Copyright 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Chapter 3 The Project Manager

3-2 The Project Manager The project manager can be chosen and installed as soon as the project is selected for funding – This simplifies several start up activities The project manager can be chosen later – This makes things difficult Senior management briefs the project manager Project manager usually begins with a budget and schedule – As people are added these are refined

3-3 Functional Management Figure 3-1

3-4 Functional Management Continued Department heads are usually functional specialists They have the required technical skills to evaluate all members of their organization Functional managers: – Decide who performs each task – Decide how the task is performed – Exercise a great deal of control over every aspect of the work that gets performed within their area

3-5 Project Management Figure 3-2

3-6 Project Management Continued Project managers are usually generalists It would be very unusual for a project manager to have all the technical skills that are used on their projects Project managers: – Rarely decide who performs each task – Lack the technical skills to evaluate much of the work performed on a particular project – Exercise control very little over most aspects of the work that gets performed on the project

3-7 Comparing Functional & Project Managers Functional managers need technical skills; project managers need negotiation skills Functional managers should be more skilled at analysis; project managers should be more skilled at synthesis Functional managers use the analytic approach; project managers use systems approach Functional managers are responsible for a small area; project managers are responsible for the big picture Functional managers act as managers; project managers act as facilitators

3-8 Special Demands on Project Manager Acquiring adequate resources Acquiring and motivating personnel Dealing with obstacles Making project goal trade-offs Maintaining a balanced outlook Breadth of communication Negotiation

Roles in a company with lower Project Maturity (in CAPM not M & M) Project Expeditor – an assistant to a VP or other high level manager who generally coordinates communications but has little decision making authority Project Coordinator – has some authority but still answers to a high-level manager In contrast: Project Manager – in some ways acts as if the project team were her employees 3-9

Other useful CAPM terminology Project Team – Everyone performing tasks to aid in the completion of the project Project Management Team – a group performing the duties of Project Manager as a team, usually on large projects where there is too much PM work for a single individual (still the head of this team is called the Project Manager.) 3-10