Role of the Project Manager

Question: Discuss about the Role of the Project Manager. Answer: Introduction A project is a set of methods and processes that is executed to achieve a set of goals and objectives. In the present era, there are a number of project management methodologies and a number of different factors that play an important role in the project success. Project Manager is an important and the most critical resource in the project and there are a number of different factors that determine the role of the resource in several contexts and environments. Comparison between the Project Management Methodologies Area of Differentiation ISO21500 PMBOK PRINCE2 Project Management Phases or stages It divides project management processes into different phases Phases in PMBOK guide are somewhat abstract and can be iterative or can even overlap and the consequences of each phase are not clearly detailed. However, the entire process is divided into some key process groups including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling and closing. It identifies project stages and each stage is clearly defined in detail and do not overlap. The control over these stages is thus greater in case of PRINCE2 as compared to other two methodologies Project Organization This does not include any identification of organization, its tools or processes This methodology does not specifically identifies the organization structure of the project organization but only defines roles of project manager and sponsor and also covers some general roles of project stakeholders. This methodology clearly identifies project organization structure and ensures governance through involves considerations of key stakeholder interests including users, business and suppliers that are presented with specific details. It also provides details of delegation, reporting and issues escalation from team managers to project managers to project board to top management. In addition to these direct roles, PRINCE2 also outlines supporting roles involving project support and assurance. Because of these high levels of details, the communication between teams becomes much easier to understand in the case of PRINCE2 methodology Quality Quality control is used for controlling project results internally while externally, quality assurance is applied on project management processes (Wojnar, 2015). Quality control and quality assurance are used both for internal and external processes and results. Quality control and quality assurance are used both for internal and external processes and results. Terminologies and definitions Project Sponsor Project Management Plan This methodology identifies project phases Scope statement is defined A work break Down structure is prepared along with a WBS dictionary Changes or issues are recorded in change register At the end of the project, a project closure report is prepared Project progress is communicated to stakeholders through project progress report Project Sponsor Project Management Plan This methodology identifies project phases Project scope statement is defined A work break Down structure is prepared along with a WBS dictionary Issues or changes are recorded in change log At the end of the project, a number of project closure documents are prepared Project progress is communicated to stakeholders through project performance report Project Sponsor is called an Executive PMP is called Project Initiation Document This methodology divides project into various stages Project Product description is provided to understand scope A product Break Down structure is prepared with its description Issues or changes are recorded in issue register At the end of the project, an End Project report is prepared Various project reports are prepared for stakeholders for communicating progress and performance of a project including highlights report, checkpoint report, and End Stage Report Resource Management In this standard, human resources are also identified as generic resources and the management process involves establishing of project team, estimation of resources, defining of project organization, development of project team, controlling of resources and management of project teams. In this methodology, human resource are properly planned and then acquired as per requirements. Various activity resources that would then be utilized by each human resource are identified and project teams are developed and managed. Human resource management process in PRINCE2 involves development of plan, acquisition of team, development and their management which is similar to PMBOK guide but it clearly identifies dimensions of organizing , management and leadership in the management plan(ESI, 2009) Cost Costs are estimated based on which budgets are created and then according to budget constraints, costs are controlled. These is no definite plan to follow for performing these acts. Cost management process is properly planned before costs can be estimated, budget can be prepared and costs can be controlled and the same processes are followed as per the plan This involves similar processes as ISO including estimation of costs, determination of budget and controlling of costs but the differences are in the way processes are used for performing these tasks (Skogmar, 2015) Risk Management This involves identification, assessment, treatment and control of project risks. In this methodology, risks are not planned for in advanced and thus, are responded to as and when they occur(Gasik, 2012). This includes planning of risk management, identification of risks, qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, planning of risk responses, monitoring and control of risks. In PRINCE2 , risk management involves planning, risk identification, qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, risk response planning, monitoring and controlling of risk just as done in the PMBOK guide but in PRINCE2 risk management processes and techniques are more clearly described such as Monte Carlo and decision tree analysis Role of Project Manager as per Project Contexts and Environment Project Size and Complexity The role of Project Manager varies and is largely dependent upon the project size and complexity. As the complexity of the project increases so does its interdependence on the external sources and third parties. Also, with the project of bigger sizes, there are increased number of project teams and resources involved with the same. In such scenarios, the Project Manager must adapt the skills of a negotiator between the several parties that are involved. These skills will enable the manager to bring the team together on