Role: Project Manager
This role plans, manages and allocates resources, shapes priorities, coordinates interactions with customers and users, and keeps the project team focused. The Project Manager also establishes a set of practices that ensure the integrity and quality of project work products.
Role Sets: Managers
Relationships

Acquire StaffAssess IterationCompile Software Development PlanDefine Monitoring & Control ProcessesDefine Project Organization and StaffingDevelop Business CaseDevelop Iteration PlanDevelop Measurement Plan (PSM)Develop Problem Resolution PlanDevelop Product Acceptance PlanDevelop Quality Assurance PlanDevelop Risk Management PlanEstablish and Sustain Commitment (PSM)Handle Exceptions and ProblemsIdentify and Assess RisksInitiate IterationInitiate ProjectMonitor Project Status (PSM)Plan Phases and IterationsPrepare for Phase Close-OutPrepare for Project Close-OutReport Status (PSM)Schedule and Assign WorkBusiness CaseIssues ListIteration AssessmentIteration PlanMeasurement Plan (PSM)Problem Resolution PlanProduct Acceptance PlanProject Measurements (PSM)Quality Assurance PlanRisk ListRisk Management PlanSoftware Development PlanStatus AssessmentSystem Development PlanWork OrderProject_Manager

Modifies
Process Usage
Main Description

A Project Manager applies project management knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of tasks in order to meet requirements and to deliver an end result for a particular project.

When the system to be developed is a composite of hardware, software, and human workers, the Project Manager might have an extended set of responsibilities in planning, monitoring, and controlling the project. For example, if parts of the system development are subcontracted out, the Project Manager will likely be involved in the establishment and subsequent management of a formal contractual relationship. This typically brings the rigorous definition and control of interfaces to the fore as an issue, and the planning for integration becomes less flexible. The tracking of progress in a systems engineering context often requires the Project Manager to set up a formal technical performance measurement program, because the progress towards the achievement of certain performance or other nonfunctional characteristics of the system or its components, is as critical as the delivery of the items themselves. The Project Manager might also have oversight of various engineering specialty activities.

Staffing
Skills

The following skills are recommended to fulfill the Project Manager role:

  • experience in the software development lifecycle, the domain of the application and platform
  • scope estimation, planning, time management, scheduling, project costing, and budget management
  • resource planning, resource management, and procurement
  • risk analysis, dependencies, and decision analysis skills
  • presentation, communication, and negotiation skills
  • experience in Project Management
  • leadership and team building capabilities
  • conflict resolution, problem solving skills, and the ability to make sound decisions under stress
  • deliverables based management, a focus on the delivery of customer value, in the form of executing software that meets (or exceeds) the customer's needs.
Assignment Approaches

For smaller projects, a single person can act as project manager and also take on a development role, such as software architect. However, if at all possible, it is generally better for the project manager to avoid taking on development responsibilities, in order to ensure that time pressure on management responsibilities doesn't cause development tasks to suffer, and vice versa.

The project manager role can usually be combined successfully with other management-type roles, such as Change Control Manager, Deployment Manager, and Process Engineer.

The project manager may require support for tasks such as gathering project status information, generating metrics, and preparing reports. When staffing the project, consider including support staff to help with these tasks.

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