Project Manager role and responsibilities

Role and responsibilities

• Support establishing the feasibility of the project idea.
• Talk to staff in SPCS to log the idea and review the projects register to establish any duplication of project ideas or collaboration opportunities.
• Assess what type of project this might be against the project assessment matrix, eg strategic/departmental/section.

Report to: Strategic Planning and Change (SPCS).

Essential output

• Consultation with SPCS.
• Discussion with business analysts (where recommended).
• Outcome of the project assessment matrix.
• Project idea logged on the projects register, via SPCS (also required for departmental and section based projects).

Framework templates and supporting tools

• Project first steps
• Project assessment matrix
• Project framework guide
• Governance process flow
• Committee structure
• Approval process (.pdf)
• Lean at Essex

Role and responsibilities

• Kick-off meeting with SPCS, contact change@essex.ac.uk to arrange.
• Define the business objective for the project and create the client brief and/or mandate.
• Consultation with SPCS on project governance arrangements.
• Define the objectives of the project/what issue is it going to solve/what it is going to deliver.
• Define the benefits that should be delivered from the project.
• Consultation with identified and potential stakeholders.
• Consultation with Finance to establish project costs and gain mandate sign off.
• Consultation with specialist teams involved in the project, eg Procurement, ITS, external collaborators and gain mandate sign off.
• Consultation with business analysts to establish options appraisal and potential approach.
• Consider any issues or opportunities relating to equality and diversity.
• Consider any issues or opportunities relating to health and safety.

Report to: Project Coordination Group (PCG) /Capital Projects Board (CPB).

Essential output

• Project Mandate or feasibility study created for the relevant committee.
• Outline project governance arrangements.

Framework templates and supporting tools

• Client Brief
• Mandate template
• Stakeholder and communications guide and template (.xlsx)
• Benefits tool
• Project objectives
• Finance support manual, including lifecycle costs (.pdf)
• Building cost forecast (.xlsx)
• Business analysis and options appraisal guide
• Equality and diversity guide
• Health and safety guide and checklist
• LinkedIn Learning (selection of project related videos)
• Privacy Impact Checklist , questionnaire (.docx) and guidance

• Further development of the mandate in to a full business case.
• Consultation with business analysts to explore options appraisal and identify the preferred solution.
• More detailed consultation with key stakeholders.
• Develop user requirements.
• Planning the project management approach to take for successful delivery of the project.
• More detailed consultation with specialist teams involved in the project, eg Procurement, ITS, external collaborators with regard to resources and approach.
• Resource management.
• Benefits management, including gathering, measuring and tracking baseline data.

Essential output

• Business Case
• High-level project plan

Framework templates and supporting tools

• Business Case guide and template
• Business analysis and options appraisal guide
• Stakeholder and communications guide and template (.docx)
• Risk and issue management guide and templates
• Benefits tool
• Project prioritisation matrix
• Resource management guide
• Privacy Impact Checklist, questionnaire (.docx) and guidance

• Day to day management of the project.
• Establish the approach to the project meetings, including frequency, membership, escalation routes, terms of reference.
• Establish and set up the location of project documentation.
• Control of the project by regularly reviewing and updating the:
  • project plan
  • risk and issue registers
  • benefits tracker
  • lessons learned log
  • action logs
• Progress reporting.
• Schedule, allocate and monitor progress of the work to deliver the project.
• Work with specialist teams involved in the project eg Procurement, ITS and external collaborators.
• Change control requests.
• Project closure, including:
  • schedule for closure promoted and added to the plan
  • lessons learned gathered
  • output of project embedded in business as usual (BAU)
  • archiving of any old information
  • ensure any necessary training has been carried out
  • plan for realising benefits is in place, including a named person who is to ensure it all happens
  • schedule for reporting on benefits
  • identify any actions that need to be taken forward

Essential output

• Project plan, informed by the:
  • product and work breakdown structures
  • Cost breakdown structure (optional)
  • risk/issue log
  • lessons learned log
  • project meeting schedule
  • progress report schedule
• Change requests control (.docx)
• Benefits tracker

Framework templates and supporting tools

• Project planning
• Project schedule/plan
• Smartsheet login, guides and template
• Product and work breakdown structure
• Responsibility matrix
• Cost breakdown structure
• Risk and issue management guide and templates
• Project reporting
• Progress report (systems and processes) (.docx)
• Progress report (buildings) (.docx)
• Lessons learned log and template
• Change request control guide
• Change request form (.docx)
• Glossary
• Meeting guide, which includes:
  • action log template
  • project library (where the project documentation will be stored)
  • setting up project teams, governance and ToRs
  • guide to meetings and minute writing
  • project role mailboxes/email contact groups guidance
  • internal communications guide
  • surveys guide
• Closure Report template and examples

• Lessons learned report
• Post implementation review (were benefits met) – (to follow)

Essential output

• Lessons learned report – Systems and academic Projects Board (SAPB) / Project Coordination Group (PCG)
• Final report on benefits realisation

Framework templates and supporting tools

• Lessons learned log and template
• Post-implementation review guide.
• Benefits realisation guide.