Fiscal Year and Programs

[KarenRu]

Hi All, I'm trying to figure out how to manage our programs from fiscal year to fiscal year. For the sake of this question- program equates with an event we manage. So we may have the same event year over year, but the creative direction, scope and list of deliverables, may differ from year to year. So how best to manage? At first I was thinking we would keep the program evergreen and perhaps have a custom field w/our fiscal year to filter out the projects from year to year. But as I'm getting into it- I'm not sure that will work because I'm attaching a custom form to each program (aka event) that has data relevant to the specific year)....so would it make more sense to: - close out each program at the end of every fiscal year, and open a new one? -keep the program evergreen, and attach a new custom form each year? (can you do that??) Thoughts and suggestions welcomed! tks Karen Karen Rutz Harvard Alumni Affairs and Development

[BarryBu2]

Dear Karen, I've set up several clients to use year based programs. One of the advantages of this approach is to set up the current and next year's programs now, and put projects into next year's program if and when the decision isn't to do it now. It also lets you not only plan for this year, but the next. However, if you wanted an evergreen program, you could shift the form from the program level to the project level and update the default option in the template every year to have the 'current year' choice by default (but for the outrider projects very early or late, you can choose a different year choice). Without knowing more, my inclination is to think a different program every year - updating form defaults at the right time tends to get fiddly. Barry Buchanan Work Management Australia