Understanding team roles and their responsibility in the project
So you have a project that begs to be done in a few days, but of course, you need someone to make this abstract idea into reality. That’s where your project team roles and their responsibilities come into play, as their most important task is properly completing the project within the deadline. Don’t think if you are given to do a project, you can do it all by yourself because you’ll land in deep trouble. No matter how big or small the project is, you’ve to switch between completing numerous tasks and it’s not a part-time job. It’s a long-term process, as it involves a group of people working together to make the project a success.
So project management is something that will need some specific roles which will have their separate responsibilities. This team of people will work hand in hand so that the project moves smoothly. So it’s very important when you start a project to have a look at the number of roles and their respective responsibilities. In this blog, we’ll be listing down the specific roles and their responsibilities for the project to be successful.
Various Team roles with their importance:
Project Manager
A project manager plays a pivotal role in the successful completion of the project and is the individual who will be responsible for the proper functioning of all the duties during the life-cycle of the project. It is his job to make sure that the project moves smoothly with no delay from the stipulated deadline.
He will also see that the budget given at the beginning of the project doesn’t change while achieving all the goals. They will make sure that the ongoing project gets all the resources needed for the successful completion of the project. It is bound to have risks during the life-cycle of the project, so how effectively they solve these problems plays a big role as a project manager. This is a very important part for a project manager to manage all the risks that come their way, so they should be competent at what they do.
There are also some other duties of a project manager:-
1) To meet the needs of the business organization by mutually working with their team members.
2) Bring in the right team members
3) Make sure all the deliveries go according to plan.
4) Make a project schedule, assign tasks to team members, and keep track of the tasks. It might be a few phases of the project or throughout its life-cycle.
5) Documenting all the important information related to the project.
The team
So team members for a project are the individuals who work judicially throughout the life-cycle of the project. The members who constitute your team are the consultants or in-house staff who work throughout the project or as part-time. So the roles of team members can differ from project to project. They are the group of individuals who deliver the tasks within the stipulated time frame when assigned by the project leader.
There also exists a member called team lead among the members who will see all the reports on the progress of the project and make sure everything gets done on time. Based on the methods used on a project, the members can get autonomy of doing their work their way, as every team member has their own specific skill set which will add relevance to the project. They are also the group or individuals who will be held ready for execution of all tasks and updates on progress on various tasks from time to time.
The Project Sponsor
So the person who drives the entire project and gives the financial back-up to sustain the project is the project sponsor. They are someone who is part of the senior management team who has a lot to gain (or lose) with the outcome of the project. The project sponsor and project manager work together in the dealings of the project. They not only take part in top-level project planning but also legitimize the objectives and goals a project has.
They are also the key individuals who will solve the problems faced during the life-cycle of the project. They also give permission when the project goes to an advanced phase. The Project Sponsor sits on top of all the project roles, as he is the individual who is significant for the success of the project. They also have tasks in reporting back the tasks to the project manager and also assist the project manager in setting objectives of the project and also deciding the people joining the team.
He is also the person who communicates with consumers throughout the life-cycle of the project, as they are people who have started the project. They have the ultimate word on many important decisions and also decide the budget.
Other responsibilities of Project Sponsor:-
1) Making key decisions for the project
2) Deciding the budget of the project
3) To make all the resources available to the team members.
4) Assist the project manager in setting the goals of the project.
The executive
They are the group of individuals who are part of the superior half of management and are the person who plays a big role in the project’s success, and he is the person who gives the last say to any vital decision. Only after approval of the executive sponsor, we can initiate all the changes in the project and deliverables.
Other duties of Executive Sponsor:-
1) Has the highest responsibility in the project.
2) It’s his approval that initiates any changes in the project.
3) He adds more funds with a new scope to the project.
The Project Coordinator
The person who helps the project manager in assisting through various tasks during the life cycle is the project coordinator. They also work hand in hand with the team members and also play a big role in assisting people who are working from remote locations. They make sure there is no problem in the phases of the project and everything moves smoothly.
As we can see, each member involved in a project has their own specific responsibilities. And without any of these responsibilities, it is impossible to deliver a successful project. Although sometimes it may seem like these roles are creating a resistance in the workflow, that is just a minor setback over tons of important steps. If Project Sponsor is not there to facilitate the finances, do you think only developers or project managers can complete the project? Or If you have the money and project plan but no team to carry out those tasks, the project will literally die.
