2. Concepts of Project Management .......................................................................... 17-30
2.8 Roles and Attributes for Project Manager
The project manager’s job is important and challenging. The manager is responsible for getting work performed but often has no direct, formal authority over most of the people who perform the job. The project manager often relies on broader knowledge of the project and skills at negotiation and persuasion to influence participants. A project manager may have the assistance of a staff if the project is large. Therefore it is important that the project leaders have an effective means of identifying and communicating the planned activities and the ways in which they are interrelated
Considering the problems of project manager:
o Project is likely to change its shape and size with time. There is always scope for change till project is finally completed.
o Those required to work on project i.e. engineers, vendors, contractors, government bodies etc are almost a stranger to project manager with whom he has neither worked in past nor likely to work in future. They are independent bodies are not accountable to the project manger nor bound by corporate discipline which enables managers in all industrial organization to get things done.
The Basic Roles for a Project Manager Could be Broadly Grouped Under Following Heads :
1. Projectising and problem solving. Projectising work as much as possible e.g. create a number of projects such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, biannually and annual package activities of entire plant.
2. Defining and maintaining integrity of a project.
3. Development of Project Execution Plan. Organization for execution of the plan.
4. Setting of cost and time targets for each of the projects e.g. daily, weekly, monthly activities, etc
5. Development of systems and procedures for accomplishment of project objectives and targets.
6. Line up vendors and contractors for supply of materials and errection skills and contract management.
7. Negotiation for commitments and Man-management.
8. Non–human resource management including fiscal matters.
9. Direction and co-ordination of project activities. Matrix and co-ordinate with other departments for preparation of drawing, specification, procurement of materials, providing skills including labour and supervision.
10. Monitor and control these projects using schedules, budgets and contracts.
11. Satisfaction of customer, government and the public.
12. Achievements of project objectives, cash surplus and higher productivity
Attributes of a Good Project Manager are as Listed Below :
1. Planning and organizational skills 2. Conflict resolving capacity
3. Ambition for achievement 4. Personnel management skills 5. Communication skills
6. Change orientation
7. Ability to solve problems in their totality 8. High energy levels
9. Ability to take suggestions
10. Understanding the views of project team members and having a sympathetic attitude towards them
11. Ability to develop alternative course of actions quickly
12. Knowledge of project management methods, tools and technology 13. Ability to make self evaluation
14. Effective time management
15. Capacity to relate current events to the project
16. Ability to handle project management software tools and package 17. Flair for sense of humor
18. Solving issues/problems immediately without postponing them 19. Initiative and risk taking ability
20. Familiarity with the organization
21. Tolerance for difference of opinion, delay, ambiguity 22. Conflict resolving capacity
No individual in our society, howsoever gifted, can be completed by himself, so for our survival, growth and prosperity we need to supplement each other. This holds goods for any system and project management is possible only through systems approach. So if one accepts with humility that role of project manager is that of system integrator, than it is possible to supplement shortcoming of the project manager. It is the synergy that we need to bank upon to achieve something and not the energy of a few supermen for completing the giant project or completing the great task of elevating our standard of living through techno–economic projects.
QUESTIONS
1. State the project characteristics related to project management.
2. Discuss project objectives and functions briefly.
3. How are the projects classified? Explain in brief.
4. What is the importance of project life cycle? Discuss.
5. Explain project elements used in practice.
6. Discuss the project management techniques.
7. Briefly write the role of a project manager.
The key to success lies in getting into the right business at the right time. Identification of such opportunities requires imagination, sensitivity to environmental changes and realistic assessment of what the firm can do. The task is partly structured, partly unstructured, partly dependent on convergent thinking, partly dependent on divergent thinking; partly requiring objective analysis of quantifiable factors, partly requiring subjective evaluation of qualitative factors, partly amenable to control and partly dependant on fortuitous circumstances. The project takes shape to meet the customer’s needs for goods and services. The whole concept of project can be to fit in the terms of finding a gap between customers needs for goods and services and filling the gap. The objective is to identify the investment opportunities, which are prima-fascie feasible, and promising, requiring merit examination and detailed appraisal. A realistic appraisal of corporate strengths and weaknesses is essential for identifying investment opportunities, which can be profitably exploited. The broad areas of corporate appraisal are market and distribution, production and operations, research and development, corporate resources and personnel, and finance and accounting. A promising investment idea enables a firm/entrepreneur to exploit opportunities in the environment by drawing on its competitive strengths. Besides the true new ideas, which are based on significant technological breakthrough, most of the project ideas involve combining existing fields of technology or offering variants of present product or service.
Before the project initiation there is a need to establish the project scope, time and cost targets/performance. In this context project feasibility is a device to document the need for the project and to record potential high-level solutions to solve the business problem at hand