The actors of a project team: organization, role and skills

A project is an action or set of actions planned for the more or less near future to create something new or improve something that already exists.
In the professional world in general – and information systems in particular – the very notion of project implies collaborative teamwork. The members of this team are called actors or resources. If each project is unique, the actors can change. However, the same unchanging and indispensable functions are still present to carry out the task. A project team inevitably includes a project manager, a sponsor, a PMO (Project Management Office) and a steering committee. Let’s take a look at how a project team is organized, and what the roles and skills of its members are.

The organization of a project team

When a customer expresses a need, the company’s management will set up a team to work on the project. Insofar as the need is punctual, the project will be limited in time, with a beginning and an end often imposed in a contractual way. The company will solicit the necessary skills by addressing the various imperative constraints: time, budget, personnel, etc. The outcome of the project is called the “deliverable”: it is the solution that will be delivered to the client in response to his need. Depending on the scope of the task, several resources will be called upon; among them, some are systematically present because they constitute the base of knowledge and skills essential to the success of the mission. Here are some examples of the essential functions.

The project manager

The project manager is responsible for the project team in charge of the preparation, implementation and completion of the project. In the course of its missions, it must call upon the skills likely to ensure its success. He or she must also lead the group and synthesize the synergies between all the players. He has an important role as a communicator, particularly in creating a team spirit that keeps everyone involved. He is often supported by a functional manager and a technical manager, but sometimes, depending on the size of the project, he can be the only member of the project team.

The functional manager

The functional manager is responsible for supporting the client in its modernization and technological development process. It carries out the global operations necessary for the preliminary study, the implementation and the realization of the project. He is the guarantor of the functional quality. His/her duties concern the proper functioning of the solution that the project will create in relation to the needs defined by the client. Like the project manager and the project team as a whole, he or she must respect the imperatives of quality, performance, deadlines and budget.

The technical manager

The role of the technical manager is to manage the production and technical aspects of the project. It gives its approval on the feasibility of the project from a technical point of view and on the best way to carry it out by defining each step. He analyzes the needs, organizes and implements the development of the product. He is the guarantor of the technical quality.

The sponsor

This is a referent who represents the client, but sometimes the sponsor can also be found on the project team side. Very often, he has an important hierarchical position in the company of the latter. His role is to act as a link between the project team and his company. Any information on the progress of the project must be communicated to him. It gives its opinion and agreement on the continuation of the actions. The sponsor is an essential guide to ensure that the project is in line with the client’s expectations and to direct the actions. It is a pivotal element of the project. This is why it must be mobilized from the outset and regularly solicited to maintain the link and ensure that expectations and achievements are perfectly matched. This employee must occupy a strong hierarchical position (general manager, member of the management committee or executive committee for example). A lower level manager may not be fully endorsed by his or her hierarchy and may slow down the project. It is necessary that the sponsor is experienced and has a strong impact on the company. He must have a perfect command of the strategy to be followed.

The PMO (Project Management Office)

The Project Management Office (PMO) is a service, department or individual that defines the project management processes. It brings together a set of procedures, methods and tools to enable the steering of the mission and the management of risks. Using the PMO allows you to obtain a status report at any time during the project and to anticipate any necessary changes. The PMO oversees the governance and tools needed to plan, create, evaluate and adjudicate projects. He/she has a cross-functional role because he/she can link several projects and make the most of the skills of the players in the various project teams. Still essential in communication, it avoids the isolation of resources.

The steering committee

This is a group of managers who are responsible for ensuring that a project runs smoothly within a company. For example, the human resources manager, the project manager, etc. They arbitrate strategies and make decisions to bring the project to a successful conclusion.

The steering committee has a fundamental role in the start-up of the project, as well as at its closure. It also validates each strategic point of the project’s progress. It ensures that operations are in line with the objectives set at the outset. He/she supervises the smooth running of the project, communicates about the project, the preparatory work and the feedback. It sets key dates for project progress and identifies investment needs. As such, it can allocate additional resources.

The steering committee is called upon to:

• appoint the project manager, and validate the project team,
• cost the resources required, and draw up a timetable of milestones and deadlines,
• validate these steps and give the green light to move on to the next,
• ensure that the project team meets its objectives,
• arbitrate on points that require it.

To develop its full potential, the steering committee must have real decision-making power regarding the resources deployed, the deadlines set, and the choices made for the action plans.

Also read in our "IT project governance" file:

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• The use of UIPATH as an RPA solution
• Project comitology: the governance bodies of an IT project and their roles
• Steering and governance of a Finance IS project: which profiles should be involved?
• Steering and governance of an IT project: which profiles should be involved?
• Project governance: what role for the steering committee?
• The actors of a project team: organization, role and skills
• The IS manager at the heart of the development and evolution of systems
• HRIS Manager: what role in the evolution of HR Information Systems?
• IS project manager: what role and responsibility in an IS project?
• Functional consultant: a role close to the business processes
• Technical consultant: a profession at the heart of technological development
• Solution architect: a profession that manages development and deployment
• DevOps Consultant: role, missions and development skills
• Data Protection Officer (DPO): what roles and missions?
• CISO: a key job within the business for system security
• The service delivery manager at the heart of team management
• Scrum master, a key profession for Scrum project management
• Data scientist: a strategic profession at the service of management
• MOA / MOE: how are the roles divided on a project of implementation of an information system?