How I position an invite to a Programme Forum
Once a delivery function matures, it may find it needs a programme meeting to support and sustain delivery across multiple initiatives that contribute to the same goal.
I typically find that many people do not fully understand the difference between project and programme management.
It is helpful therefore, to position it properly with everyone that has been invited to attend, to make sure they know what to expect and to bring the right stuff for their contribution.
Here is how I do this.
Hi all,
you will have just seen an invite appear in your diaries to attend the bi-monthly Transformation Programme Update, a forum designed to bring together all initiative leads contributing to the transformation roadmap.
This is a programme-level meeting, distinct from your regular project team or steering group sessions. It does not replace those forums. Instead, it provides a space to focus on the bigger picture: align across initiatives, share progress, highlight where dependencies and synergies lie, and collectively track how we’re delivering on the transformation’s strategic intent.
Programme vs Project - why this meeting is different
A programme is made up of multiple initiatives, each contributing in different ways toward our shared transformation goal. Unlike a project, which typically follows a defined path to a specific outcome, a programme is more fluid and emergent. As activity unfolds, new insights often reshape priorities, approaches, and even the definition of success. This requires more regular adaptation and cross-initiative coordination — which is exactly what these updates are designed to support.
Because we’re all working toward the same goal for the business, these programme meetings help us avoid becoming disconnected from the overarching strategy or becoming siloed in our activity. Silos can lead to duplicated effort, missed risks, and lost opportunities to share knowledge that could accelerate progress. This forum is designed to surface those connections and insights early, so we can move faster and smarter together.
Why this meeting matters
Unlike project team meetings (which focus on delivery) or steering meetings (which focus on governance, exceptions and decision-making), this programme update is about alignment, collaboration and benefit tracking. It’s a space to connect the dots across initiatives, ensure we’re moving in the right direction collectively, and surface strategic insights that might otherwise stay siloed but support transformation at scale.
Meeting format
Monthly 1.5-hour session - A deeper dive into initiative progress, interdependencies, risks, and benefit realisation. These sessions will include structured updates and facilitated discussion to surface strategic insights and opportunities.
Monthly 30-minute session - A short, focused check-in to maintain momentum, flag emerging issues, and ensure visibility across the programme.
Occasionally, these sessions may be used:
By myself or a member of the leadership team to share more context about the strategy or rationale behind the transformation.
By an initiative lead to share more knowledge or insight from an initiative, especially if they’ve reached a critical milestone and believe their experience could benefit others in the group.
Window of time
Each session will typically focus on significant updates from the previous 4 weeks, and upcoming activity for the next 6 to 12 weeks.
This allows us to have a tri-directional view of what can be checked off and celebrated, what needs attention now, what’s coming up, and what adjustments may be needed based on recent developments.
What to bring
For the initiatives for which you are the lead, please come prepared to:
Share a concise update on your initiative’s current status – key milestones, blockers, and recent progress.
Highlight any dependencies or risks that could affect delivery across the programme.
Identify support or decisions needed at the programme level.
Report on benefit realisation – what benefits have been delivered so far, what’s on track, and where there may be slippage or redefinition.
Contribute to shared learning, especially if you’ve uncovered insights or approaches that could benefit others.
To give you a sense of how much time you'll have: each 1.5-hour session will typically cover 10–20 initiatives, which means each update will need to be brief and focused - around 5 to 10 minutes per initiative. The emphasis is on conciseness and relevance: share what matters most for programme-level awareness, decision-making, and benefit tracking.