THE PROJECT MANAGER

The Role – The Responsibilities – The Competencies

Project management is a growing field used increasingly by businesses of all sizes to deal with business transformation. As entrepreneurs and company executives deal with the daily responsibilities of managing an organization they realise the importance of using professional and skilled project managers to oversee projects from conception to completion.

The role of project management and business are equally dependent on each other in a world that demands constant change and transformation for products and services that will add value and meet the technical and market trends that make up the face of business today.

Successful project managers will need to keep pace with the technology trends realising that the rate of change will only increase

The project managers who embrace the changes, adapt to new approaches, and are willing to take risks will reap the benefits of success.

Mission

Objectives

Strategy

Business

Project Management

An Introduction

Strategy

Processes

People

Systems

The way we think and plan

The way we operate

The way we lead

The way we interconnect

Business Transformation in Action

The project manager of today will take on a wider function over and above the management of a project as they become more involved in the day to day running of the business that will cover strategy, marketing, customer management and business as usual operations.

Aligning project delivery to the key functions of a business will provide an optimal and quality delivery of the agreed product or service.

Having a good relationship with the functional managers across the business leads to a committed buy-in and synergy to deliver fast to market solutions and products in line with the agreed cost, scope, time and quality baselines.

An Introduction

Strategy

Analysis

Plan

Action

Results

Customer

Sales

Marketing

Face to face

Future Planning

Marketing

Product

Price

Promotion

Place

Business as Usual

Finance

Operations

Process

HR

Key Functional Areas

Initiating Planning Executing and Control Closing

To assist the project manager in the planning and controlling of a project throughout the project life cycle two professional project management bodies have defined project management process groups.

These two bodies are the Project Management Institute, producing the PMBok Knowledge Areas and the Association of Project Management producing Prince2 providing a structure known as Projects in a Controlled Environment.

Although there are some variations on the process groups for Prince2 and PMI, today most project managers will incorporate both the Prince2 and PMI best practices into a project framework known as a blended approach.

This also assists in moving these processes into an agile delivery approach.

Project Management Process GroupsThe Process Groups

Controlled by

Starting and initiating a project

Planning and directing a project

Controlling Product Delivery

Managing Stage Boundaries

Closing a Project

Initiating

Planning

Executing

Monitoring and Control

Closing a Project

Project Initiation kicks off the project and forms the basis for the business case which is produced to capture and record information needed to correctly direct and manage the project. This phase addresses the following fundamental aspects of the project:

• What is the project aiming to achieve?• What benefits and return on investment will

the product produce?• What skills and suppliers are needed to

produce the agreed solution?• What is the cost, scope, schedule and

quality requirements• What is the budget?

The answer to these questions should be put into a comprehensive business case that will track the end to end project.

• Business Case• Project Kick Off Presentation• Kick Off Minutes

Checklist

• Finalise and obtain approval for the business case

• Prepare the project kick-off presentation

• Present to the business and project team

• Minute outcomes and note actions

• Register the project with either the PMO (if relevant)

or financial management

• Get sign off on the project budget and baseline

• Setup project governance and folder structure

• Move the project into a Go status.

Documentation

What is Project Initiation?

The Team

• Project Manager

• Project Sponsor

• Business Team

• Business Analyst

• Stakeholders

• PMO/Ops

Initiating Planning Executing and Control Closing

A project initiation document may need to be completed during this phase however most of the information can be added into the business case

Project Planning defines the parameters of the project and outlines the amount of detail that will track the project throughout the project lifecycle. The project manager will look at both Prince2 and PMBok processes to include what is believed to be the correct level of governance and best practice that meets the complexity of the project.

A project plan will be setup to manage the scope, cost and schedule and dependencies and resources aligned and agreed. This will lead to the first baseline plan as the starting point for the project as well as identify how and when external suppliers will be required.

Supporting documentation for the project will be defined and the overall project approach and framework agreed with the team.

Checklist

What is Project Planning?

• Finalise and baseline the project plan

• Finalise the project framework and approach

• Finalise all agreed documentation

• Finalise any supplier contracts and deliverables

this could also include project staff.

