SIG Templates & Toolkits
The Program
Management Toolkit
Four free templates for the people running a large initiative, whether it’s a system implementation, a product launch, a transformation or a capital project. Download them, tailor them, and get your program moving.
Why It Matters
The middle part is where value dies.
Most programs don’t stall because of the work. They stall because of unclear decision rights, a business case nobody looks at again, risks that live in someone’s inbox, and a backlog that gets rebuilt from scratch every time.
This toolkit gives your program team a head start on the management side, so your first PI goes into delivery, not paperwork. Wherever a number belongs, the template is blank. Your figures should come from your own contracts, estimates and Finance team, so the case holds up when someone pushes back.
What’s Inside
Four templates, any program.
Each template stands on its own, and they’re built to work together.
Excel + Jira CSV
Program Jira Accelerator
Why it helps. A backlog you can import right away, covering the management work every program needs, from kickoff through closeout.
What’s inside
- Epics, Features and Stories for mobilization, governance, planning, delivery, change management and closeout
- Benefit hypotheses and acceptance criteria on every item
- Owner, target PI and status columns ready for planning
- Import guide, including what to do if your Jira has no Feature type
Excel
Business Case and TCO Template
Why it helps. A 5-year model that compares the cost of doing nothing with the full cost of the program, and shows what the program returns.
What’s inside
- Status quo, future-state run costs, one-time costs and benefits
- Transition modeling while old systems or processes wind down
- NPV, ROI and payback calculated for you
- Lean Business Case tab for your Portfolio Go/No-Go
Word
Governance Charter and RACI
Why it helps. Who decides what, how the program meets, and how issues get escalated, all agreed and signed before PI 1.
What’s inside
- Governance bodies, decision rights and escalation path
- Cadence of SAFe Events and governance meetings
- Draft RACI for the core program activities, with one Accountable each
- Change tolerances and a sign-off page
Excel
Program RAID Log
Why it helps. One place for risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and decisions, preloaded with the patterns that turn up in most large programs.
What’s inside
- Common program risks, assumptions and dependencies to start from
- Score and rating calculate from your probability and impact
- Decision log and escalation levels that tie back to the charter
- Scoring guide and heat map
How the Pieces Fit
Use them in this order.
Make the case
Build the business case with Finance and take the Epic to your Portfolio for a Go/No-Go.
Set the rules
Agree on the charter and RACI with every accountable leader before PI 1.
Load the backlog
Tailor the Jira Accelerator, import it and bring it to PI Planning.
Run it weekly
Review the RAID log with program leadership and take High risks to the steering committee.
Pairs Well With
SIG workshop guides.
Each template points you to one of these free facilitator guides at the point you’ll need it.
- Strategic Themes Workshop: define why the program exists before you write the business case.
- SIPOC Workshop: map the suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers your program touches.
- WSJF Workshop: prioritize Features and releases so the highest value work goes first.
- Feature Breakdown Workshop: split the accelerator’s Features into Stories your teams can deliver.
Common Questions
Before you download.
What kinds of programs does this fit?
Any initiative big enough to need a sponsor, a steering committee and more than one team: technology and ERP implementations, product launches, organizational transformations and capital projects. The templates are built around SAFe, and they work just as well if you plan in phases.
Why is the business case blank?
On purpose. A business case built on someone else’s benchmarks falls apart in the first Finance review. Every input has a Source column, so you can show where each number came from.
Does the accelerator cover the delivery work?
It covers the program and project management work, plus the points where that work hands off to delivery. Your delivery teams and partners add their own technical Stories under each Feature.
Is it free?
Yes. There’s no form and no account. Just download what you need.
Want help running
your program?
SIG can facilitate the workshops, embed a fractional program leader, or advise your team on a monthly retainer while you run the program yourselves.