Project Manager

The Project Manager has the authority to run the project on behalf of the project board within the agreed project tolerances and constraints. The project board is ultimately responsible for the project. However, within the project board, the project executive holds the ultimate accountability for the success of the project.

Responsibilities

The project manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the project, including:

• Managing and delegating work to team managers or team members when necessary
• Setting work package tolerances and constraints for the team managers to follow
• Managing relationships within the project ecosystem, including project assurance roles and the project board
• Monitoring and supporting the safety and well-being of team members
• Ensuring that the project stays on track in terms of scope, time, and budget
• Reporting on project progress to stakeholders and escalating issues when needed

The project manager usually (preferred by PRINCE2) comes from the customer. They are responsible for the activities in all of the PRINCE2 processes except for the directing a project and managing product delivery processes.

The project manager is responsible for the project support and team manager roles. In smaller projects where there are no team managers, the project manager will manage the team members directly, and where there is no project support, the support and administration tasks fall on the project manager.

Skills

Project managers need to have good communication, cost management, an ability to understand the quality process, process change requests, document user needs, monitor the project, as well as planning, leadership and team-building qualities, including teamwork, problem-solving, reporting, facilitating meetings and conducting workshops. They must be proactive (anticipate things) and not sit around and waiting for things to happen.

Combining with other roles

The project manager may take on the role of project support, team manager (if they have specialist knowledge) and change authority (if permitted by the project board).

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Written by Frank Turley.

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