Feedback please – responsibilities of a project manager

Here is a sample answer for the exam question “List and Describe 5 typical responsibilities of a project manager“. Remember that you need to specifically list the 5 responsibilities in addition to describing them to gain full marks.

List and describe five typical responsibilities of a Project Manager
1. Manages the project
2. Owns the management plan
3. Manages the stakeholders
4. Liaises with the end users
5. Manages suppliers

1. The Project Manager will be accountable for the deliverable of the project by making sure time; cost, quality and the scope are all met by the requirements needed.
2. The Project manager will keep this document in step with the business case at all times. It must reflect the plans and process for the future and for the project manager that the project remains relevant.
3. Although the sponsor will deal with the major stakeholder’s the day to day activities of a project manager will be involve directly with the project stakeholders.
4. The project Manager will need to ensure that the deliverables are meeting the expectations of the requirements in which they need/want.
5. The project manager will sometimes need to act as a contract manager

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Paul Naybour

Paul Naybour is a seasoned project management consultant with over 15 years of experience in the industry. As the co-founder and managing director of Parallel, Paul has been instrumental in shaping the company's vision and delivering exceptional project management training and consultancy services. With a robust background in power generation and extensive senior-level experience, Paul specializes in the development and implementation of change programs, risk management, earned value management, and bespoke project management training.

1 thought on “Feedback please – responsibilities of a project manager”

  1. Hi

    This answer lacks the necessary level of detail to get the makes in the exam. You need to include 3-4 sentences in each paragraph.

    List and describe five typical responsibilities of a Project Manager
    1. Manages the project
    2. Owns the management plan
    3. Manages the stakeholders
    4. Liaises with the end users
    5. Manages suppliers

    1. The Project Manager will be accountable for the deliverable of the project by making sure time; cost, quality and the scope are all met by the requirements needed. To do this they will need clear guidance from the project sponsor about the success criteria for the project. These are agreed in the project management plan for the project. It is this project management plan that defines the success criteria against which the project will be measured.

    2. The Project manager prepares and owns the project management plan for the project. This requires the project manager to define the policies and procedures that will be used to manage the project. For example the change control procedure. It also included the schedules and plans that define the baselines against which the project will be delivered. These will for example include the project timeline, budget and requirements.
    .

    3. Although the sponsor will deal with the major stakeholder’s the day to day activities of a project manager will be involved directly with the project stakeholders. This is important because stakeholders can often generate risk for the project. So the project manager must be proactive in addressing he needs and expectation fo stakeholders. For example, in a new school development, the PM would develop a strong working relationship with the head teacher and heads of departments.

    4. The Project Manager will need to ensure that the deliverables are meeting the expectations of the requirements in which they need/want. In order to do this the project manager must do two things. First, they need to define the deliverables (or products) to be produced. Second, the project manager must define the requirements and acceptance criteria for each of these products. So in our school example, it’s important to fully understand the requirements for sports fields.

    5. The project manager will sometimes need to act as a contract manager. This means they play a key role in procurement activities. This would include defining the procurement strategy early in the project, in consultation with procurement professionals. The PM would also play and active part in the selection process. Finally, they have a key role in the day-to-day administration of the contract. For example, arranging progress meeting and processing invoices.

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