Who is a project manager and what is project management?

Managing in a project environment is different from day-to-day management.

Project management refers to the set of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques applied to manage activities in order to meet the project’s requirements. You can distinguish project management from traditional forms of management through three key functions: the person, the team, and the methodology.

The project manager is the single point of responsibility in a project. It is the project manager’s job to set up a structure which meets the needs of: the project, the organisation, the individuals working on the project and all the stakeholders in general.

The project manager plans, directs, and integrates stakeholder activities to achieve the project goals. The project manager has to:

• develop the project's scope and manage scope change

• assess and manage risks

• manage changes

• manage the team

• control the project’s progress and its expense.

The project manager coordinates the efforts of each organisational function, controls the budget, schedule and work tasks. Of course, numerous other people are also involved in a project and it is seen as a team effort. The term project management means bringing together individuals from different areas and organisations, to form a group whose composition may vary according to the nature of the project.

Please refer to the glossary to check any terminology you are unfamiliar with: Glossary of Project Management Terms

Coming up.....

In the next section you will explore the duties of a project manager.