The Project Manager’s job description

A project is defined as a set of activities that is used to enable the development of a product or service

Project Managers are organized, passionate and goal-oriented people who have skills and techniques that are used to enable change in an organization.

So how do you become a Project Manager ?

To become a Project Manger’s you need to have both the education and experience required for the job.

An example of a Project Manager’s experience would be a four year college degree with a minimum of 3 years leading large projects.

An effective Project Manager should also have soft skills such as communication, leadership, influencing, accountability, analytical and strategic thinking.

What type of experience does a Project Manager need to have ?

Project managers should be experienced in project management tasks which include the following:

  1. Create and manage the project plan.
  2. Define the project scope and objectives.
  3. Prepare the project’s budget based on the project’s scope and resource requirements.
  4. Track the project’s resource usage to ensure that its stay on track and within budget.
  5. Manage the project through the different stages of its project lifecycle.
  6. Communicate the expected deliverables.
  7. Manage and motivate the project team members.
  8. Identify and prioritize the project tasks.
  9. Create and update the project’s documentation.
  10. Create and analyze revenue and resource forecasts.
  11. Manage resource allocation.
  12. Provide regular project updates to the various stakeholders.
  13. Use industry best practices in the project’s implementation.
  14. Organize and manage the stakeholders workshops and trainings.
  15. Measure the project’s performance to identify areas for improvement
  16. Make project improvements recommendations.

But, how do Project Managers ensure that their Project’s success ?

There is no definite way to ensure the success of a project but there are a few things that the Project Manager can do to improve its chances of success and they include the following :

  1. Accept only confirmed and validated project requirements.
  2. Get the right people on the project team.
  3. Get the right resources allocated to the project.
  4. Manage the stakeholders expectations.
  5. Identify and manage the project’s risks.