For a program to operate efficiently, everyone must understand and accept their respective roles and responsibilities. A sound governance structure provides the framework needed to enable timely and effective decision-making to meet objectives throughout the life of the program. The DoD 5000 Series provides detailed guidance on the structure and operation of governance for all acquisition programs in the Department of Defense.

The cornerstone for keeping a program moving in the right direction is participation by the right stakeholders at the right time. The basis for accomplishing this feat is a governance structure that:

• Defines the roles and responsibilities for participants.
• Maps decision authorities as well as escalation channels and processes.
• Addresses transition issues.
• Identifies the relationships of various parts of the organization to the program.
• Specifies the approvals required at key decision points in the program's life cycle.
• Describes the mechanisms for effectively managing change and resolving issues.

Components of a program's governing body include Government contracting and program personnel and their counterparts in the contractor's organization. Depending on the value and complexity of your program, the governance framework might also include a senior management steering committee, integrated product or solution teams (customers with a stake in successful performance), as well as experts to ensure that functional considerations are also addressed.

When captured in the Program Management Plan, your governance structure should communicate a clear vision of the program's mission to customers, sponsors, and other stakeholders. It should frame an integrated, team-based approach, from requirements identification through hand-off for program execution. The governance framework should also emphasize the use of available and certified tools, templates, and processes to maintain a shared understanding of program objectives, requirements, and status. As the program matures, the processes for governance will likely evolve -- therefore, treat the Program Management Plan as a "living document" and update it to reflect governance changes over the life of the program.

The governing body of your program sets priorities, reconciles competing interests, monitors progress and makes decisions to ensure delivery of the intended outcomes. The governance process keeps program participants and stakeholders focused on a disciplined way to manage change and risk, as well as understand the progress toward desired results. When everyone understands what is expected of them at which points in the program's development, then the program team will have access to the right resources and information to be able to develop or transition to the right acquisition strategy.