Project Sponsor Role:

During or prior to project initiating, the sponsor:

• Has requirements that must be met
• Champions the project, especially while the project concept is being put together
• Spokesperson to those who do not know about the project, including upper management
• Gathers the appropriate support for the project. Ensures buy-in throughout the organization
• Provides funding
• Provides the project statement of work if not done by the customer
• Provides information regarding the initial scope of the project
• May dictate milestones, key events, or the project end date (along with the customer)
• Determines the priorities between the constraints
• Provides information that helps develop the project charter
• Gives the project manager authority as outlined in the project charter
• Helps organize work into appropriate projects
• Sets priorities between projects
• Encourages the finalization of requirements and scope by the stakeholders
• Guides the process to get the project approved and formalized, assisted by the project
manager as necessary

During project planning, the sponsor:

• Provides the project team with time to plan
• May review the WBS
• Supplies lists of risks
• Determines the reports needed by management to oversee the project
• Provides expert judgment
• Helps evaluate trade-offs during crashing, fast tracking, and re estimating
• Approves the final project management plan

During Project executing and project monitoring and controlling

• Protects the project from outside influences and changes
• Enforces quality policies
• Provides expert judgment
• Helps evaluate trade-offs during crashing, fast tracking, and re-estimating
• Resolves conflicts that extend beyond the project manager's control
• Approves or rejects changes or authorizes someone representing him or her to do so (change
control board)
• May direct that a quality assurance review be performed
• Clarifies scope questions
• Works with the project manager to monitor progress

During project closing

• Provides formal acceptance of the deliverables (if he or she is the customer)
• Supports the collection of historical records from past projects
The Role of the Team

The team is a group of people who will complete work on the project. The team members can change throughout
the project as people are added and removed from the project.
• Identify and involve stakeholders
• Identify requirements
• Identify constraints and assumptions
• Create the WBS
• Decompose work packages they are responsible for into schedule activities
• Help identify dependencies between activities
• Provide time and cost estimates
• Participate in the risk management process
• Comply with quality and communications plans
• Enforce ground rules
• Execute the project management plan to accomplish work defined in the project scope
statement
• Attend project team meetings
• Conduct process improvement
• Recommend changes to the project, including corrective actions

The Role of the Stakeholders

Stakeholder is anyone who can positively or negatively influence the project, and may be involved in:

• Project management plan development

• Approving project changes and being on the change control board
• Verifying scope verification
• Identifying constraints
• Identifying requirements
• Risk management
• May become risk response owners

The Role of the Functional Manager

• Assign specific individuals to the team, and negotiate with the project manager regarding
resources
• Let the project manager know of other projects that may impact the project
• Participate in the initial planning until work packages or activities are assigned
• Provide subject matter expertise
• Approve the final schedule during schedule development
• Approve the final project management plan during project management plan development
• Recommend changes to the project, including corrective actions
• Manage activities that happen within their functional area
• Assist with problems related to team member performance
• Improve staff utilization
The Role of the Project Manager (Includes Project Management Team)
On large projects a single project manager can’t handle all management tasks. A Project Management team is
formed to handle project. The authority of Project Management Team differs from organization to organization. If
PMT members are monitoring schedule alone they are called as Schedulers. Notice Project Management Team
(PMT) is different than Project Management Office (PMO).

• Is assigned to the project no later than project initiating

• May help write the project charter
• Is in charge of the project, but not necessarily the resources
• Does not have to be a technical expert
• Influences the project team and the atmosphere in which the team works by promoting good
communication, insulating the team from having to deal with politics (both internal and external
to the project), enhancing the positive aspects of cultural differences, and resolving team issues
• Ensures professional interactions between the project team and other stakeholders
• Coordinates interactions between the project and key stakeholders
• Selects appropriate processes for the project
• Identifies and analyzes constraints and assumptions
• Leads and directs the project planning efforts
• Identifies dependencies between activities
• Must realize that an unrealistic schedule is his or her fault and know how to handle those
situations
• Understands and enforces professional and social responsibility
• Determines and delivers required levels of quality
• Assists the team and other stakeholders during project executing
• Defines the project change management plan
• Determines the need for change requests, including recommended corrective and preventive
actions and defect repair, and either approves or rejects changes as authorized or submits the
change requests to the change control board
• Maintains control over the project by measuring performance and determining if changes are
needed
• Uses metrics to see variances and trends in project work
• Works with team members to resolve variances from the project management plan
• Keeps the team members focused on risk management and the possible responses to the risks
• Develops time and cost reserves for the project
• Must have the authority and accountability necessary to accomplish the project management
work
• Must say "no" when necessary
• Is the only one who can integrate the project components into a cohesive whole that meets the
customer's needs
• Spends more time being proactive than dealing with problems (reacting)
• Is accountable for project success or failure
• Performs project closing at the end of each phase and for the project as a whole
• Performs or delegates most of the activities outlined in this book
• Overall, applies project management knowledge and uses personal and leadership skills to
achieve project success