A project manager plays many roles in order to have successful completion of the project. The manager is intimately involved in the entire process of the project from initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring and closing. The manager plays different roles at each of these stages. Project manager has the role of developing the project plan and the scope. He has to manage the stakeholders and make sure that their expectations and deliverables from the project are in perspective. The manager plays the role of time manager; he uses technical skills to ensure that project schedules are made, and all activities are planned and sequenced. This ensures that the project reaches its milestones on avoids time lags that can be costly.
The project manager is involved in the estimation of resources needed and the costs to be incurred. This leads to the development of the project budget which guides that entire project from start to finish and prevents cost overruns. The project manager plays the role of team manager, where he is involved in the selection of different teams to handle different tasks in the different phases of the project. The manager needs to have good interpersonal and communication skills in order to manage teams because they are an important asset needed for successful completion of projects.
The manager is involved in conflict resolution which is common during the project life cycle. Effective conflict resolution will ensure that the project does not steer of its course, slow down or come to a standstill causing a delay in the realization of deliverables. The project manager has the role of managing project risks (Brill et al 2006). He has to ensure that potential risks in the project are identified and proactive measures to mitigate they put in place.
There are qualities that are paramount to the project manager in order to have the project completed successfully, these include be a good communicator. Communication ties the whole project together and is important at every phase of the project (Brill et al 2006).The manager is the link between the stakeholders and the project team; he has to communicate expectations and deliverables that must be realized by the project. The manager cannot do everything by himself and has to delegate duties he has to explain to his team what their tasks are resources available to them and the time line. Conflict resolution which is the responsibility of the manager relies on good communication so that parties involved understand why the manager has reached certain decisions. The process of monitoring and control relies on communication, the success in accepting and implementing any form of changes will depend on how effective the communication is done.
The manager needs to be organized if the project is to be completed successfully. Projects involve different activities being carried out simultaneously by different people and using different resources. It is only an organized manager who will be able to follow project schedules and remain within cost estimates and timelines. The manager has to be organized to ensure that all the activities go on as planned and any issues that arise during execution are addressed on time. The manager acts as a leader for the entire team; he has to set pace and give guidance which everybody has to follow. The manager being the key decision maker on both small and big decisions has to be organized so that he can provide a way forward whenever he is required to do so. The manager has to be organized so that he can have proper documentation of the whole project and have any information that may be required readily available.
Works Cited.
- Brill, M., Bishop, M., Walker, E. (2006) The Competencies and Characteristics Required of an Effective Project Manager. Educational technology Research & Development. Retrieved April 7, 2014 from Research Gate database.
