What's the impact?

4. **Classification Utility**: Would classifying your programs (by intervention type, delivery model, complexity) provide useful insights? What would you learn? How might it change resource allocation or strategy?

5. **Hierarchy Clarity**: Does your organization have a shared understanding of program hierarchies, or do people disagree about which programs are "under" which others? How does this affect coordination and governance?

Learning Objectives

Key Concepts

Self-Assessment

Reflection Questions