Project roles and responsibilities

The program manager is responsible for managing a set of related projects or activities to achieve outcomes and realise benefits of strategic importance. The program manager interacts with each project manager to provide support and guidance on individual projects, reporting and communicating with portfolio managers and stakeholders.

Role

• Manage any changes, impacts or risks to the program or projects and their relationship to other projects and work.
• Plan and coordinate program related activities and ensure project plans align with the overarching program plan.
• Effectively utilise and manage the people and resources involved in the program.
• Ensure risk management process and issue escalation guidelines are in place.
• Effectively delegate, motivate, coach and mentor program team members and project managers.
• Manage program risk contingencies.
• Reports and communicates with portfolio managers and stakeholders on program benefits and financials.

Responsibilities

• Prioritise projects.
• Manage program resources.
• Manage program risk.
• Monitor and control progress.
• Develop Program level reporting.
• Manage dependencies between projects.

A project customer is the person with authority, nominated to represent the organisation/s that receive(s) the business benefits of the project.

Role

• Ensure the project is aligned with the strategic goals of the organisation.
• Ensure the project output meets the needs of the customer's organisation.
• Provide funding for the project. Note:funding provision is not the primary criteria defining the customer role.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the project scope addresses the business need.
• Monitor the progress of the project to ensure the benefits are realised.
• Provide funding to cover progress payments.
• Provide resources to represent the customer interests.
• Approve any changes to project scope and deliverables.

A project sponsor is the person with authority, nominated to represent the organisation or organisational unit undertaking the project; the head of the sponsoring (delivery) organisation.

Role

• Authorise or obtain organisational commitment to undertake the project.
• Ensure the project output meets the needs of the customer.
• Source project funding during the life of the project.
• Maintain the organisational capacity to resource the project.

Responsibilities

• Provide high profile support and visibility for the project.
• Approve the detailed project delivery budget.
• Approve project expenditure as required by Financial Accountability Act 2009, and the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009.
• Advise the customer of any budget/ allocation/ scope issues.
• Provide final approval of the project deliverables.
• Approve recommended solutions to resolve complex issues including any conflicts the project may have with other projects/organisations.
• Approve changes to project scope and deliverables, together with changes to the project budget and schedule which are outside of the contingency allowances.

The Project Steering Committee is a decision-making body within the project governance structure which provides oversight for the project.

Role

• Committee members, including key project stakeholders and decision makers, monitor project activity and provide direction and guidance to the project team and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing and approving changes made to project resource plans, schedules, scope, goals, cost estimates, etc.
• Making strategic decisions regarding the prioritisation of project deliverables and approving interim deliverables.
• Monitoring progress against the project management plan.
• Consider any emergent issues or risks to the project and propose solutions to ensure project success.
• Provide recommendations on project approaches and participates in discussing general strategies and opportunities for project planning and implementation.
• Provide advice on likely organisational response to changes proposed during the course of the project.
• Prepare their organisation for the changes resulting from the project.
• Advocate, promote, and facilitate the project within their own organisation.

The project manager is the person responsible for achieving the project's objectives by managing all activities necessary to deliver the project. Depending on the type of project, this role may cover the entire project from start to finish or it may cover a stage or component of the project.

Role

• Provide leadership, direction and motivation to the project team.
• Ensure the required products, services or deliverables are produced to the required quality standard.
• Ensure approved time (schedule and cost (budget) are managed consistent with project objectives.
• Integrate the ten project management subject groups.
• Liaise with the project customers, stakeholders and governance bodies, such as a Program Management Office in delivering the project.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with the project sponsor and program manager to ensure project objectives are achieved.
• Manage project scope, risks and stakeholder expectations to ensure integration of project activities.
• Manage project variations and changes and maintain the change control process.
• Coordinate and prepare regular progress reports and communication with key stakeholders.
• Establish project administration systems, document control and record management processes.
• Prepare, manage, review and update project documentation including risk and communications plans in conjunction with project team members.
• Manage project costs through cost estimating, budgeting, monitoring and contingency management.
• Ensure appropriate quality standards and quality assurance requirements are met.
• Liaise with suppliers, consultants and contractors as required.
• Ensure the project schedule is maintained and regularly report progress.
• Manage the risk management process, including the development of contingency plans, reviewing residual risks and escalating risks that cannot be managed at the project level.
• Monitor overall progress, use of resources and initiate corrective action where necessary.
• Coordinate handover and completion activities and documents.
• Identify and document lessons learned during the project.
• Ensure the project meets its legislative obligations, eg: Workplace Health and Safety Act (Queensland) 2011, Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002(Queensland) 2011.

A project team leader is a person appointed to lead a team to deliver part of the project's work scope.

Role

• Lead and manage a team on behalf of the project manager or work package manager.
• Maintain a single point of focus, such as a discipline, while coordinating team activity.

Responsibilities

• Work on assigned activities consistent with the quality and time-frame agreed with the project manager or work package manager.
• Identify, report and act on potential delays, risks and issues.
• Report work effort expended on each activity, and the estimated remaining work effort, in the manner and time-frame required by the project manager or work package manager.

A work package manager is a person who manages a project work package which can include a single activity or multiple activities, or a combination of these.

Role

The work package manager has responsibility for the day-to-day management of a work package within the project's work scope on behalf of the project manager. A work package manager may be a subject matter expert. They are accountable to the project manager for the management of all aspects of their assigned work packages' delivery including schedule, quality, and cost.

Responsibilities

• Lead a group of people in the delivery of a project work package.
• Make decisions on resource assignments and monitor team performance, providing feedback as required.
• Manage and integrate work package activity through delivery of discrete activities that are planned, scheduled, performed and controlled.
• Manage the budget allocated for the work package.
• Monitor the budget and control quality of work package deliverables.
• Ensure the integrity of work assigned and co-ordinate with other work package managers to ensure project delivery.
• Report progress, including potential delays and issues, to the project manager.
• Identify, report and act on potential problems and risks.
• Identify and act on conflicts of interest within or external to the project.

Project team members are people assigned to a project team.

Role

• Work on activities as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Work on assigned activities consistent with the quality and time-frame agreed with the project manager, work package manager or project team leader.
• Report and act on potential delays and issues.
• Report work effort expended on each activity, and the estimated remaining work effort, in the manner and time-frame required by the project manager or project component manager.

Project stakeholders may include individuals, groups, communities and organisations that are likely to be affected by, or have an interest in, a projects outcome or processes.Note: When managing a project, stakeholders can be broadly identified as internal or external to the project. Internal stakeholders, such as the customer or sponsor, have a clear governance role and means of influencing the project. External stakeholders may influence key aspects of the project and may be engaged by the project team to test the acceptability of the project and its deliverables to end users and the community. A range of engagement mechanisms may be employed to engage stakeholders including meetings, focus groups and stakeholder reference groups.

Role

• Communicate expectations throughout the projects life and advise of potential impacts, issues and opportunities.
• Respond to approaches and proposals.

Responsibilities

Where a stakeholder represents group interests in a project, it is beneficial for them to:

• actively engage with the project, using the mechanisms established, to ensure their views are fully understood.
• review and evaluate proposed project deliverables and options that may be presented to them.
• work with the group they represent with the intent of providing a collective and representative response to project enquiries.