Different Roles in Project management – Covering various Industries

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It is very important to every project manager in fact to every person across industries to know about all the possible roles in project management that exist in their respective organizational hierarchy. With the role comes the responsibility. There are tons of responsibilities to execute, things to accomplish and be accountable for. One should have fair knowledge and exposure to all the project manager roles in the organization irrespective of their level and responsibilities. This helps them to understand the different people’s interest in the organization, their scope of authority and power line.

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As per project management terms people in respective roles are known as stakeholders if they have even the slightest interest in the project or if they are affected by the project in any way. For the benefit of readers given below are some of the very well-known roles with a brief description of each.

Different Roles in Project management

1. Executive Sponsor

This role has the highest interest in the project and its end result. Executive Sponsor has the responsibility to monitor the budget and control the spending. Executive sponsor is the ultimate decision maker for the project, its resources and outcome/deliverables.

Responsibilities vested with this role also includes:

  • Aligns project to organizational strategy
  • Provides feedback
  • Risk Governance
  • Business prioritization

2. Project Sponsor

Project Sponsor role if at all exists, reports into Executive Sponsor role. Executive sponsor may delegate any of his responsibilities to project sponsor. Project Sponsor has the same level of interest and control over project as Executive sponsor. Project sponsor also looks into project management activities (minimum) and helps project manager in providing information while preparing charter and different plans. This role may even express interest to be involved into project phases. Mostly Project Sponsor will be a part of steering committee.

3. Project Manager

Person in this role is primary responsible for the completion of the project as planned and agreed. He might be given people management responsibility also. He is one who drives the team in required direction. His responsibilities also include status reporting to people above him, stake holder management, budget management, risk management, schedule management etc… It is difficult to explain this role in short, but this role is the first responsible role for a project and its healthy running. This role bridges the gap between delivery team and business or client.

The Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager is huge. Here’re the Responsibilities of a Project Manager.

4. People Manager

This role is to manage people in a project and see to that they are given with all that is required for them to work smoothly. Delivery is not a responsibility of this role.

5. Delivery Manager

Primary responsibility of this role is to see that the project is delivered within agreed time lines and with required quality. This role manages delivery team. Performs resource allocations and decides delivery priorities. This role has authority to change or adjust the schedules and adjust resource assignments. This role also has a major say in scope. This role is primarily responsible for meeting technical and functional expectations of the business.

6. Process Consultant

This role has the expert knowledge regarding the process that is followed internally.  They are responsible for educating the delivery team on the process and see to that they can adhere to internal process. They have the responsibility of suggesting process improvements to increase the productivity and to maximize the business value.

7. Business:

Usually a team from business side which is dedicated to be as part of the project till the project is completed and benefits are realized. These people are experts in respective business functional area.

8. Client/Customer

Who has a business need and our delivered product or service will satisfy their business need. They are the one who pays for our services.

9. Steering Committee

This is a team formed with management representatives, stake holders to oversee and control the project. They approve the deliverables, makes policy based decisions, provide guidance to the project. It is the point of contact for sponsors.  It is an escalation point for project managers. Steering committee provides leadership support.

10. Vendors

They provide additional products and services necessary for the project. Usually they will be contracted for a period.

11. Project Management Office

PMO is a body with group of people. Its main purpose is to build set of standards and policies for internal project management and to see that they are adhered across all projects. They decide the process and the level of that process to be followed internally. They help creating standard templates for the organization. Collects, analyzes and preserves project related data for future use. PMO extends project management support to project managers.

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12. Team Lead

This role is responsible for teams working and in most of the organizations he is the first level of manager to who team reports into. Person in this role has the responsibility of coaching, coordination, problem solving, information sharing, status reporting, and liaison to higher management or administration etc…, depending on the type of organization and industry. His time is shared between management and technical/functional responsibilities.

13. Project coordinator / Project Facilitator

This role is responsible for smooth running of project operations, without having to face any coordination issues. This role is very important when the project teams are spread across the globe and works in different time zones.

Project Management Questions:

Q1. One of your team members come to you saying that the weekly report needs some tailoring to include the additional information what client has asked. After looking at last week’s report you also agree that it needs modification. What is the immediate action you need to take in getting the report template altered?

  1. Modify the report template yourself and mail it across to all team members asking them to start using it with immediate effect.
  2. Inform to the client that it is not possible to change the report as it is a standard across all projects in the organization
  3. Take up the issue to PMO and get the template modified with proper justification.
  4. Start sending two reports to client. One with regular information and other with additional information what client has requested.

Q2. In recent audit it has been identified that your project is not maintaining all the recommended and mandatory documents. When enquired with Team Lead, he came out saying that he has no idea on what documents the audit team is speaking about. After looking into project repository, you find some documents being created, but you are also not sure what the documents audit team is speaking about are. What is the best immediate action you can ask your team lead to do, so that the audit finding can be closed?

  1. Ask your team lead to go to the audit team who has conducted the audit and find out what are the documents they are speaking about.
  2. Ask your team lead to speak to other project teams in the organization and trace out what documents to maintain.
  3. Refer to organizational achieves to see if similar project is executed in the past and refer to its document list.
  4.  Find out who is the process consultant for your project and take his help in knowing the list of mandatory documents to maintain.

Answers
Q1 : c
Q2 : d

You can also try PMP Online Course and PMP practice tests to prepare for the PMP certification exam.

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About Aditi Malhotra

Aditi Malhotra is the Content Marketing Manager at Whizlabs. Having a Master in Journalism and Mass Communication, she helps businesses stop playing around with Content Marketing and start seeing tangible ROI. A writer by day and a reader by night, she is a fine blend of both reality and fantasy. Apart from her professional commitments, she is also endearing to publish a book authored by her very soon.

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