Management of Projects is like to people, due to the wide array of opportunities and freedom it offers, as well as the fulfillment and purpose it brings. Either you are aspiring to be a project manager or just would like to upgrade your managerial skills, a course like the Certified Project Management courses by the British Academy for Training and Development might just suit you. This course does not only let you acquire critical skills and behaviors expected of a successful project manager but shall also land you the internationally recognized IPMA Level D Manager title on having passed it.in this article you’ll get to know what does a project manager do.
What is a project manager?
A project manager is an individual within another organization who is responsible for applying a project management methodology to meet project objectives, usually within constraints such as the allotted time, budget, and resources. They are typically employed by an organisation directly or may work as external consultants. Project management job titles and functions can be very diverse, depending upon the organization, so while applicable project management processes may technically be implemented by an employee, the actual job title may be something else entirely.
There are different ways to classify project managers. They can also be classified on the basis of levels, as junior project manager, project manager and senior project manager. In each way project managers can have their relevant experience and maturity. When a project manager has an exposure to an industry or environment, and after accumulating some relevant knowledge pertaining to the project given and experience over multiple project deployments, the level of intuition defines the way of managing the given project.
The application of the knowledge, skills, tools and techniques in project activities to meet project requirements is defined as project management. As to the project manager, he or she is the person responsible for delivering project output and outcome by their activities. A project manager's job has been gaining importance because the consequences of not executing the projects within predetermined quality limits and project time become monumental. Nowadays, with the fast paced changes in technology and economy, project manager jobs are being sought after worldwide. In focusing on projects, rather than continuing operations, organizations have begun to realize that project management is an essential skill set in the organization's success, and project managers are the organization's prime asset.
What Role Does a Project Manager Play?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) functions as a change agent for the project manager in that he or she adopts the project's goals as his or her own, and employs one's skills and experience to galvanize a shared vision with the team assigned to carry out the project.
The project manager 's duties include controlling and managing the project scope. Along: 'beyond that; they have to motivate and encourage their teams and clients. The project manager is responsible for delivering the project on time and within budget. That will bring success to any project because it has to inspire the project team to work together. This would mean identifying and assigning the top 5 resources such as talent and funds available. For every project management activity, the constituents that matter are cost savings, timely delivery, and quality. Therefore, the project manager's role was to combine such resources for achieving all those deliverables within time, budget, and good quality.
Key Responsibilities of project manager
The responsibilities that have tagged themselves with the project phases and responsibilities, but the focal point of responsibilities shall vary for each.
Project manager key responsibilities and project management areas of control are set to define the project; the controls include scope, schedule, resources, finance, quality, and risks. All project processes that the project manager runs are in those areas. The project has five phases and the major roles and responsibilities of project managers in these phases are:
1. Initiation
An initiation project is the first stage of any project management activity. The major aim of this stage is to define the project. During the whole stage, all participants inducted into the project, be they stakeholders, shareholders, employees, customers, government, or the community, are used to canvass their ideas and expectations. Critical project deliverables are discussed and critical questions are answered. Yet answering questions such as what is being delivered, what counts as success criteria, and determining details such as deadlines, budget, clients, etc. are not the sole responsibilities of the project managers. They also have to visualize the means to achieve each and every step of how to do it.
2. Planning
Planning is another very important step of the project process. This phase is about designing a guideline to follow in achieving project deliverables. Goal setting is an important part of project planning. Therefore, the goals set ought to be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound) and CLEAR.
Along with goal-setting, a project plan should be developed that covers all aspects concerning the project, such as scope statement, work breakdown structure, Gantt chart, communication plan, and risk management plan. These plan components contain information describing every facet of the project. They will be used to determine that all activities progress in the same direction.
3. Execution
Execution is the cradle of any project. In this phase, the plan gets converted into actual measurable tasks. The deliverables must be fulfilled during this stage while adhering to the project plan and utilizing the contained scope. Responsibilities are assigned by the project manager to the team members and their execution is continuously monitored and controlled through various status meetings and reports.
The project execution phase is very vital for the success of a project. Thus, teamwork, collaboration, and good communication are indispensable. This emphasizes the key role and responsibilities of a project manager. They must get the team motivated, lead, and support them to achieve goals.
4. Monitoring and evaluation
By monitoring and evaluating projects, you get to know what activities fall short of their schedule and what must change in order to keep the project on track according to its original intentions. The first step is to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) , including budget, quality, objectives, and time. Because managers have to always look forward and foresee things in advance,
5. Project Closure
Completion of a project marks the final phase, which is termed as closure. The other things the project manager does in this phase include communicating to the team about successes and failures throughout the project life apart from handing over the finished project to the clients. Another responsibility is to inform stakeholders about incomplete work that calls for more time and budget and begin devising plans for their work. As a manager, a project should, then, be packaged and delivered within the stipulated time and budget; thus, efficiency is key in every being in project management.
What Makes a Good Project Manager?
Being a project manager is a specific type of leadership position whose role requires certain character traits and qualities. A good project manager has an overall understanding of project goals and is a strong devotee of the project. They are capable of understanding the staff needs, politically savvy and possess strong negotiation skills. Besides being detail oriented, a manager copes well with setbacks and disappointments. This leadership role, indeed, requires one to be practical, result oriented, cost conscious, and acquire some basic business skills.
Most important things to continue successful progress in a project management career are to be constant in developing and improving your project management abilities and having a certificate that testifies to them.