Project organization, people and management

Is a continuing activity, in which key operations are epeated periodically

Has a definite start and end point and is set up to achieve a specific purpose

-> Each department in a functional organization will do its project work independently of other departments

-> PM manager is more a coordinator or a project expediter: he or she works as staff assistant and communications coordinator.

-> expediter cannot personally make or enforce decisions

Stakeholders are all those who have an interest in the project, that is, who stand to gain or lose from the project.

Examples:

• The project’s customer or other direct users of its deliverables

• Suppliers and distributors

• The steering committee and the project team

• …

The project manager plans, organizes, controls and reports project activities, working closely with the sponsor or appropriate

Good properties:

• Task focused

• Able to manage deadlines

• Good communicators

• Able to delegate work/tasks

• …

• Legitimate power: this is what the authority that comes from position as project manager is called

• Reward power: the capacity to grant a reward that someone wants

• Expert power: specialist knowledge that means opinion carries weight

• Referent power: the power of personal network

• Coercive power: in some ways the reverse of reward power– it is the capacity to inflict some unwanted outcome on someone who does not do as the project manager wishes

Person or group who provides resources and support for the project and is accountable for enabling success.

-> The sponsor may be external or internal to the project manager’s organization.

Tasks:

• Promotes the project -> serving as spokesperson to higher levels of management to gather support throughout the organization and promoting the benefits the project brings

• Leads the project through the initiating processes until formally authorized and plays a significant role in the development of the initial scope and charter

• May also be involved in important issues as authorizing changes in scope, phase-end reviews, and go/no-go decisions when risks are particularly high

Project Manager and Sponsor