The job of a project manager is to plan, organize, and direct the completion of a project. It is their duty to ensure the projects are completed on time, within scope, and on budget. You will need the assistance of a project management company for the professional and proper management and completion of your projects.
The specific duties of a project manager vary based on the industry, organization, and the type of projects they handle. However, there are many responsibilities that are shared between the team members.
Duties & Responsibilities of Project Managers
There are different aspects of a project manager’s role that are similar in most organizations. These key aspects include the following:
- Developing the Big Idea: Picking up an idea and transforming it into a plan that can be executed.
- Organizing Project Tasks: Working with the team to determine what is required to bring the project to completion.
- Assembling a Team: Putting up a team to help transform the idea into reality.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Working with all the project stakeholders to take them into confidence about the changes and their impact on them.
- Budget Management: Creating a project budget, managing it, and controlling the costs.
- Leading the Team: Coaching, training, developing, and mentoring others who will be working on the project. This can also require collaboration management.
A good project manager will hand over the completed project to the stakeholders or the team for further management.
Managing Project Life Cycle Phases
A good project manager is required to manage each phase in the life cycle of a project. This includes:
- Initiation: The project manager will define the main objectives of a project, the scope, and the purpose. This includes identifying the important stakeholders, discussing expectations, and gaining authorization.
- Planning: The manager will create an integrated project plan once the initial charter has been approved. The plan will guide the entire team in the following areas:
- Costs
- Scope
- Communications
- Risks
- Timelines
- Quality issues
Key deliverables are outlined and the manager will identify the tasks that need to be completed for each deliverable. A project plan is a flexible document that keeps evolving and changing throughout the lifecycle of the project.
- Execution: All the team members will complete the tasks identified in the plan. The manager will assign all the tasks to the team members and ensure their completion as per schedule. Some of the key duties of the manager during execution include:
- Preventing distractions for the team
- Assisting with issue resolution
- Leading the team to handle changes in project
- Monitoring & Control: Project monitoring and control begins from the moment the project begins and continues up to the closing stage. The job of a manager is to monitor the project’s progress, manage the budget, and ensure the key milestones are completed on schedule. The manager will also compare the performance against the plan.
Project Closing
A good project manager will ensure that all steps required to achieve the final outcome have been completed. They will take the following steps as part of the project closing:
- Working with the client for the sign-off
- Releasing resources that are no longer required for the project
- Reviewing the work of partners and third-party vendors to clear their invoices and close the contracts
- Archiving project files
A good project manager will also conduct a post-implementation review.
Thus, a good project manager is at the heart of your project. It is important to choose project managers with care. The right professional will be someone with specialized experience in the type of project and the industry.
