A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers have the responsibility of the planning, procurement and execution of a project, in any undertaking that has a defined scope, defined start and a defined finish; regardless of industry. Project managers are first point of contact for any issues or discrepancies arising from within the heads of various departments in an organization before the problem escalates to higher authorities, as project representative. Project management is the responsibility of a project manager. This individual seldom participates directly in the activities that produce the result, but rather strives to maintain the progress, mutual interaction and tasks of various parties in such a way that reduces the risk of overall failure, maximizes benefits, and minimizes costs.
Overview A project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the project objectives. Key project management responsibilities include
defining and communicating project objectives that are clear, useful and attainable procuring the project requirements like workforce, required information, various agreements and material or technology needed to accomplish project objectives managing the constraints of the project management triangle, which are cost, time, scope and quality A project manager is a client representative and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client, based on knowledge of the organization they are representing. An expertise is required in the domain the project managers are working to efficiently handle all the aspects of the project. The ability to adapt to the various internal procedures of the client and to form close links with the nominated representatives, is essential in ensuring that the key issues of cost, time, quality and above all, client satisfaction, can be realized.
Project management key topics Important areas of project management may include:
specifying reasons for the importance of a project specifying the quality of deliverables resource-estimation estimating timescales negotiating investment, corporate agreement and funding implementation of a management plan in a project team-building and motivation risk assessments and changes in a project maintain sustaining projects monitoring progress against plans stakeholder management provider-management closing the project George Roth and Hilary Bradbury identify a desire for more non-authoritarian leadership in project work.
Project tools Some tools, knowledge and techniques for managing projects may be unique to project management – for example: work-breakdown structures, critical-path analysis and earned-value management. Understanding and applying the tools and techniques which are generally recognized as good practices are not sufficient alone for effective project management. Effective project management requires that the project manager understands and uses the knowledge and skills from at least four areas of expertise. Examples are Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), application area knowledge: standards and regulations set forth by ISO for project management, general management skills and project environment management. There are many options for project-management software to assist in executing projects for project managers and any associated teams.
Project teams If recruiting and building an effective team, the manager must consider not only the technical skills of each team member, but also the critical roles of and chemistry between workers. A project team has mainly three separate components: project manager, core team and contracted team.
Risk Most of the project-management issues that influence a project arise from risk, which in turn arises from uncertainty. Successful project managers focus on this as their main concern and attempt to reduce risk significantly, often by adhering to a policy of open communication, ensuring that project participants can voice their opinions and concerns.
Responsibilities The project manager is accountable for ensuring that everyone on the team knows and executes his or her role, feels empowered and supported in the role, knows the roles of the other team members and acts upon the belief that those roles will be performed. The specific responsibilities of the project manager may vary depending on the industry, the company size, the company maturity, and the company culture. However, there are some responsibilities that are common to all project managers, noting:
Developing the project plans Managing the project stakeholders Managing communication Managing the project team Managing the project risks Managing the project schedule Managing the project budget Managing the project conflicts Managing the project delivery Contract administration
Types
Architectural project manager Architectural project manager are project managers in the field of architecture. They have many of the same skills as their counterpart in the construction industry. And will often work closely with the construction project manager in the office of the general contractor (GC), and at the same time, coordinate the work of the design team and numerous consultants who contribute to a construction project, and manage communication with the client. The issues of budget, scheduling, and quality control are the responsibility of the project manager in an architect's office.
Construction manager
Construction managers are primarily involved in the areas of design, bidding, contact management and construction of a project, as well as the in-between phases and post-construction. Until recently, the American construction industry lacked any level of standardization, with individual States determining the eligibility requirements within their jurisdiction. However, several trade associations based in the United States have made strides in creating a commonly accepted set of qualifications and tests to determine a project manager's competency.
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