one single platform and also avoid the scenarios of conflicts and disputes (Langer, 2016). Project Management Methodology The approach and methodology that is selected for the management also determine the role of the Project Manager in the project. PMBOK and PRINCE2 are two of the most popular project management methodologies and the role of the Project Manager differs entirely in case of the two. In the projects that are managed by the PMBOK methodology, Project Manager is considered as the primary resource in the project. All the activities that do not go well during the project timeline come down to the project manager for justification and rectification purpose. The tasks such as resource allocation, project planning, cost estimation and schedule preparation are also included in the responsibilities of the Project Manager. However, in case of the PRINCE2 methodology, the role of the Project Manager is entirely different from the one that has been mentioned earlier in this section. In this methodology, the Project Manager is more of a mediator between the project board and the project team. All the concerns and issues of the team go to the project board via project manager and the solution to the same come from the project board to the project team via manager. Thus, the methodology and approach that is selected for the project management plays a significant role in determi ning the responsibility of the Project Manager. Project Team Project team is the most important entity in the project and the effective management of the same is the prime responsibility of the Project Manager. There are projects in which the team is already familiar with the type and style of the project and has had experience on the similar projects in the past. There are also projects and certain resources in particular project that are completely new to the team and the project respectively. The Project Manager must consider such factors and set the responsibilities in accordance of the same. It is also the responsibility of the manager to arrange for the discussions and trainings for the newer and inexperienced resources so that the required skill sets and familiarity is developed before the actual execution begins. The role of the manager is different when the team is already experienced and it is more of a mentor and a guiding entity in such cases. Also, the role of the project manager depends upon the size of the project team during the allocation of the roles and responsibilities. Single Environment v/s Multi-Environment Projects There are projects that comprise of one single environment and there are also projects that need to be executed in more than one environment. The role of the Project Manager varies in two cases. There is a consistent approach that is followed by the manager all throughout the project timeline in the cases when there is the presence of just one environment. However, the approach of the manager changes in case of multi-environments. It is important for the manager to carry out strategic alignment and project life cycle decisions in very early stages of the project in the second scenario. It is also essential for the managers to develop the alternative solutions beforehand for the key areas as the number and likelihood of the risks increase in the case of the presence of multiple environments (Dietrich, 2016). Organization Culture and Strategy Every single organization has its own set of culture and structure. There is a vision and mission that is associated with every project and the role of the Project Manager varies as per the same. There are organizations which welcome the new ideas and approaches suggested by the Project Manager and consider the same during the implementation time. On the other hand, there are organizations that believe in following set patterns and procedures in their activities and expect the same from their managers. The role of Project Manager thus goes hand in hand with the culture and strategy that is followed in a particular organization and is largely affected by the same. Legal and Regulatory Policies There is also an element of legal and regulatory policies that is involved with every project. The role of the Project Manager gets affected by the same to an extent. The higher the number of the policies, the restrictions that are imposed on the manager in terms of legal freedom goes up as well (Vargas, 2008). The manager has to make sure that the team and all the resources abide by the legal procedures to avoid any obligations and thus, the role varies accordingly. Conclusion There are a number of project types that are executed in a number of different industries. There are several methodologies that are defined to organize and streamline the activities that are present in a particular project. Project Manager has a critical role to play in the project and the same depends upon a number of different factors. The management methodology that is decided to be followed in the project, project size, project complexity, size of the team, legal policies, number of environments involved and organization culture are some of the important factors that play a key role in determining the responsibilities of the Project Manager. The manager must have a set of mandatory skills such as leadership, negotiation, communication and technical skills in order to effectively manage the project. The skills also vary as per the domain and type of the project. It is essential for an organization to allocate a manager that has the required skill set for a particular project in or der to contribute towards the project success. Without the presence of the skilful manager it becomes extremely difficult to make the project a success. References Dietrich, P. (2016). Successful management in multi-project environment. Retrieved 30 August 2016, from https://www.cin.ufpe.br/~gmp/docs/papers/Successful%20management%20in%20multi-project%20environment.pdf ESI. (2009). Comparing the Differences and Complementary features of PRINCE2 and the PMI PMBOK Guide. ESI International, Inc. Gasik, S. (2012). Comparison of ISO 21500 and PMBOK Guide1. Sybena. Langer, N. (2016). How do Project Managers Skills Affect Project Success in IT Outsourcing?. Retrieved 30 August 2016, from https://www.krannert.purdue.edu/academics/mis/workshop/papers/ss_041808.pdf Skogmar, K. (2015). PRINCE2, the PMBOK Guide and ISO 21500:2012 . AXELOS. Vargas, R. (2008). Practical guide to project planning. Boca Raton: Auerbach Publications. Wojnar, K. (2015). Comparison between ISO 21500 and PMBOK Guide 5th Edition. : Theoretical background and practical usage of ISO 21500 in IT projects. ISO project Committee.