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# Initiate a program

A program is a container that groups related projects, proposals, and assets together for collective governance. This section describes how to create a program and configure it.

In this topic:

## Create a program

Follow the steps below to create a program.

Prerequisite:

You must have the Program Management license and either the Edit Programs and Create Programs access grants or Edit All Programs access grant. For details about access grants, see Security model.

To create a program:

1. From the main menu bar, select Program Management > Create Program.

2. Provide the following information for the program:

   Field (*Required) | Description
   --- | ---
   *Program Name | Give the program a name.
   *Program Type | Select a program type for the program. The program type controls: The fields that are displayed in the Details tab of the Program Overview page The workflow that the program goes through to complete its lifecycle The default program settings.
   Program Managers | Select one or more resources to assign as the program managers. Only users with Program Management license are available for you to select.

3. If a user data field has been added to a program, fill the user data field.

4. Click Create.

   The program is created and the Program Overview page opens in the Overview tab.

   Note: If the program process request type specifies some mandatory fields on program creation, the program is created and opens in the Details tab of the Program Overview page, with the mandatory fields highlighted.

## Adjust program settings

You can adjust overridable policies in program settings.

1. Open a program for which you want to change the indicator settings.

2. In the upper-right corner, click the More button ... and then click Program Settings.

   If there is a lock icon in a policy, it means program managers are not allowed to adjust it.

3. For details about each policy, see the following:

   - Financial Management policy
   - Time Management Policy
   - Portfolio Management policy
   - Program Health policy
   - Issue/Risk Request Types Policy
   - Program Security Policy
   - Program Overview Layout policy

4. Click Done to save the changes and close the Program Settings page.

## Configure participants

Program Management defines participants in a program according to the following groups. You configure program participants to classify qualified users that can log time against the program based on the program settings.

- Program managers: program managers take part in program planning and management, overseeing program execution, issue resolution, and budgetary concerns.
- Program milestone owners: owners of program milestones.
- Program resources: resources who work on the program, but do not have to view the program or have the administrative responsibilities of a program manager.

### Add program managers

Go to the program Details tab, and update the Program Managers field.

### Add program milestone owners

See Program Timeline.

### Adding program resources

1. Open the program.
2. On the page, click the More button ... and then click Configure Participants.
3. In the Program Resources section, click Add Resources > Add User if you want to add individual users, or click Add Resources > Add Security Group if you want to add groups of users.
4. Select the desired users or security groups and click OK.

## Enter program details

The Details tab of the Program Overview page contains fields that hold important program information, such as the business unit responsible for the program, or the business objectives the program is designed to fulfill.

- These fields are determined by the program process request type that is associated with the program type where the program belongs.
- You update these fields and move the program through the steps of the workflow associated with the request type.

### Align program to strategic theme

If your program is included in a portfolio that has defined strategic themes, in the Strategy section, align the program to one strategic theme that is applicable.

KPIs related to the business goals that serve the selected strategic theme are listed as relative KPIs. During the program execution, you may need to forecast how much impact your program would make to these KPIs. For details, see Forecast program contributions to KPIs.

## Associate the program to business objectives or strategic themes

You use either business objectives or strategic themes to track what value the program is going to deliver.

To associate the program to a strategic theme | Prerequisite: Your administrator has enabled using strategic themes by setting the parameter `ENABLE_STRATEGIC_THEMES` to `true`. The program is added to a portfolio that has strategic themes added. Open the program in the Details tab. In the Strategy section, Strategic Theme field, select one strategic theme. Strategic themes available for selection are the ones the program's portfolio uses.
To associate the program to business objectives | Prerequisite: your administrator has enabled using business objectives by setting the parameter `ENABLE_BUSINESS_OBJECTIVES` to `true`. Open the program in the Overview tab. In the Business Objective section, click Add. Click the name of the business objective to associate. Note: Clicking the delete icon in front of an associated business objective only unlinks it from the program. It does not delete the business objective.

## Next steps

- Manage program contents

https://admhelp.microfocus.com PPM 8942
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