project manager duties

Key Duties of the Project Manager.
The project manager should be appointed, by the project owner, to assume day-to-day management of the project. The project manager should be responsible for planning at the project and sub-project level, exercising control, ensuring product delivery and for management and motivation of staff working on the project. Successful project management involves dealing effectively with managers and supporting personnel across departmental and functional lines, often with little or no formal authority. Before the project is formally started, the project manager is responsible for the production of the project initiation document (PID). The PID incorporates the initial project plans and the underlying business case. On large scale or complex projects the work involved in preparing the PID can be substantial - in which case other project staff may be required to assist the project manager in their duties. The project manager should work with the project owner to appoint the sub-project managers and to define their responsibilities. Thereafter, the sub-project managers will report directly to the project manager, via regular progress reports. These progress reports represent an up-to-date summary of the status of the project and should be compiled on a regular basis, usually weekly of every two weeks. It is the project manager’s responsibility to analyze and collate the progress reports and to summarize this information in regular highlight reports which should be presented to the project owner. Highlight reports should be produced at regular intervals, for example monthly, and may also be produced in response to exceptional circumstances. The end project report should be prepared by the project manager as the project nears completion. This report is a formal review of the projects degree of success and the project owner will need to study it in detail before
sanctioning formal project closure.

Key Communications.
The project manager duties will include maintaining clear communications with other management bodies, appropriate to the size of the project. The project manager should submit the project plans and sub-project plans to the project owner for approval and then advise the owner if there are any significant deviations from them. If tolerances are being exceeded then remedial plans may also need to be submitted for the approval of the project owner. The project manager should work with the project owner to appoint the sub-project managers and to define their responsibilities. Thereafter the Sub-project managers will report directly to the project manager, who retains overall day-to-day control of the project. Where a project office is being used, the project manager should review the results of all control meetings and liaise with the project office staff to maintain the integrity and direction of the project.

Creating the Project Environment.
An important function of the project manager is to establish an appropriate environment within which the project is to operate. A number of issues need to be addressed early on to ensure that the project can proceed efficiently and effectively from the outset. In addition to preparing the project plans, the project manager should specify or create a configuration management method for the project. Configuration management covers the tracking, documentation and issue of all project documents and products, throughout the project life cycle. The project manager should agree the technical and quality strategy for the project, with the section that is responsible for organizational policy. It is important that the project manager also maintains clear communication with any related projects to ensure that work is neither overlooked nor duplicated.

Keeping the Project on Track.
Decisions which effect the strategic direction of a project will almost certainly need to be referred to a senior management body or individual, but it is the project manager who will have to make the recommendations and then put into effect the decisions made. The project manager duties also include being aware that disagreements have the potential to arise at all levels and defusing these conflicts as and when they arise. The intensity of any particular conflict may be affected by a variety of factors including approaching deadlines, a squeeze on resources or the individual characteristics of those involved. The issue which underlies a particular conflict may not be immediately apparent. Personality clashes are a classic underlying problem that very few people feel able to raise and discuss. It is common for personality conflicts to manifest themselves as a dispute over some project issue - for example a technical stand-off. This is where experience is invaluable, enabling the project manager to identify the real issues and then to address them effectively.

Projects Create Conflict.
Regardless of how well planned a project may be, it will be subject to unforeseen demands and the direction of the project may need to change as it progresses. Conflict often arises from decisions that inconvenience people, but are nevertheless essential to the success of the project. Unforeseen changes in priority may result in conflict both within the project environment and between the project and the external departments that will be most effected by a change in project emphasis. If a project falls behind the plan then there is likely to be conflict between the project and external departments who will then be expected to extend their commitment of personnel to it. Technical conflicts are common where a department is supporting the project in a technical capacity. The project manager may reject the solution preferred by the department on technical, cost or scheduling grounds. The administrative procedures in use on the project may be unfamiliar to some of the external departments effected. Personality conflicts often manifest themselves as one of the types of conflict already highlighted. This often makes them difficult to identify and therefore they can be very difficult to resolve. The project manager will often try to minimize each external departments billing to the project. Conversely, the departmental managers will often try to secure as much of the projects budget as possible. Conflict is an inevitable consequence of project work; where there is constant pressure to achieve targets within strict time and resource constraints.

Concerns of Project Staff.
When introducing project working into an organization a variety of issues may cause concern to members of staff. This is especially true in relation to the staff requested to work on the first project initiatives. It is common for staff involved in project work to be concerned about the extent to which the efforts they expend on project related work will be recognized. This problem may be compounded if they feel their project related work will not be recognized within their own department. Staff may feel that their personal rewards may be jeopardized by undertaking project related work. They may feel that however hard they work on the project it will not affect their chances of advancement within their department. Staff may be concerned that the project itself may not be an outstanding success and that any perceived failure on its part will reflect badly on the individual staff involved with it. Staff involved with projects may have long term worries about what happens to them at the end of the project. Perhaps their department will learn to cope without them develop new procedures whilst they were away. Projects are all about utilizing existing resources and expertise in an efficient and effective way to get things done. The downside of this, from a staff perspective, may be that projects are not seen as training oriented environments in which to develop personal skills. This concern is primarily an issue with staff seconded to projects on a full time basis. They may feel increasingly isolated and left behind in relation to their long time colleagues and the departmental practices with which they are familiar. Many of these issues may be complicated further if staff are working on more than one project at a time. Personnel assigned to a project should be totally clear about the management and supervisory structures, which affect them on a day-to-day basis.

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