• Finalise the project organogram and roles and

responsibilities

• Move all agreed templates into the project

folder• The Project Plan (MS Project)• The Project Approach• Supporting documentation• Supplier Contracts

• Project Manager

• Business Team

• Business Analysts

• Project Leads

• PMO/Ops

Initiating Planning Executing and Control Closing

The Team

Documentation

Project Execution and Control is the longest phase in the project and this is where the project manager will ensure that the agreed plan incorporating cost, schedule, time and quality is being rolled out in line with the agreed baseline

Strict control will also be conducted to manage issues and risks as well as any unexpected changes to the project that will require a change management log to be updated on the required changes and the impact into the project.

Ongoing meetings reporting back on status will be performed during this phase where decisions, actions and concerns are noted and tracked.

Checklist

What is Project Execution and Control?

• Track and manage the baseline project plan

• Control change requests and exceptions

• Status Meetings and Steercoms confirmed

• Track and control issues and risks and update

the RAID log

• Monitor the budget

• Update all documentation as required

• Update the project workbook.

• Update the business case when relevant

• Compile PMO reports as required

• Project Plan• Business Case• Status Reports• RAID Log• Change Log and exception report• Project Workbook

• Project Manager

• Business Team

• Business Analysts

• Project Leads

• Suppliers

• PMO/Ops

Initiating Planning Executing and Control Closing

The Team

Documentation

Project Closing takes place once the full project plan outlining all of the activities has been successfully completed and shows a 100% status.

During this phase the project manager should proceed to finalising all administrative procedures and releasing both the internal and external resources. It is also beneficial to update the lessons learnt log that can be used as a benchmark going forward.

A project close out report will need to be compiled and handed over to the project sponsor or other allocated representatives .

Release management or production will be part of the close out phase as this project will be handed over to them to manage as a live product or service.

Checklist

What is Project Closing?

• Ensure that all project tasks and activities have a

100% completion status

• Do close out report for the project sponsor and

nominated stakeholders

• Hold final review session with project team

• Update lessons learnt log and store to project

folder

• Close out all documentation and store

• Finalise financials and supplier contracts

• Release resources

• Hand over project to production/operations

• Project Manager• Project Sponsor• Business • Business Analyst• Project Leads• Operations

Initiating Planning Executing and Control Closing

The Team

• Final project plan• Lessons Learnt log• Close Out Report

Documentation

Supporting the project processes are the day to day responsibilities that a project manager will setup in order to ensure that all of the activities that are required to be carried out by the project team are clearly defined, and set out in both the project plan as a task and within the project resources plan as the responsibilities to be conducted by the individual team members.

A process known as the Responsibility Matrix will provide a clear structure on who owns and drives the responsibility and it is recommended that this is outlined and agreed by the team.

Once this has been completed the final step will be to setup the project organogram outlining the key roles and the allocated team members

Key Responsibilities

Establish RACI Parameters parameters

Update Project Plan

Finalise Matrix

Project Organogram

Role

Team

Role

Team

Role

Team

More and more today project managers are expected to show a level of competency associated with skills that will result in the ability to manage a project with the correct level of performance and leadership.

These are normally referred to as the ‘soft skills’ which can be broken down into two key areas:

Knowledge – What the project manager brings to a project through their knowledge and understanding

Skills/Behaviours – What project managers are able to demonstrate in their ability to manage projects

Developing skills and competencies comes with experience with each and every project that is delivered and will allow a project manager to continue to grow and improve both as a leader and a manager.

Skills and Competencies

Business Skills• Strategy• Marketing• Process Management• Business Relations• Project Management• Regulatory and Compliancy

Technical Skills• Technical impact to solution• Alignment to overall strategy• Financial management of

technical solutions• Technical expertise required• Technical roadmap planning

Leadership Skills• Team building• Coaching and mentoring• Driving performance• Motivating and inspiring• Change and transformation• Continuous improvement

People Skills• Influencing• Conflict Management• Negotiation• Communication• Collaboration and partnering• Decision making

Knowledge Areas

Skills and Behaviours

Meet their Needs Key Player

Least Important

Show consideration

Stakeholder Matrix

Influence

Interest

Internal

Shareholder

s

Professional BodiesStakeholder Management

One of the important functions that a project manager will conduct is to identify the stakeholders that have a direct impact into the project.

Putting together a Stakeholder Management Plan will give the project manager the appropriate tools to ensure the best way forward to manage and communicate with all of the stakeholders at the right time and in the right way.

