A
project manager is a professional in the field of
project managementProject management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any
projectA project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
, typically relating to construction industry,
architectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, computer networking, telecommunications or
software developmentSoftware development is the development of a software product...
.
Many other fields in the production, design and service industries also have project managers.
Overview
A project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the stated project objectives. Key project management responsibilities include creating clear and attainable project objectives, building the project requirements, and managing the
triple constraint for projectsThe Project Triangle in engineering is a triangle model of project. It is a graphic aid where the three attributes show on the corners of the triangle to show opposition. It is useful to help with intentionally choosing project biases, or analyzing the goals of your project...
, which are
cost,
time, and
quality (also known as
scopeIn project management, the term scope has two distinct uses: Project Scope and Product Scope.Project Scope"The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions."Product Scope...
).
A project manager is often a client representative and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client, based on knowledge of the firm they are representing. The ability to adapt to the various internal procedures of the contracting party, 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.
The term and title 'project manager' has come to be used generically to describe anyone given responsibility to complete a project. However, it is more properly used to describe a person with full responsibility and the same level of authority required to complete a project. If a person does not have high levels of both responsibility and authority then they are better described as a project administrator, coordinator,
facilitatorA facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion...
or expeditor.
Project manager topics
Project management
- Project Management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
is quite often the province and responsibility of an individual project manager. This individual seldom participates directly in the activities that produce the end result, but rather strives to maintain the progress and mutual interaction and tasks of various parties in such a way that reduces the risk of overall failure, maximizes benefits, and restricts costs.
Products and services
- Any type of product or service — pharmaceuticals, building construction, vehicles, electronics, computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
, financial services Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
, etc. — may have its implementation overseen by a project manager and its operations by a product managerA product manager investigates, selects, and develops products for an organization, performing the activities of product management.A product manager considers numerous factors such as intended demographic, the products offered by the competition, and how well the product fits with the company's...
.
Project tools
- The tools, knowledge and techniques for managing projects are often unique to Project Management. For example: work breakdown structures
A work breakdown structure , in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. It defines and groups a project's discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project.A work...
, critical path analysis and earned value managementEarned value management is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress in an objective manner. EVM has the ability to combine measurements of scope, schedule, and cost in a single integrated system. Earned Value Management is notable for its ability to provide...
. 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 PMBOK, Application Area Knowledge: standards and regulations set forth by ISO for project management, General Management Skills and Project Environment Management
Project teams
- When recruiting and building an effective team, the manager must consider not only the technical skills of each person, but also the critical roles 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
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
, which in turn arises from uncertainty. The successful project manager focuses on this as his/her main concern and attempts to reduce risk significantly, often by adhering to a policy of open communication, ensuring that project participants can voice their opinions and concerns.
Construction Project Manager
Construction project managers in the past were individuals, who worked in
constructionIn the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
or supporting industries and were promoted to
foremanA construction foreman is the worker or tradesman who is in charge of a construction crew. While traditionally this role has been assumed by a senior male worker, the title in the modern sense is gender non-specific in intent...
. It was not until the late 20th century that construction and
Construction managementConstruction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...
became distinct fields.
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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have made strides in creating a commonly-accepted set of qualifications and tests to determine a project manager's competency.
- The Project Management Institute has made some headway into being a standardizing body with its creation of the Project Management Professional
Project Management Professional is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute . , there were 393,413 active PMP certified individuals worldwide...
(PMP) designation.
- The Constructor Certification Commission of the American Institute of Constructors
The ' , is a not-for-profit 501 trade organization founded in 1969 for the advancement of professionalism and ethics in the Construction industry....
holds semiannual nationwide tests. Eight American Construction Management programs require that students take these exams before they may receive their Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Construction ManagementConstruction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...
degree, and 15 other Universities actively encourage their students to consider the exams.
- The Associated Colleges of Construction Education, and the Associated Schools of Construction have made considerable progress in developing national standards for construction education programs.
The profession has recently grown to accommodate several dozen
Construction ManagementConstruction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...
Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
programs.
The
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
construction battalions, nicknamed the SeaBees, puts their command through strenuous training and certifications at every level. To become a
Chief Petty OfficerA chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
in the SeaBees is equivalent to a BS in Construction Management with the added benefit of several years of experience to their credit. See ACE accreditation.
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. An
architectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
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.
Software Project Manager
A Software Project Manager has many of the same skills as their counterparts in other industries. Beyond the skills normally associated with traditional project management in industries such as construction and manufacturing, a software project manager will typically have an extensive background in
software developmentSoftware development is the development of a software product...
. Many software project managers hold a degree in
Computer ScienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
,
Information TechnologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
or another related field.
