Working in teams

Project roles & responsibilities

Project sponsor or director

Secure budget + resources. Champion of project goals, ultimate decision maker. Approve changes, progress, sign-off deliverables etc.

Steering committee

Resp for overall project success. Representatives for key stakeholders and involved organisational units. Support project sponsor by providing multiple perspectives.

Project manager

Day-to-day resp to ensure project meets goals (Scope-Time-Cost) by planning and managing project and project team. Secure acceptance of deliverables from sponsor and stakeholders.

Stakeholders: Key and other

All project roles and others who may be impacted by the outcome of the project.

Customer respresentatives/decision-makers

Active and available to project on matters of customer interests, e.g. regarding requirements and acceptance of deliveriables.

Vendors

Contracted to deliver products or services to the project.

Project team members

Execute tasks, produce deliverables as directed by project manager.

Organizational structures

An organizational structure is needed to form and manage groups in large projects.

Formal versus informal

The formal structure focuses on authority, about who has which boss. This is usually the base of the organization's structure. When the "unexpected happens" the informal structure takes over, this structure consists of spontaneous contact and communication between the members of the staff while working. The informal organization gets built up and unofficial ways are found around the obstacles imposed by the formal structure.

Hierarchical approach

Each member of the staff only has one manager, and the manager has responsibility for several staff members. Authority flows top down. A concern with this approach is span of control - the number of people that a manager control.

Staff versus line

Line workers produce the end product, support staff carry out supporting roles (think IT-department).

Reporting

Formal

Regular

• Oral Progress meetings
• Written Job sheets

Ad Hoc

• Oral Review meetings
• Written Issues reports

Informal

Regular

• Oral Around the coffee machine
• Written Emails to collegues

Ad Hoc

• Oral Ad hoc meetings
• Written Emails for issues investigation

Leadership

Leadership is the ability to influence other and achieve a common goal. Management includes leadership, as well as organising, planning and controlling. Both exercise power but in different ways, position power (formal authority; rewards, punishment) or personal power (individual qualities; an expert, access to information).