8 Essential Project Roles

Knowing what some of the most important project roles are and what they do can improve the odds of finding a suitable role within a project. Regardless of your exact skills and qualifications, knowing the available roles within a project can have a direct impact on your odds of being involved. Being familiar with the most important project roles can be a valuable piece of knowledge, but it requires research. In this article, we discuss what some of the most widely encountered project roles are and what the main duties are for each.

Essential project roles

These are some of the most important roles within a project:

Project manager

The project manager is usually the most important role within a project and the person with this designation is responsible for the successful completion of the project. This typically implies that the project is executed and manages to meet its objectives within a specified timeframe and without exceeding its allocated budget. A project manager’s exact responsibilities are:

• Creating an overall plan for the project

• Recruiting appropriate staff to work on the project

• Managing and leading the respective staff

• Making decisions regarding all the methods used to complete the project

• Creating a project schedule and set clear deadlines for each phase

• Constantly communicating with upper management and informing them regarding the project’s advancementProject sponsor

A project’s sponsor is typically a member of the parent organization’s upper management staff, their main role being to promote the project both within the company and with external stakeholders. Project sponsors typically work closely with their project managers, especially when planning the details behind the project, and also work to eliminate any obstacles and resolve any conflicts that may jeopardize the project or its success. Other tasks that they usually perform are:

• Taking part in the project’s decision-making process

• Creating and approving the project’s budget

• Making sure every department involved in the project has the resources it needs to perform

• Maintaining communication regarding the project with different members of the organization

Executive sponsor

Executive sponsors are usually top members of the organization’s management team and are the ultimate decision-makers, being the ones who need to offer final approval on each of the project’s phases. Some of the key elements of the role are:

• Approving any modification to the project’s original plan

• Ultimately taking full responsibility for the project’s outcome

• Making sure that the project receives additional funds in case any changes in the original plan increase its scope

Project team members

The team members involved in a project are the employees who work directly to complete various phases of the project. Their exact roles can vary from one project to another, depending on factors like the project’s scope, whether they are hired by the company undertaking the project or brought in as external consultants or if they work full-time or part-time on the respective project. Some of their general duties are:

• Achieving various deliverables set by the project manager

• Providing expertise on various matters

• Documenting each phase of the process

• Contributing to each of the project’s main objectives

Business analyst

Business analysts are generally professionals who are tasked with using their expertise to determine how an organization can operate more efficiently. When involved in a specific project, business analysts basically have the same general task, as they need to make sure that the project’s objectives are met by solving various problems, improving overall performance, and using their expertise to make sure all the project’s objectives are met within the allocated deadline and budget. Some of their exact duties are:

• Assessing the project’s ongoing requirements

• Documenting present and future business and technical requirements

• Making sure the deliverables are met according to previously set standards

Team leader

Team leaders handle specific parts of the projects and report directly to the project manager. Small-scale projects typically don’t have team leaders, as the project manager typically does both jobs. Larger projects’ however, tend to require team leaders, with their exact duties depending on the nature of the project and the particularities of their specific team. Some of their general tasks are:

• Keeping staff mindful of their tasks and the deadline for each

• Negotiating with various suppliers

• Communicating with their team and solving any issues that may arise

• Working with their staff to help them work to the best of their potential and achieve their individual goals

• Actively working to achieve the deliverables set for their team, especially on tasks that are within their expertise

Project review committee

The people who are part of the project review committee are usually members of the organization’s senior leadership. They are typically involved at every stage of the project, from approval and planning to its completion. They approve or deny various proposals regarding the project, provide guidance to the project manager and sponsors, resolve any issues that may appear and ultimately make sure that the project meets certain quality standards. Some of their exact tasks are:

• Analyzing each proposal regarding how various aspects of the project should be handled

• Assessing various project constraints, such as potential high-probability risks that can severely affect the entire operation, similar ongoing projects and any other potential constraint

• Assisting the project manager in resolving any arising issues

Project client

Project clients are the people or organizations that are the ultimate beneficiaries of the project’s completion. They are the entities with a business need that is addressed by the successful completion of the project and their exact level of involvement typically changes from one project to another. Large projects can also involve a client project manager, which is a professional hired by the client to work with the original project manager to ensure that the project is properly completed. Some of the client project manager’s usual tasks are:

• Analyzing and approving various plans regarding the project

• Requesting changes to a specific part of the project or its overall scope

• Pointing out various risks and issues within the project

• Approving the release of regular payments, in accordance with the initial budget

• Assessing the project’s final deliverables

I hope you find this article helpful.