---
title: Working with Program Management
slug: neurons-for-itsm/admin-user-help/enu/latest/working-with-program-management
createdAt: 2026-07-14T19:16:48.461Z
---
## About Programs
A Program is a group of related Projects managed in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually. Program management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet program requirements.
Programs allow Portfolio, Project, and Demand Managers to group Projects into logical groups or to a specific initiative within the company (example: You could use a Program to group together all Projects that are developing features for Product A, or all those that use SQL).
A Program can be a long-lived entity that has Projects refined and added to it over time. It doesn't have to start and end with a specific set of Projects; it can continue until a certain goal is reached.
When managing budgets, the Estimated Effort and Planned Effort for all Projects are rolled up to the Program. Likewise for the total Allocated Budget, Consumed Budget, and Remaining budget - they are all rolled up to the Program.
## Using the Program Workspace
- [Getting Started in the Program Workspace](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un)
- [Adding Overview Information for a Program](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un)
- [Completing the Details Tab](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un)
- [Link a Portfolio Budget Plan from the Portfolio Budgets Tab](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un)
## Getting Started in the Program Workspace
Follow these steps to create a Program:
1. Log in to the application as a Portfolio, Project, or Demand Manager.
2. Open the **Program** workspace. The system displays a list of Programs.
3. Do one of the following:
- To view or edit an existing Program, open a Program.
- To create a new Program, click **New Program**.
4. [Adding Overview Information for a Program](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un).
5. [Completing the Details Tab](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un).
6. [Link a Portfolio Budget Plan from the Portfolio Budgets Tab](docId\:CItul6LcAuWZec6y-k3un).
7. Click **Save**.
## Adding Overview Information for a Program
:::hint{type="info"}
Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk.
:::
| Field | Description |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name\*** | Provide a unique name for the Program up to 255 characters long. |
| **Summary\*** | Provide a description of the Projects or the goals of this Program. |
| **Owner** | Click on the magnifying glass to search for an existing Program Owner.
Click on the arrow and select **Add New, Edit** or **Go To** to see an employee's record. |
| **Sponsor** | Click on the magnifying glass to search for an existing Program Sponsor.
Click on the arrow and select **Add New, Edit** or **Go To** to see an employee's record. |
| **Status** | Select the status of the Program from the drop-down list. Choose from: **Initial, Active, On Hold, Cancelled, Closed**. |
| **Strategic Objective** | Strategic Objectives set the major benchmarks for success. Click on the magnifying glass to search for an organizational goal that helps to convert a broad vision into more specific plans and Projects. Click on the arrow and select **Add New, Edit** or **Go To** to see the Strategic Objective record. |
| **Alignment To** | Select from **Portfolios** or **Program**.
What you select determines the route/mechanism for rolling up of Effort and Budget from Projects, via Program, and into a Portfolio. The content of this drop-down list changes dependent on whether you are creating a Program, Portfolio, or Project.
When you select from the list, the tabs underneath also change to reflect what you can select from. For example, if you select Program, you see a Major Program tab. Click **Link** and you are shown only those programs with different alignments ie. the permitted ones. You only see Programs aligned to a Portfolio.
The field is unavailable if there is already a link to a Portfolio. Click **Unlink** if you want to change the relationship.
Refer to [Relationships Within PPM](docId\:alxFzKC2V9DpbnPyeKCE4) for an overview of how relationships work with budgets. |
| **Start Date** | Choose a start date for the Program from the calendar. |
| **End Date** | Choose an end date for the Program from the calendar. |
## Completing the Details Tab
| Field | Description |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ### Budget | |
| **Allocated** | Read only field calculated by rolling up the **Allocated Budget** values from linked Projects and Sub-Programs. |
| **Consumed** | Read only field calculated by rolling up the **Consumed Budget **values from linked Projects and Sub-Programs. These are the costs consumed by the linked Projects. |
| **Remaining** | Read only field calculated by rolling up the **Allocated Budget **values minus **Consumed Budget** values from linked Projects and Sub-Programs.
**Note:** This field is red if the project is over-budget. |
| ### Effort | |
| **Planned (Hours)** | Read only field calculated by rolling up the** Planned Effort** values from Tasks within linked Projects, and Sub-Programs (with other linked Projects). |
| **Estimated (Hours)** | Ready only field calculated from the **Estimated Effort **values from the Project Phase and the associated Resource plan. |
| **Actual (Hours)** | Read only field calculated by rolling up the** Actual Effort** values from Tasks within linked Projects, and Sub-Programs (with other linked Projects). |
| ### Health | |
| **Schedule** | Select from **On Track, At Risk, Off Track** to reflect the health of the Program schedule. |
| **Program** | Select from **On Track, At Risk, Off Track** to reflect the health of the Program itself in terms of Project completion. |
| **Budget** | Select from **On Track, At Risk, Off Track** to reflect the health of the Program budget. |
### Link a Portfolio Budget Plan from the Portfolio Budgets Tab
1. Select the **Portfolio Budgets **tab.
2. Click **Link**.
3. Select your Portfolio Budget Plan if it is already listed, or select the **Custom Search** option to search for a Portfolio Budget Plan using fields and expressions.
4. Click **Select**.
5. Click **Save **to save the Program.