A project to get completed on time and deliver the expected results needs a formally structured team. The project team encompasses multiple designations. Here, is a chance to get familiar with those roles including the most popular one i.e., project team manager. This discussion would be valuable for PMP Certification or project management aspirants.
Various Roles In Project Management
Oftentimes the project roles excluding that of the team lead or the manager remain unmentioned while discussing project teams. Other unsung heroes hold equally crucial positions as that of a project manager. They would now be revealed one by one for individuals to think big about their project management career-building.
Project sponsor
The project sponsor is no outsider but belongs to the concerned organization’s senior management. This designation is pivotal in terms of steering the project ship. His/her core responsibilities include:
- Creating the vision of the project.
- To establish SMART goals alongside key project decisions.
- Removing obstacles and resolving conflicts.
- To approve the project charter and provide inputs to it .
- Approve any requests for changes in a project.
- Confirming the project completion by offering consent.
- To prepare and approve the project’s budget.
- Approve and provide project resources.
Project leader
Unlike the project sponsor who monitors the project across a broader spectrum, the project leader focuses on daily overseeing. The main responsibility lies in preparing the project charter and checking the team’s performance. A team leader needs to execute other significant project roles and responsibilities. These include the following functions:
- Accomplishes the already set goals within the prescribed budget approved by a project sponsor.
- Ensuring that there isn’t an issue causing discord among the team members that disrupts the entire workflow.
- Check if each member of the team is well-acquainted with his/her responsibility and contribution to the overall project.
- Supervises the project plan’s components, creates project schedule, and allocates tasks to the team members.
- Bridges the gap between senior management and team members through communication.
A project team leader is more of an assistant and less of a leader. He/she steers the ways of the team members at every stage of the project cycle. Project managers divert the operational procedures away from suddenly occurring obstacles. They are able-handed in tackling such circumstances.
Team members
A project’s team may also include external consultants apart from internal employees. Tasks are well-distributed among them by the team leader. The project roles of the team members may vary from part-time to full-time based on the project’s requirements.
- They accomplish tasks in their respective domains as per their expertise.
- From solving project objectives to meeting project deadlines, they take care of everything.
- They even maintain track of the processes, setbacks, and progress in performance by documenting them.
Resource manager
This designation is popularly known as ‘business analyst’. He/she ensures the hassle-free execution of a project by recommending the required resources and making them available. A resource manager is also responsible for suggesting new resources as needed to produce maximum outputs through streamlined processes. The job responsibilities are as follows:
- To solve resources-related issues.
- Assisting the team members with the resources available.
- Assessment of solutions to ensure their effectiveness.
- Analyze and document project requirements.
- Evaluate the resources to ensure that they cater to the project objectives.
The various committees need a mention while discussing project management people. Based on the different audiences and scopes, a project team may comprise three committees. These are:
Steering committee
This committee consists of members from the management along with senior stakeholders. It acts as a support to the project by providing strategies. A steering committee as its name suggests steers the project accordingly to avoid obstacles that may occasionally appear. Approving budget changes and resolving certain problems a project manager might face are the core functions of this committee.
Client committee
A project client committee also makes way for varying roles in a project. Such a committee may appoint a second project team manager depending on the project size. The major task of this committee includes the approval of project benchmarks, timelines, and plans. It may also raise issues or request changes concerning consumer/client feedback and expectations.
Project management office
An employee group represents this committee which manages the organizational project management framework. It strengthens a company’s future projects by sharing case success studies, tools, resources, and techniques.
To Sum Up:
Other than the manager, several project management roles are available for PMP Certification holders to select from. The above discussion breaks the notion of project manager as the only significant job designation for certified individuals. One may foray into any of the aforementioned roles to allow versatility in a project management career.
