A description of the different project roles and responsibilities within an organization Next © 2009 IT Project & Portfolio Office I The University of Utah

The roles and responsibilities are different on any given project. You may find yourself functioning as a Project Manager on one project only to function as a Resource Manager on the next project. What are these different roles and how do they interact with one another? In this module we set out to define each role and what their responsibilities are. Project Manager Project Manager Resource Manager Resource Manager Functional Manager Functional Manager Stakeholder Sponsor

Menu A Sponsor is a ranking representative of the developing organization. This is the individual who will be championing a project and ensuring that the life of the project is maintained. A sponsor can be the person or group that provides the financial resources, in cash or in kind, for the project. A sponsor should not be the requesting body. Project Managers need to identify who the sponsor of the project is and ensure that he or she understands their role. A Sponsor’s role includes:  Confirms the Project Context  Validates the Scope and Approach  Confirms and Supports Project Changes  Confirms and Supports the Project Plan  Gives Approval to Proceed to Execution  Validates Deliverable Completion

PMRMs Project Team Sponsor Customer ObjectivesValidation ObjectiveAlignment The Sponsor acts as a liaison between the Customer and Project Manager by verifying and aligning the customer’s objectives and communicating them with the project manager. Advocate

The person assigned by the performing organization to achieve the project objectives is referred to as the Project Manager. The Project Manager is the person responsible for managing a project. Often at times you may not find yourself as a Project Manager by title but rather by role. The Project Manager:  Validates the project objectives and plan with the Sponsor  Requests resources from the resource manager  Builds the Project Plan  Ensures Deliverables are on time and on budget  Prevents scope creep where the scope of the project increases. Menu

Sponsor Customer ObjectivesValidation ObjectiveAlignment The Project Manager ensures that the customer’s and stakeholders needs are being met. Project Managers validate the objectives and progress of the project with Sponsors. A Project Manager also coordinates resource allocations with Resource and Functional Managers. AdvocatePMRMs Project Team

A Resource Manager is the person responsible for activities of people in a specialized department or function; a person responsible for the direction and training of personnel specific to a certain skill set. This is someone with management authority over an organizational unit. The manager of any group that actually makes a product or performs a service. This is the person who controls availability of resources. The Resource Manager:  Coordinates resource availability with the Project Manager  Approves or denies resource allocations for specific project work  Manages the level of capacity per resource Menu

Sponsor Customer ObjectivesValidation ObjectiveAlignment Resource Managers ensure that their resources are properly allocated and not working above scheduled capacity. The Resource Manager coordinates with the Project Manager in scheduling resources on a project. AdvocatePMRMs Project Team

A Functional Manager is much like a Resource Manager. A Functional Manager is the person responsible for activities in a specialized department or function; a person responsible for the direction and use of resources (either person or thing). This is someone with management authority over an organizational unit within a functional organization. Depending on the project a Functional Manager may or may not:  Coordinate resource availability with the Project Manager  Approve or deny resource allocations for specific project work  Manage the level of capacity per resource  Work on projects Menu

Sponsor Customer ObjectivesValidation ObjectiveAlignment Functional Managers ensure that their resources are properly allocated and not working above scheduled capacity. The Functional Manager coordinates with the Project Manager in scheduling resources on a project. AdvocatePMRMs Project Team

A Stakeholder is a group or individual who affects or is affected by the project. Stakeholders can be a person or organization (e.g., customer, sponsor, performing organization, or the public). Stakeholders can be actively or passively involved in the project. A Stakeholder is one whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the project. It is up to a Project Manager to discover what level of involvement a Stakeholder will need to have. A Stakeholder’s role includes:  Confirming the Project Context  Validating the Scope and Approach  Confirming and Supports Project Changes  Confirming and Supports the Project Plan  Gives Approval to Proceed to Execution  Validates Deliverable Completion Menu

Sponsor Customer ObjectivesValidation ObjectiveAlignment Advocate Stakeholders, such as Customers influence the projects success or failure. Many stakeholders will assign an advocate on the Project Team.PMRMs Project Team