Archive for the ‘Today's Project Management’ Category

Project Roles and Responsibilities

Tuesday, January 9th, 2007

The Project Steps web blog has a good overview of the roles and responsibilities within a typical project team. For your convenience, we have listed these roles below.

However one role is missing – the role of the Project Portfolio Manager.

Project Portfolio Manager is responsible for spearheading PPM within the business and has one of the most important roles within the Project Portfolio Management Team (PPMT) alongside the executive sponsor. This person is focused on leading the management team behind PPM and has overall responsibility for managing delivery of the portfolio process and communicating its performance to both the businesses strategic and operational functions. Project Portfolio Manager is responsible for guiding and updating the value judgments and policy decisions needed to guide the team. In additon the Project Portfolio Manager should have the ability to influence decisions to suspend, at any time, further commitment of investment monies due to failure to make anticipated progress, changing economic climates or shifts in business objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Executive Steering Committee: Sets the strategic vision and objectives for a given program or project. The team leads efforts to build consensus through the organization to support the project or program’s objectives.

2. Governance Board: Formal team of executives from across the organization that ensure projects will meet/are meeting enterprise goals.

3. Project Sponsor: Provides clarity of the project vision, and directs the activities of the project team. Allocates funding and resources to the project. Provides executive authority necessary to overcome organizational obstacles and barriers. The guardian of the business case, and ultimately responsible for project success.

4. Performing Organization: The organization whose personnel are most directly involved in doing the work of the project. This organization usually provides sponsorship for the project.

5. Project Management Office: An organizational body or entity assigned various responsibilities related to the centralized and coordinated management of those programs/projects under its domain.

6. Project Stakeholders: Persons or organizations (customers, sponsors, performers, public) that are actively involved in the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively impacted by executing or implementation of the project.

7. Program Manager: Person responsible for the centralized, coordinated management of a program (group of related projects) to achieve the program’s strategic objectives and benefits.

8. Project Manager: The person assigned by the performing organization to achieve the project objectives. The project manager is responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across multiple functional lines, and managing stakeholder communications. The project manager accomplishes the above by managing project scope, time, cost, and quality. Finally, the project manager applies project management, general management and technical skills, as well as team management, negotiation, financial and business acumen, combined with an understanding of organizational politics to meet project objectives and to meet or exceed stakeholder expectations.

9. Project Team: All the project team members, including the project management team, the project manager, and for some projects, the project sponsor.

10. Functional Manager: On projects, the person responsible for ensuring agreed-upon project tasks are completed using pre-defined resources under the manager’s control within scope, time, budget and quality constraints.

11. Project Team Leader: Responsible for ensuring that agreed-upon project tasks and assignments are completed on time, on budget, and within quality standards for personnel under their realm of control or influence. The team leader should be knowledgeable of the principles and practices of project management and understand the business unit’s strategic and operational issues.

12. Technical Manager/Liaison: Responsible for the technical implementation of the project as measured against the project requirements, quality targets, and budgetary constraints, and timelines. Ensures technical deliverables are consistent with the overall technical strategy of the enterprise.

13. Business Analyst: Primary interface between projects and business partners. Responsible for understanding current and future processes, including processes for the entire enterprise. Documents business requirements, generate business cases, assists in defining project benefits/ costs, and participates in project reviews
To view the Project Steps posting click here

PPM – Issues, Challenges, Opportunities & Trends

Monday, January 8th, 2007

In the summer of 2006, Dr. Shan Rajegopal of Berkshire Consultancy Ltd. brought together a round table of senior managers from the FTSE 100 companies.The roundtable followed three key themes:

1) Issues and challenges for companies seeking to implement PPM;

2) Ways of fine tuning PPM practices to make a lasting business impact;

3) PPM trends in the next 5 years.

To read the findings of the round table on the IT Toolbox click here

Dr. Shan Rajegopal is a practitioner, academic and consultant with over 20 years industrial experience in various sectors. He currently works for Berkshire Consultancy Ltd. conducting project portfolio assessments and implementation.

Napoleon’s Downfall & Project Management

Thursday, December 28th, 2006

For me history is the gateway to human behavior, it teaches us not only where we have been, but where we are and where we should go. History underpins everything that is past, present and future and much can be learnt for what others have done. The PMThink Blog 1st of a 3 part series relates the fall of Napoleon to the trials and tribulations of the modern project manager.

Click here
to hear Part 1.

Napoleon on Project Management by Jerry Manas: What is it about Napoleon Bonaparte that has led recognized modern-day leaders to study his principles—and countless books on management and leadership to quote his maxims? For one, Napoleon rose from relative obscurity to rule all of Western Europe in but a few years—something the Romans took centuries to accomplish. He brought order out of chaos. He crafted an administration and civil code that is still in use today. His troops adored him, and the people admired him. Even his arch rival, the Duke of Wellington said, “In this age, in past ages, in any age, Napoleon.” Yet, Napoleon lost it all, only to die alone and in exile.

Are there lessons for today’s project managers and leaders to be found in his successes and ultimate failings?

Indeed, there are.

Adoption Agency

Saturday, December 16th, 2006

More and more, we are seeing that PPM solutions live or die based upon the solution’s ability to gain user adoption. Like most front office systems, or any database application for that matter, if the users don’t use it, there’s no data and thus no information, and with no information there’s no value.This is obvious, you might say. Don’t we already know this? If so, then why do organizations struggle with it?

For full article and posted comments (IT Tool Box)

click here

Embracing Project Portfolio Management

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

According to Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin, Project Portfolio Management (PPM) should be something that every project manager should embrace…and we agree.

According to Jeannette, there are 3 reasons to embrace PPM:

1. PPM brings realism to an organization’s planning processes.

2. PPM brings rationality in the allocation of resources, both human and financial.

3. PPM brings visibility to project work and project people.

Jeanette’s article presents a solid argument for PPM.

For those of you who want a quick overview here’s a basic primer.

click here