To achieve their objectives, the project manager manages the resources assigned to the project , and can only do so efficiently if they know the specific techniques of project management, have leadership skills , and align their activity with the organizational strategy.
The PMBOk provides the keys to understanding its functions, and this article summarizes some of its statements.
Project management
The project manager is the person appointed by the organization executing a project to lead the team responsible for achieving the project objectives. Their duties may vary greatly depending on the environment, organization or type of project. In all cases, they are responsible for facilitating the team's work and managing the processes necessary to deliver the results planned for the project. To do this, they must:
Lead the project team to meet objectives, satisfy the expectations of project stakeholders , and achieve desired results.
Take responsibility for communications between the project sponsoring organization, the project team, and other stakeholders.
Principles of project management
The 7th Edition of the Project Management Standard and the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) , currently in force, provides project management principles that should guide the behaviors and actions of project management professionals, regardless of industry, location, size, or delivery approach - whether predictive, hybrid, or adaptive. These are 12 principles, listed and contextualized in the following figure, which are intended as guidelines and should be adapted based on the context of the organization, the project, the deliverables, the project team, the stakeholders, and other factors.
Infographic on project management principles
Although stated independently, these twelve principles may overlap with each other or with the general principles of management of the organization executing the project. In both, the final objective must be the delivery of value , where value is understood as the quality, importance or usefulness of something, which can be perceived very differently by the project's stakeholders:
For customers , for example, the value may lie in the satisfaction of their needs thanks to the new product, service or result generated by the project.
For the organization executing the project , value may refer to improved efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, or responsiveness, based on specific metrics.
For society in general , the value of the project will be in what it contributes to certain groups of people or communities, or to the environment.
Professional profile of the project manager
The Project Management Institute (PMI) refers to the skills needed for project management as a "talent triangle," which it represents with this figure:
The triangle represents the triple constraint of the three sets of compete kuwait phone numbers ncies necessary for management that must be kept in permanent balance:
Technical project management , that is, the set of knowledge, skills and behaviors specific to project management.
Leadership to guide, motivate and direct the project team, and to work with project stakeholders .
Strategic and business management for value delivery , taking into account business factors in project management.
In this video, Francisco Javier Soler, video game project manager at U-tad, talks about what he does as a project manager:
Project management functions
Taking over the project management
It facilitates the work of the project team to achieve the expected results. The way of doing it, in a way, is comparable to the direction of an orchestra, particularly in three aspects:
Team : Project teams are made up of people with diverse skills, knowledge and experience, much like musicians in an orchestra.
Responsibility: Both the project manager and the conductor take responsibility for the final result of their team's work.
Knowledge : Just as an orchestra conductor does not know how to play all the instruments, but must have musical experience, the project manager must know how to lead his team.
Covering the needs of each project
The type of organization that carries out the project or the environment in which it is carried out will influence the project manager's duties and how he or she will carry them out. Among these duties, it is worth highlighting:
Supervise and coordinate the people on the project team to ensure they achieve objectives by "orchestrating" the project's work.
Provide objectives and feedback regarding project requirements, deliverables, and expectations, based on the nature of the project and the guidance or direction required. This is particularly important in adaptive and hybrid project environments, where the need for continuous feedback is greater as project teams are exploring and developing product elements within specific increments.
Facilitate and support the project team by helping to build consensus around solutions, resolve conflicts, and make decisions . Project management may include evaluating performance and providing feedback to individuals on the project team to help them learn, adapt, and improve.
Carry out the work and contribute ideas , providing knowledge, skills and experience that enable the project results to be realised.
Apply specialized knowledge that, in some cases, you will need to seek from experts outside the project.
Prioritize requirements and tasks , maximizing the value of project deliverables.
Promote the project and communicate the organization's vision, goals, and expectations to the project team and stakeholder community.