In traditional project management a heavyweight, predictive methodology such as the
waterfall modelThe waterfall model is a sequential design process, often used in software development processes, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards through the phases of Conception, Initiation, Analysis, Design, Construction, Testing, Production/Implementation and Maintenance.The waterfall...
is often employed, but software project managers must also be skilled in more lightweight, adaptive methodologies such as DSDM,
SCRUMScrum can refer to:* Scrum , a rugby restart after an interruption* Media scrum , similar to a rugby scrum, occurs when public figures, such as politicians, are surrounded by a group of journalists and are asked questions in an impromptu or loosely organized manner* Scrum , an agile software...
and
XPExtreme programming is a software development methodology which is intended to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements...
. These project management methodologies are based on the uncertainty of developing a new software system and advocate smaller, incremental development cycles. These incremental or iterative cycles are timeboxed (constrained to a known period of time, typically from one to four weeks) and produce a working subset of the entire system deliverable at the end of each iteration. The increasing adoption of lightweight approaches is due largely to the fact that
software requirementsSoftware Requirements is a sub-field of Software engineering that deals with the elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation of requirements for software....
are very susceptible to change, and it is extremely difficult to illuminate all the potential requirements in a single project phase before the software development commences.
The software project manager is also expected to be familiar with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). This may require in depth knowledge of requirements solicitation, application development, logical and physical database design and networking. This knowledge is typically the result of the aforementioned education and experience. There is not a widely accepted certification for software project managers, but many will hold the
PMPPMP may mean several things:* Per million population, as listed in Acronyms in healthcare* NAT Port Mapping Protocol* Perlman Music Program* Pic Micro Pascal, a free Pascal language compiler for PIC processors...
designation offered by the
Project Management InstituteThe Project Management Institute is a not-for-profit professional organization for the project management profession with the purpose of advancing project management.- Overview :...
,
PRINCE2PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2 is a structured project management method endorsed by the UK government as the project management standard for public projects. The methodology encompasses the management, control and organisation of a project...
or an advanced degree in project management, such as a MSPM or other graduate degree in technology management.
Responsibilities
The specific responsibilities of the Project Manager 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 plan
- Managing the project stakeholders
- Managing the project team
- Managing the project risk
- Managing the project schedule
- Managing the project budget
- Managing the project conflicts
Education, certifications and networks
Individuals wishing to obtain professional certifications may take one or more of the offerings available from a variety of organizations:
The
Project Management InstituteThe Project Management Institute is a not-for-profit professional organization for the project management profession with the purpose of advancing project management.- Overview :...
offers the following credentials to project managers:
- Project Management Professional
Project Management Professional is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute . , there were 393,413 active PMP certified individuals worldwide...
(PMP)
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM),
- Program Management Professional
Program Management Professional is a credential offered by Project Management Institute to certify individuals as having requisite experience in program management...
(PgMP)
- PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP), and
- PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
Other institutions and organizations:
- The University of Wisconsin's Masters Certificate in Project Management http://exed.wisc.edu/cert/projectmanagement/info.asp
- CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association , a non-profit trade association, was created in 1982 as the Association of Better Computer Dealers, Inc. by representatives of five microcomputer dealerships...
offers Project+ Certification
- The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) offers Gold Seal Certification as a Project Manager. http://www.goldsealcertification.com/overview/about/about_e.asp
- The UK Office of Government Commerce
The Office of Government Commerce is part of the Efficiency and Reform Group of the Cabinet Office, a department of the Government of the United Kingdom...
offers PRINCE2PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2 is a structured project management method endorsed by the UK government as the project management standard for public projects. The methodology encompasses the management, control and organisation of a project...
certification.
- The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) offers Registered Project Manager (RegPM) certification.
- The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and its School of Program Management offers practitioner training in every element of project management for members of the Federal Government, Defense industry and allied nations.
There are other graduate degrees in project and technology management, such as an MSPM. However, the majority of all project management skills may be developed through the completion of a Ph.D, D.Phil or other similar higher Doctorate.
The IPMA is an international network of national project management societies such as
Association for Project ManagementThe Association for Project Management is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, which aims to develop and promote the professional disciplines of project management and programme management, through a programme called the "Five Dimensions of Professionalism"...
in the UK. IPMA serves as an umbrella organisation representing national societies which offer their certifications.
Project Management training
Methods of Project Management
trainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
are very diverse. Much of the
trainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
received by most project managers is on the job training. Other sources of training include
- University degree programs in project management
- Business degree programs with some level of Project Management emphasis
- Certification preparatory classes and training
- Social media such as blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and podcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s
- Books
- Seminars and conferences
- Local group meetings (I.E. local chapters)
See also
- Event Planning and Production
- Master of Science in Project Management
- Project engineer
A project engineer performs work that crosses the boundaries between engineering and project management, leading the technical workers who contribute to the building of structures or products. In some cases, the project engineer is the same as a project manager but in most cases these two...
- Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
- Project planning
Project planning is part of project management, which relates to the use of schedules such as Gantt charts to plan and subsequently report progress within the project environment....
Further reading