2. Roles of the Project Manager

The main function of a project manager (PM) is to create and implement a project management methodology, to plan the project, execute the project plan, monitor/control the project and to see it through to completion. The PM is accountable for ensuring that all of those involved in the project are supported and aware/able to fulfil their functions to a high standard. The PM has a multiple skill set and is rarely specialist in any one area. The PM must have the ability to oversee all areas and interact with everyone, therefore they are often generalists in their field and a facilitator for and between teams who are involved within the project. The PM differs to other mangers within the team. For instance, a functional manager is a specialist within their own area of expertise and would rarely involve themselves outside their own field.

The project manager is responsible for:

Resources - budgeting for resources which can cover finances, human power and time

Organisation & Implementation - planning each phase and executing effectively.

Staffing - choosing the right team for the job, providing support and guidance.

Communication - being able to liaise with a multitude of people effectively.

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The project manager will work with a variety of people on any one project; however, these people will generally fall within the following categories:

Parent Organisation - it is the responsibility of the PM to conserve the resources of the company, to provide timely and accurate communications, to act carefully and with competence throughout the project, to assess and protect the company from risk (e.g. failure to complete the job, rising costs etc) and provide accurate reporting of all elements of the project with specific focus upon budgeting and scheduling.

Client - it is the responsibility of the PM to act with integrity and within the best interests of the client. They should work towards resolving any conflicts, ensure that the project is completed within the project parameters established e.g. to budget and timeframe.

Team - it is the responsibility of the PM to ensure that the team works effectively together ensuring fairness, respect, and honesty amongst all team members. Establishing and maintaining a strong and consistent working ethic and relationship goes along way and will serve for future projects (Hickey, 2021)

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The project manager can be faced with many challenges during the project life cycle which can create many demands upon their time. An efficient and effective manager should be able to adapt to the changing environment around them whilst mitigating any factors which could cause issues or delays to the project. Some of examples of the demands that the project manager can face are discussed below.

Acquiring Resources

@southbaysbdc.org

Resourcing a project can be very difficult particularly when budgeting for a project. Finances are usually insufficient or in short supply therefore planning must be optimum to stretch and make the best use of money where possible, planning for the unforeseen where necessary. Similarly, resourcing human power or materials can have the same challenges whereby alternatives may need to be provided if labourers or materials are not available or the project timeframe may need to be pushed out to accommodate these challenges. Project and functional managers can see availability of resources to be restricted and therefore competition for resources can turn into win/lose propositions between project and functional mangers (Hickey, 2021).

Motivating staff

@psplus.ca

Most staff are provided from different areas within an organisation in which incentives to do a job well, such as, personal evaluation, salary and promotion are controlled by the functional manager. The project manager can only incentivise through the actual detail of the work being undertaken therefore it is essential that the PM is able to project confidence, morale, sensitivity, and excellent communication skills in order to maintain a good working environment (Hickey, 2021).

Dealing with obstacles

@travelandleisure.com

Each project is different and therefore a range of problems or issues can arise that the PM needs to be able to resolve to complete the project. This can range from changes in technical requirements, resources, human power, ability to complete to deadline etc. The PM must be able to communicate effectively and have the adaptability to resolve issues as they arise (Hickey, 2021).

Communication

@negliasdesign.com

The majority the project life cycle is spent communicating with the various groups involved in the project. Considerable time spent selling the plan, reselling, and explaining the project and subsequent phases. Projects can involve a variety of stakeholders such as senior management, functional departments, clients, and personnel. In order to deal with the each of these demands, the PM must be able to understand and deal with certain functional issues eg why project exists whilst having the support of top management. Build and maintain a solid information network and must be flexible in many ways with as many people and about as many activities as possible throughout the life of the project (Hickey, 2021).

Dealing with failure

@huffingtonpost.com

Any project can fail if it is not planned and organised correctly, it rarely fails from specific elements such as lateness or a lack of budget. Bad organisation can result in the inability to cope with unexpected crises or being able to mitigate against a crisis resulting in deviation from the plan. The PM could lack the appropriate technical expertise to handle such crisis or not have ability to communicate the issues effectively which can exacerbate the situation. Other failures can arise from the project not being routine or not experienced before, difficulties early on such as planning issues, failure to define the mission in the first place or failure to obtain clients acceptance on project (hickey, 2021).

Negotiation

@ClipArtPanda.com

Most project have two types of negotiation, these are:

Win-lose - an example of a win-lose scenario would be when the PM has successfully managed to get the budget of a project increased but the client is not happy about the increase. The PM has managed to obtain the project budget goals but at the expense of client satisfaction. This can result of further works being offered to them by that client.

Win-Win - an example of a win-win scenario would be when the PM secures a fair budget from the client which satisfies both the client and the PM/company. The work falls within the agreed budget and can be completed successfully. The client is happy and likely to return.

Win-Win is the only type of negotiation to be considered!

@cliparts.co

References

Hickey, R. 2021. The Role of the Project Manager. URL: learning101.ie/project management.html