Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager | The Best 1 Perspective
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I think this is the right time to go on with the roles and responsibilities of a Project Manager. Why do I want you to know them? It’s simply because when you understand what is expected of the person who is leading a project, it becomes easier to relate with the person/the position as a team member or stakeholder or, even, the project manager yourself.
We have come thus far and what have we gone through? First, a deep foundation was laid in the tutorial preface. Then, we discussed what project management really is and the value of a project manager. You must always reflect on the conversations. We want the skill to be a part of us, integrating it into our personal and professional lives. The only way I know possible is to keep having self-discussions on them. No one forgets something they are reminded of every now and then.
It is now clear the Project Manager is very instrumental in the success of every project. We had a convo about the things he or she brings to the table and how valuable they are. This time, our conversation will be centered on the expectations, obligations or duty requirements of the position or role.
Since they are common knowledge, I’ll try and make this session as brief as possible. Banking on the fact that we encounter them regularly in our life project, I believe they’ll be self-explanatory, relatable and a walk in the park.
Key Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager
Even though each project can be unique, below are some generic responsibilities of a Project Manager.
1. Planning and Organizing
2. Budgeting and Controlling costs and other factors
3. Managing Tasks
Planning and Organizing
First, it is his or her duty to know and understand everything about the project. Among the things should be what the project is about, the endgame, and the resources available at his or her disposal.
From there, he or she must time-travel and predict the future now. What does that mean? The manager, with the information, has to create a comprehensive plan which tackles every need and want that will occur along the execution stage of the project before it is even started.
We have all made plans before, right? What did we do? We tried to play what could happen in the future, so we can know what to expect and how to maneuver them. Similarly, the manager simulates the project events, identify what must be done to achieve the project’s goals and objectives, determine what can go wrong, assess the risks, and devise emergency/safety nets (plan Bs) to reduce or prevent their impacts when they strike.
This hefty process is very important to the success of the project because the rest now will be to go according to plan and adapt if need be. After all, they say “failing to plan is planning to fail”.
Organizing cannot be separated from planning. In fact, it outlives the planning role. Because the manager has to create a comprehensive plan, he or she has to include every activity, via the prioritization value, that must be taken in the documentation as well as the assigned team members who will have the authority to carry out these activities (by delegation as we got to know in the previous convo). Therefore, should everything go according to plan, everyone will be alright.
In summary, the project manager is required to make a guidebook for the whole project – one that includes plans, processes, roles, timelines, schedules, documentations and can be used to track project progress.
Budgeting and Controlling factors
As long as no one knows the future, anything can just happen. This presents a real problem to every aspect of human lives, including project development. What we do not need is to be out of control because that will more detrimental. This is why we plan – to keep everything under control.
If we look critically at possible scenarios of things going wrong, most can be attributed to time and resources deviations. Because time is a bit stable, planning usually takes care of it. However, resources are not and require a plan-within-a-plan to cater only for that need. This is why the popular terms budgets and budgeting come into picture.
Funds or money or resources for projects are limited; it is even one of the project requirements/conditions. As much as stakeholders would love for a project to come alive, they cannot spend all their resources on it. Hence, they state clearly the resources they are willing to commit to the project. Based on this insight, a guide is made to spell out how the resources will be distributed to the various breakdowns of the project. This document is called the budget and the art of preparing it is budgeting.
A perfect analogy is you hiring a cook for an event. You may not present a menu, but you definitely will be clear on how much you’ll be willing to spend – called budget. This presents a constraint because no matter what, the cook must prepare the food within your presented resource. It is now up to the cook to plan the menu or use yours, buy ingredients, and ensure everything is cooked to perfection, while staying within the allocated budget. If this cook overspends on expensive ingredients, they might not have enough for other dishes on the menu.
Similarly, the project manager is the cook of the project. He or she is responsible for creating a budget, allocating resources, tracking expenses, and making sure the project stays on the financial track and within the financial constraints to deliver the desired outcome.
The manager also has to do same for other external factors that could compromise the quality of the project by affecting the time and/or allocated resources and causing them to deviate from the planned/expected situation. In the end, the ultimate goal is to keep everything under control.
Managing Tasks
Another responsibility of a project manager is effectively managing tasks to ensure the successful completion of a project. Let’s assume the goals and objectives have been clearly defined, a budget has been established, and the project has been broken down into smaller tasks with timelines. What’s left to do? The actual work, of course.
The manager has to keep the project on track by:
First, communicating clearly and regularly to the team members on expectations, timelines and roles of each individual towards the project’s goals. It’s his or her duty to provide the guidance and direction to ensure everyone is playing their parts. Stakeholders must also be updated to keep them in the loop and seek their intervention at appropriate times.
Also, monitoring the statuses of tasks as they progress. This involves tracking the task’s actual progress, identifying any barriers, and taking proactive measures to address them. Whether it is reallocating resources, providing additional support or resolving conflicts, the project manager needs to keep the project moving forward smoothly. If it becomes necessary, adjustments must be made to keep affairs on course.
Conclusion
You may not have realized, but we did see how the values of a project manager (what the person brings to the table) incorporate in the dispensation of the role. I noticed how prioritization helps him or her to plan and organize the project, how delegation moves him or her to assign roles/activities and how the position thrives on effective communication.
The roles and responsibilities of a project manager is no different from our role in our lives. We always are tasked to plan, organize, budget and control if we do not want to drive on autopilot.
