Within a program, which entity is responsible for overseeing the management of risks, opportunities, and issues?

Within a program, which entity is responsible for overseeing the management of risks, opportunities, and issues?

• A. Program manager (PM)
• B. Contracting Officer
• C. Chief Engineer
• D. Technical Lead

Answer: (A)

Oversight of risks, opportunities, and issues across a program is handled by someone who can see how all the related projects fit together and how their risks and opportunities affect the program’s outcomes. The program manager is responsible for governance and benefits realization for the entire program, which includes owning the program’s approach to risk management, maintaining the integrated risk register, and ensuring that mitigation actions and opportunities are pursued across all projects. They coordinate responses to issues that span multiple projects, ensure actions are aligned with schedules and objectives, and manage escalation as needed. This cross-project, program-wide perspective is what makes the program manager the right fit for overseeing risk, opportunity, and issue management. The other roles operate at different levels: a contracting officer handles procurement and contract administration; a chief engineer focuses on technical authority and engineering standards; a technical lead directs technical work within a team. None of these roles carry the program-wide risk and opportunity governance across multiple projects.

Oversight of risks, opportunities, and issues across a program is handled by someone who can see how all the related projects fit together and how their risks and opportunities affect the program’s outcomes. The program manager is responsible for governance and benefits realization for the entire program, which includes owning the program’s approach to risk management, maintaining the integrated risk register, and ensuring that mitigation actions and opportunities are pursued across all projects. They coordinate responses to issues that span multiple projects, ensure actions are aligned with schedules and objectives, and manage escalation as needed. This cross-project, program-wide perspective is what makes the program manager the right fit for overseeing risk, opportunity, and issue management.

The other roles operate at different levels: a contracting officer handles procurement and contract administration; a chief engineer focuses on technical authority and engineering standards; a technical lead directs technical work within a team. None of these roles carry the program-wide risk and opportunity governance across multiple projects.