HKSM
Governance Framework
An organized system of policies, roles, and procedures that directs how projects are supervised, controlled, and held accountable.
Key Points
- Defines decision rights, escalation paths, and accountability for project oversight.
- Includes policies, standards, reviews, and stage gates for approvals and compliance.
- Ensures alignment of projects with strategy, risk management, and regulatory needs.
- Operates across portfolio, program, and project levels and can be tailored to context.
Example
A company PMO establishes a steering committee, a change control board, and stage-gate reviews. Major changes require CCB approval, releases pass predefined quality checks, and the steering committee reviews metrics and risks before authorizing each phase.
PMP Example Question
Which action best demonstrates a governance framework in an agile program?
- The development team selects coding standards without external input.
- A steering committee uses stage gates and metrics to approve releases and manage cross-team risks.
- The product owner reprioritizes the backlog during sprint planning.
- The scrum master facilitates daily stand-ups to remove blockers.
Correct Answer: B — Oversight through defined decision points and processes
Explanation: A governance framework establishes oversight bodies, approval criteria, and decision points that guide how work is monitored and controlled across the initiative.
