Work stream or self-contained project?

The decision to organize tasks as a work stream under a project or as a self-contained project reporting to a Programme depends largely on the scope, complexity, and strategic importance of the tasks involved.

Organizing Tasks as a Work Stream under a Project:

A work stream is typically a subset of activities within a larger project that focuses on a specific area, process, or deliverable. Work streams are ideal when:

Scope is part of a larger project: The tasks are interconnected with other activities, and they contribute to the overarching project goals. These tasks are usually specific work components that, together, deliver a part of the project’s outcomes.
Interdependence with other work streams: The completion of one work stream may depend on another, and their success is often linked to the overall project.
Clear leadership within the project: Work streams are managed by team leads or sub-project managers, but they remain under the project’s overall control. They typically report up to the project manager.
Complexity is manageable within the project’s framework: The work stream’s deliverables don’t require independent governance or long-term management beyond the project’s duration.

Example: In a software development project, you may have work streams focused on different modules or features (UI/UX, database design, testing). These work streams feed into the main project timeline and contribute to the project’s success.

Organizing Tasks as a Self-contained Project Reporting up to a Programme:

A self-contained project is suitable when the tasks are sufficiently complex or independent to warrant separate governance, resources, and execution. It reports up to a Programme when:

The scope is significant and distinct: The tasks have a broad scope or an important strategic impact that justifies managing them as a project rather than a component of a larger project.
Independent deliverables: The project has specific goals, milestones, and outcomes that are separate from other projects or work streams within the Programme.
It requires dedicated resources or expertise: The tasks need specialized resources (e.g., technology, personnel, budget) that are substantial enough to justify the overhead of a full project structure.
Longer-term sustainability or follow-up is necessary: The results or outcomes of the tasks require continuous focus, oversight, or even post-delivery management beyond the Programme’s life.

Example: If a Programme focuses on rolling out an enterprise-wide software solution, a self-contained project might focus specifically on data migration. Although part of the Programme, it may require separate planning, budgeting, risk management, and execution processes.

In Summary:

Work Stream under a Project: Use this for tasks that are part of a larger, interdependent project and don’t require independent management or governance.
Self-contained Project under a Programme: Opt for this when the tasks are complex, have distinct goals, require independent oversight, or need separate resource allocation, governance, or deliverables.