International Journal of Health and Economic （国际卫生和经济杂志》上）.pdfVIP

International Journal of Health and Economic Development, 1(1), 1-7, Jan. 2015 1 Ten Core Competencies of Program Managers: An Empirical Study Dr. Victor S. Sohmen, Dr. Christina K. Dimitriou Drexel University, USA vsohmen@, ckd39@ ABSTRACT Competitive firms today are managing change and responsiveness to a competitive environment through effective portfolio, program, and project management. At the macro level, programs require the vision to align program goals with the strategic objectives of the organization. While project managers lead the work on inter-related projects comprising the program, the key responsibility of program managers is to ensure alignment of the individual projects with the goals of the program. Program managers view this responsibility as being strategic in nature, and playing an essential role in managing the implementation of the strategic goals of the organization by ensuring that the mission is achieved through the successful completion of planned programs. Through the execution of various programs, they direct the strategic plan of the firm. In this context, program management requires essential core competencies towards achieving program success. For this research, several program managers from diverse industries were interviewed to identify a set of core competencies in program management that have consistently contributed to program success—and by extension—project success. As a follow-up to this primary research, a wider, quantitative study is planned to formulate a framework of core competencies that are applicable across industries—and quite possibly transcending