One of the key benefits of setting up the stakeholder matrix and the stakeholder management plan is that there is absolute clarity around the stakeholders role and responsibility throughout the project that will help to reduce conflict between the project management team and the stakeholders.

Identification of Stakeholders

Stakeholder Management Plan

Stakeholder Process

Stakeholder Impact Assessment

Successful Teams

Committed

Driven to succeed

EngagedRecognise

d

Appreciated

Empowered

Request for

Proposal

Supplier Scope of

WorkApprove

d

Project Skills

added to team

Performing alongside the project manager is the project team who will work with the project manager to deliver the identified business case as well as the baselined project plans.

In the onset of the project the project manager will define how the project team structure is to be setup and this is largely dependent on what the current functional business structure is. This can range from a strong project matrix to a weak project matrix however most companies that are involved in project management work off a balanced project matrix which allow the teams members to return to their business units at the end of a project.

Where additional skills are required and not available in-house requests for proposals will be sent to suppliers to provide both costs and resources

Overall the project manager is responsible to ensure that the project team is the right team with the right focus and brings into the project the required attributes and qualities to ensure that the project is delivered successfully

The Project Team

Risk Management

As project managers implementing the process of risk management is designed to reduce or eliminate the risk of certain kinds of events happening or having an impact on the business.

Exercising the project constraints of time, scope, cost and quality and identifying the perceived risks leads into a pragmatic approach to analyse risks for the project.

During the project planning phase risk management workshops should be setup with the stakeholders as well as the project team and stakeholders to allow them to provide feedback and what they believe is the best way to manage and mitigate the risks when and if the risk results in an issue being raised.

One of the accepted practices for reporting back on risks today is to setup a RAID forum incorporating team members, stakeholders and suppliers where relevant.

Analyse

Control

Report

Bringing in the Cloud

Project applications are moving into cloud technology and this includes certain aspects of project management. Cloud technology for project management applications allow for seamless communication and the ability to track resources and tasks at any time and wherever the project manager and project team is located. Companies are investing in cloud project management applications because they realize that employees can be more productive and get more work done when they can access work information wherever they are.

The key benefits of using cloud technology for project management can be summed up as:• Effective collaboration• Real Time Monitoring• Instant Communication• Documentation management• Task Tracking• Issues and Risks

Project Management and Operations

Project Management and day to day Business

Operations are very closely interlinked as the

operational processes that run the business will

feed into the project life cycle to provide a

systematic and controlled way to perform

certain areas within the project business case to

ensure that the targeting KPI’s are met.

The guiding success factor for any project is to

ensure that the operations team are included in

the delivery of the project, how the suppliers

are delivering against the agreed Scope of Work

Marketing

Finance

Product

Strategy

Change

Technical

Business Operations

Unique defined deliverable providing a service or product

Project

Manageme

nt

Development

Launch

Compile Review Approve

The key role and responsibility of the project manager is to deliver the product that was outlined and approved in the business case. It is important to remember that the product drives the project and whether it is a tangible product or an intangible product the process for delivery will be governed by the project process groups and methodologies and ultimately by the project manager.

The products can be categorised into software delivery , infrastructure, turnkey and marketing campaigns which cover a multitude of industries from banking, infrastructure, software development, turnkey and service improvement initiatives.

Project managers as a whole will specialize on a project category where they will continue to learn and provide the correct level of skill and expertise that allows project management to be the thriving and viable industry it is today with room for growth and great career prospects

Delivering the Product Product Management at a glance

Objective

Vision

and Concep

t

Marke

t Opportunities

Custome

r Requirements

Business Need

BusinessCase

At the end of a project the project manager should sit with the team and the stakeholders and begin to evaluate the overall success of the project.

Using both the approved and baselined business case as well as the lessons learnt log a close out report should be drawn up to clearly outline both the successes as well as what can be improved in projects to be managed and delivered into the future.

The final action should be where a close out meeting is held with the full team providing the findings of the close out report and what steps are in the place the action any shortcomings that were found as a result of the feedback.

And then it is time to celebrate the end of the project and to thanks the team for their hard work and focus of getting the project out of the door.

• Benefits outlined in business case were achieved

• The solution addressed the customer need

• The vison and the mission of the company is entrenched

into the marketplace

• The product will increase the business and technical

footprint across the market segments

• There will be usability of the product into future product

roadmap.

• As a project team there was great achievement and a

sense of a job well done.

Measuring project success