hovedeprosjekt

Hovedeprosjekt is a term used in Norwegian project management to describe the central or flagship project within a program or portfolio. It acts as the main integrating effort around which related subprojects are coordinated, enabling alignment with strategic objectives and overall benefits realization.

The hovedeprosjekt defines the primary scope, schedule, budget, and success criteria for the set of initiatives it encompasses. It provides a reference point for decision making, prioritization, and resource allocation, and it often carries the highest level of governance and sponsorship within the program. Subprojects or workstreams are typically designed to contribute to the hovedeprosjekt’s outcomes, while maintaining their own deliverables and timelines.

In practice, the hovedeprosjekt is usually managed within a program or portfolio management framework. A program manager or equivalent role coordinates integration, manages dependencies, monitors risks that affect the whole set of initiatives, and reports progress to the steering committee or project sponsor. The approach emphasizes benefits realization and alignment with strategic goals, rather than isolated, independent project performance.

Variants and usage can differ by organization. In some contexts the term may be synonymous with “main project” or “superordinate project,” while in others it denotes the most significant project in a group of related efforts. Examples include infrastructure programs with a central construction project and multiple accompanying subprojects, or a digital platforms initiative with data migration, integration, and security workstreams tied to a core rollout.