Project Manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, Aerospace and Defence, computer networking, telecommunications or software development.
Many other fields in the production, design and service industries also have project managers.
Overview
A project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the stated project objectives. Key project management responsibilities include creating clear and attainable project objectives, building the project requirements, and managing the triple constraint for projects, which are cost , time , and quality (also known as scope).
A project manager is often a client representative and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client, based on knowledge of the firm they are representing. The ability to adapt to the various internal procedures of the contracting party, and to form close links with the nominated representatives, is essential in ensuring that the key issues of cost, time, quality and above all, client satisfaction, can be realized.
The term and title 'project manager' has come to be used generically to describe anyone given responsibility to complete a project. However, it is more properly used to describe a person with full responsibility and the same level of authority required to complete a project. If a person does not have high levels of both responsibility and authority then they are better described as a project administrator, coordinator, facilitator or expeditor.
Project manager topics
Types of project managers
Construction Project Manager
Construction project managers in the past were individuals, who worked in construction or supporting industries and were promoted to foreman. It was not until the late 20th century that construction and Construction management became distinct fields.
Until recently, the American construction industry lacked any level of standardization, with individual States determining the eligibility requirements within their jurisdiction. However, several Trade associations based in the United States have made strides in creating a commonly-accepted set of qualifications and tests to determine a project manager's competency.
- The Project Management Institute has made some headway into being a standardizing body with its creation of the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.
- The Constructor Certification Commission of the American Institute of Constructors holds semiannual nationwide tests. Eight American Construction Management programs require that students take these exams before they may receive their Bachelor of Science in Construction Management degree, and 15 other Universities actively encourage their students to consider the exams.
- The Associated Colleges of Construction Education, and the Associated Schools of Construction have made considerable progress in developing national standards for construction education programs.
The profession has recently grown to accommodate several dozen Construction Management Bachelor of Science programs.
The United States Navy construction battalions, nicknamed the SeaBees, puts their command through strenuous training and certifications at every level. To become a Chief Petty Officer in the SeaBees is equivalent to a BS in Construction Management with the added benefit of several years of experience to their credit. See ACE accreditation.
Architectural Project Manager
Architectural project manager are project managers in the field of architecture. They have many of the same skills as their counterpart in the construction industry. An architect will often work closely with the construction project manager in the office of the General contractor (GC), and at the same time, coordinate the work of the design team and numerous consultants who contribute to a construction project, and manage communication with the client. The issues of budget, scheduling, and quality-control are the responsibility of the Project Manager in an architect's office.
Software Project Manager
A Software Project Manager has many of the same skills as their counterparts in other industries. Beyond the skills normally associated with traditional project management in industries such as construction and manufacturing, a software project manager will typically have an extensive background in software development. Many software project managers hold a degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or another related field.
In traditional project management a heavyweight, predictive methodology such as the waterfall model is often employed, but software project managers must also be skilled in more lightweight, adaptive methodologies such as DSDM, SCRUM and XP. These project management methodologies are based on the uncertainty of developing a new software system and advocate smaller, incremental development cycles. These incremental or iterative cycles are timeboxed (constrained to a known period of time, typically from one to four weeks) and produce a working subset of the entire system deliverable at the end of each iteration. The increasing adoption of lightweight approaches is due largely to the fact that software requirements are very susceptible to change, and it is extremely difficult to illuminate all the potential requirements in a single project phase before the software development commences.
The software project manager is also expected to be familiar with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). This may require in depth knowledge of requirements solicitation, application development, logical and physical database design and networking. This knowledge is typically the result of the aforementioned education and experience. There is not a widely accepted certification for software project managers, but many will hold the PMP designation offered by the Project Management Institute, PRINCE2 or an advanced degree in project management, such as a MSPM or other graduate degree in technology management.
Responsibilities
The specific responsibilities of the Project Manager vary depending on the industry, the company size, the company maturity, and the company culture. However, there are some responsibilities that are common to all Project Managers, noting:
- Developing the project plan
- Managing the project stakeholders
- Managing the project team
- Managing the project risk
- Managing the project schedule
- Managing the project budget
- Managing the project conflicts
Education, certifications and networks
Individuals wishing to obtain professional certifications may take one or more of the offerings available from a variety of organizations:
The Project Management Institute offers the following credentials to project managers:
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM),
- Program Management Professional (PgMP)
- PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP), and
- PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
Other institutions and organizations:
- The University of Wisconsin's Masters Certificate in Project Management
- CompTIA offers Project+ Certification
- The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) offers Gold Seal Certification as a Project Manager.
- The UK Office of Government Commerce offers PRINCE2 certification.
- The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) offers Registered Project Manager (RegPM) certification.
- The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and its School of Program Management offers practitioner training in every element of project management for members of the Federal Government, Defense industry and allied nations.
There are other graduate degrees in project and technology management, such as an MSPM. However, the majority of all project management skills may be developed through the completion of a Ph.D, D.Phil or other similar higher Doctorate.
The IPMA is an international network of national project management societies such as Association for Project Management in the UK. IPMA serves as an umbrella organisation representing national societies which offer their certifications.
Project Management training
Methods of Project Management training are very diverse. Much of the training received by most project managers is on the job training. Other sources of training include
- University degree programs in project management
- Business degree programs with some level of Project Management emphasis
- Certification preparatory classes and training
- Social media such as blogs and podcasts
- Books
- Seminars and conferences
- Local group meetings (I.E. local chapters)
See also
- Event Planning and Production
- Master of Science in Project Management
- Project engineer
- Project management
- Project planning
Project Manager video: