What Does a Project Manager Do?
Whether a project involves a new office building or an information system, good leadership is essential. In a systems project, the project manager, or project leader, usually is a
senior systems analyst or an IT department manager if the project is large. An analyst or
a programmer/analyst might manage smaller projects. In addition to the project manager, most large projects have a project coordinator. A project coordinator handles
administrative responsibilities for the team and negotiates with users who might have
conflicting requirements or want changes that would require additional time or expense.
Project managers typically perform four activities, or functions: planning, scheduling,
monitoring, and reporting.
• Project planning includes identifying all project tasks and estimating the completion time and cost of each.
• Project scheduling involves the creation of a specific timetable, usually in the form
of charts that show tasks, task dependencies, and critical tasks that might delay
the project. Scheduling also involves selecting and staffing the project team and
assigning specific tasks to team members. Project scheduling uses Gantt charts
and PERT/CPM charts, which are explained in the following sections.
• Project monitoring requires guiding, supervising, and coordinating the project
team’s workload. The project manager must monitor the progress, evaluate the
results, and take corrective action when necessary to control the project and stay
on target.
• Project reporting includes regular progress reports to management, users, and the
project team itself. Effective reporting requires strong communication skills and a
sense of what others want and need to know about the project.