1. Project Management Project Roles

2. The number of people involved in a project and the roles they play will vary greatly between different types and size of project. Some of the more common for a significantly sized project are given below:

3. The Project Sponsor The Project Sponsor is responsible for delivering the benefit to the organisation. They will:

4. Ensure the project remains a viable business proposition. Ensure appropriate Quality Assurance arrangements are in place. Represent the organisation in key project decisions. Resolve project issues that are outside the control of the Project Manager. Appoint the Project Manager and facilitate the appointment of the project team. Ensure the solution delivered matches the project specification. Sign off the project closure document. Be accountable for the success/failure of the project.

5. The Project Board Larger projects, particularly ones that span several functional areas may require a Project Board, sometimes called a Project Control Board and (more commonly) a Steering Group. It is chaired by the Project Sponsor and is responsible for similar things to the Project Sponsor in a situation where the project is too large/diverse for a single person to control. The additional roles it will fulfil are:

6. To monitor the project progress and ensure the interests of the organisation are best served. To provide a forum for making strategic decisions and resolving problems related to cross- organisational issues.

7. The Project Manager The Project Manager is responsible for the day- to-day management of the project. They will:

8. Assemble the project team. Prepare the project definition and detailed plans. Define the roles, responsibilities and targets for each team member. Monitor project progress. Monitor and manage risks and opportunities. Resolve issues with the project. Manage and record project changes. Forecast and monitor business benefits. Deliver the project deliverables on time, to budget and to the agreed standard. Communicate with stakeholders.

9. The Project Team The Project Team are responsible for the delivery of the project. With any significant project the Project Team will be made up of managers who are each responsible for a particular area of the project. The team members are accountable to the Project Manager. Their roles are to:

10. Be accountable for the deliverables that are delegated to them by the Project Manager, ensuring they are completed on time, to budget and to the required standard. Liaise with other team members to ensure the project runs smoothly. Contribute to project documentation. Monitor and manage their delegated tasks. Manage the resolution of issues, passing any they cannot deal with to the Project Manager. Manage any changes to their delegated tasks, informing the Project Manager of any changes that require approval. Be responsible for advising the appropriate team member and/or Project Manager of potential issues, risks or opportunities that they notice.

11. Stakeholders Stakeholders are those affected by the project. By definition therefore, everyone involved in the project is a stakeholder. The term is more usually applied to those not directly involved in the project itself, but who will be affected before, during or after the project is complete.

12. If a retailer decides to open a second store in a city then the management and staff at the existing store are stakeholders because they will be affected.

13. If a college decides to open another site the LEA (Local Education Authority) is a stakeholder, even though they have nothing to do with Further Education. Likewise the university would also be a stakeholder.

14. If a company decides to open another department then the staff are stakeholders because they may have to work in the new department, or perhaps be made redundant as a result of a restructure to accommodate the new department.

15. The main consideration from the Project Manager’s point of view is that the stakeholders should be consulted and kept informed about the progress of the project. Communication is the key issue here – too much and they will not read it, too little and they will not know what is happening.

16. People are less likely to cause problems if they feel they are involved in the process and fully informed. This is particularly important where the implementation of the project will have considerable (even if temporary) disruption, for example turning a road into a dual carriageway – everyone wants the benefits of the dual carriageway but do not want the turmoil caused by the roadworks.