{"id":67304,"date":"2025-10-06T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/?post_type=article&p=67304"},"modified":"2025-10-06T11:05:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T05:35:12","slug":"college-is-a-crash-course-in-programme-management","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/kn-in\/article\/humour\/college-is-a-crash-course-in-programme-management\/","title":{"rendered":"College is a crash course in programme management"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a newly appointed programme manager in the development sector feels oddly similar to being a student who has recently started college and moved into a hostel. Suddenly, you’re expected to juggle quite a lot, with limited resources, while being surrounded by unpredictable people.  <\/p>

1. Promises <\/h3>

College life: <\/strong>We need a sponsor for the new sports event that’s happening next week—visibility promised. <\/p>

Programme manager:<\/strong> We need a funder to cover this programme deficit before we wrap it up next week—life-changing impact promised. <\/p>

\"What<\/a><\/div>

<\/p>

2. Photos <\/h3>

College life:<\/strong> Trip to the factory. Learn about the manufacturing process and click selfies for Instagram. <\/p>

Programme manager: <\/strong>Field visit to intervention areas. Click ‘impact’ and ‘action’ photos for the annual report. <\/p>

<\/p>

3. Budgets  <\/h3>

College life: <\/strong>Fancy stationery, new t-shirt, coffee, movie date—and only INR 2,500 pocket money. Challenge accepted! <\/p>

Programme manager:<\/strong> Salaries, travel, logistics—and funds only available for the ‘programme’. Challenge accepted!  <\/p>

<\/p>

4. Teammates  <\/h3>

College life: <\/strong>Why am I doing everything in the group project, from research to writing to making a PPT? Where is my group? <\/p>

\"donate<\/a><\/div>

Programme manager:<\/strong> Why am I making the narrative report, completing the financial report, and writing impact stories too? Where is my team? <\/p>

<\/p>

5. IOUs <\/h3>

College life: <\/strong>Brother, it’s the end of the month. Can you give me INR 500 udhaar<\/em>? <\/p>

Programme manager:<\/strong> Sir, please release INR 5 lakh more for the pilot phase. <\/p>

<\/p>

6. Parents’ visit = Funder audit <\/h3>

College life:<\/strong> Mom and Dad are coming to the hostel. Clean the room. Everything should be perfect. Maybe we will get to go out to a nice restaurant for lunch. <\/p>

Programme manager: <\/strong>The funder is coming to the field. Clean up everyone’s narrative. Everything should be perfect. Maybe we will get to go out to a nice restaurant for lunch. <\/p>

<\/p>

7. The future <\/h3>

College life: <\/strong>Time to convince the recruiter that my GPA is a little low, but my co-curricular activities are on point. <\/p>

Programme manager: <\/strong>Time to convince the CEO that I deserve a promotion despite the hurdles the programme faced. <\/p>\n

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