1. Define the concept of Quality in Program Management.

For a Program Manager, the concept of quality is based on how well the
requirements and objectives of each project ultimately meet the goals of the
overall business strategic plans (Brown, 2007, Dec 6). Quality for them is how
well the overall picture is progressing. How effective, efficient, and relevant
to the deliverables the work is and how well planning, monitoring, and
change control processes work. They are responsible for the whole program
of projects, so they are measuring quality at the level of how well they are
continuously improving processes and procedures to operate at the
organization's maximum potential (Brown, 2007, Dec 6).
2. Why do you believe Quality has not been identified as a key factor in the
Triple Constraint of Management- Time, Cost, and Scope? Quality is
subjective and can look like many things or be variable, or even conveyed in
degrees. I think the main reason we don’t use it as a constraint is because it’s
a goal in mind that should be achieved with the three constraints. Quality
must be accounted for and defined by the client within the scope. It’s not just
one firm or tangible idea, like time, or cost, and can only be explained
through concise expectations with exception criteria that can vary based on
who is defining the criteria.
3. Search the web for a current example of either a strong or limited use of
quality in program management. Provide an overview of your example and
describe how this fits into Quality Program Management. (Example: Boeing-
737/MAX; AlantiCare, or Santa Cruz Guitar Factory)
When Boeing was designing its new 737 Max model, the overall idea was to
create a newer, more efficient machine that encompassed a “self-guiding”
Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and if they were
to roll this new airplane out correctly, they would have needed to retrain
millions of pilots on their new system (Downfall, 2022). The MCAS was
installed in the new Boeing jets to “balance the plane” and prevent the nose
of the plane from going into an upward trajectory too quickly, which would
stall the plane engines (Downfall, 2022). However, if the pilot was not trained
on how to react to the MCAS, the front of the airplane would go into a nose-
dive position and the pilot would have less than ten seconds to correct the
plane or inevitably slam into the earth's surface in a full-on nose down
position (Downfall, 2022). Immediately upon hearing the new system would
require training the executive stakeholders, and program managers began
suppressing all communications regarding the need for training because
they were afraid the AirBus would beat them in sales that year and that
would mean for the first time the United States would not be the leading
 competitor in aviation and the idea was just unacceptable (Campbell, 2019).
Every possible human error that could have gone wrong with the Boeing 737
Max began from a Program Management level down. Once the standards on
safety waivered and profits began to guide and compromise ethical practices
that would ensure the correct conditions to create these machines were met
in daily inspections, and these measures became glossed over secondary
practices, the culture of Boeing’s reputation for safety in all things and driving
excellence in the industry was a thing of the past (Campbell, 2019). This was a
strategic move made by the Program Managers that left room for one gross
negligent act after another, which eventually led to not one but two full
planes of people (nearly 500 people) dying in plane crashes (Downfall, 2022).
4. Discuss at least one experience you have had with ethical issues concerning
the quality of a product or situation outcome.

I once worked for a CFO who was the head of the largest sector of the
largest non-profit in Phoenix. We would run projects that claimed to end
hunger, bring breakfast to children in the classrooms, and end
homelessness. While we did do some events to sort of address these things
within the community, it became apparent the only bottom line was how big
the raises of the leadership were going to look like EOY or that the
investments of their IRAs were hitting the benchmark returns of 5-7% yearly.
These things were the focus of the CFO, rather than being fiscally responsible
with donor dollars. They would host extravagant lunches for employees and
invite speakers to host donor events where the Program Manager would
spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on these community events to “gain
donors and get donations.” But when we would ultimately crunch the
numbers on these events they would be in the negative or only a few
thousand in the positive (which wouldn’t account for the thousands of
manpower hours we put into planning and hosting).
I always felt this was an ethical slippery slope and while this non-profit would
post these heart-wrenching campaigns asking the community for more
donations to solve these WORLDLY issues, they would always manage to get
the leaders more money and huge “percentage increases.” At one point the
CEO was making more than half a million dollars a year. That is not ethically
sound to me, and the Program Managers know it and they perpetuate the
wasteful spending of donor dollars while finding very creative ways to write it
all off.
 References

Brown, J. T. (2007, December 6). The Handbook of Program Management: How To Facilitate
Project Succss with optimal program Managment. Google Books.
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Handbook_of_Program_Management.html?
id=dHSaxP9i9UMC

Campbell, D. (2019, May 2). Redline. The Verge.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/2/18518176/boeing-737-max-crash-problems-human-
error-mcas-faa

(2022). Downfall: The Case Against Boeing | Netflix Official Site. Retrieved October 14, 2023,
from https://www.netflix.com/title/81272421.