Chapter 15 - Project roles and stakeholders Flashcards
What are the basic roles of the project manager (PM)?
- Integration of project resources
- Communication
- Decision maker, for the project, and influencing high-level decisions
- Prime motivational factor in the project
- Driving commitment in entire project team
What is the PM’s main responsibility?
Deliver the project’s end item as planned, schedule, cost and according to the agreed quality
Name some more specific responsibilities of the PM
- Planning project tasks and end results
- Selecting and organising the project team
- Working with and negotiating with influential stakeholders
- Monitoring and communicating the project status
- Identifying functional and technical problems
- Solving problems
- Dealing with crises and resolving conflicts
Name two types of authority in the project environment
- Legal authority – given by the organisation and linked to the job and role
- Charismatic authority – linked to personal characteristics
Should a project manager be a specialist in all of the fields involved in the project?
No, but they should have a good idea of what happens in those fields. The project manager should rather manage and properly communicate with technical specialists in the project
Name some of the personal characteristics that a good project manager should have
- Flexible and adaptable
- Preference for leadership and initiative
- Confidence, persuasiveness, verbal fluency
- Effective communicator and integrator
- Able to balance technical solutions with time, cost and human factors
- Well-organised and disciplined
- Generalist rather than a specialist
What are important interpersonal skills a PM should posses?
- Asking leading questions
- Remaining quiet and allowing others to talk
- Reflecting on answers and feedback
- Reflecting on other persons’ emotions
What is the LEAR method of active listening?
- Listen
- Explore
- Acknowledge
- Respond
A PM should have some basic business skills. Name.
- Understanding the organisation
- Knowledge of management
- Ability to translate business requirements into project and system requirements
- Active interest in teaching, training and developing subordinates
Describe the different members in the Project Office
• Project Engineer – Coordinating technological areas and assures integrated
design of end items
• Contract administrator – responsible for the legal aspects of the project and its contractors, subcontractors, vendors etc.
• Project controller – works with functional managers to identify tasks and individuals and ways to control the tasks
• Project accountant – provides accounting support
• Customer liaison – maintain and manage customer relationships
• Production coordinator – plans and coordinates aspects relating to production in the project
• Field or site manager – oversees construction, installation, testing, and handing over of the end item
• Quality assurance supervisor – establish and administer quality issues in the
project
What are functional managers responsible for?
• Quality assurance supervisor – establish and administer quality issues in the
project
What are the roles of the Manager of Projects? (Note: manages different projects, not the projects themselves)
- Oversees multiple projects
- Direct and evaluates all PMs
- Link between the organisation, its resources and the project
- Link between the project’s needs and the functional heads – resources
- Managing the development of project management policies, processes and techniques
- Ensure consistency among projects
What is the role of top management in an organisation?
- Makes major decisions about project selection and prioritising
- Approve project feasibility studies
- Select project managers
- Authorise project start-up
