Project Management

Project Management

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A project manager is responsible for all aspects of the planning, development and management of a development. This ranges from the initiating and closing of the project, to the day-to-day planning and running. The manager has the authority to control all aspects of the development, which includes dealing with costs, safety and all contractors who are working on the project.

Whenever a new project is going to be carried out, a project manager is needed to oversee all areas and to coordinate them to ensure smooth running of the construction. Once the architect has produced a design, it will then be taken to the construction team and the project manager. The project manager will then start planning the construction of the project, employing contractors and scheduling what will happen when. The project manager and the architect will work closely together throughout the development, so that the project manager can ask the architect any queries with the design, or get him or her to help solve any problems if they occur.

• Initially the manager has to define what the project will entail. This also means that the people for whom the project is being managed can ensure that the manger has the correct idea about what the outcome of the development should be.
• Next the manager is responsible for all aspects of the planning. The planning is one of the most important steps of the project as it will include working out costs and allocating funds, making a schedule which will ensure that the development is completed on time.
• The manager will often have key contractors whom he or she will have used before, or know of specific contractors who are suitable for this type of project. During the planning stages the project manager will ask a few contractors to submit a proposal, including costs, and then the manager will choose the one he or she likes best or the one that coincides with how much is budgeted for that area of work.
• The manager is then responsible for ensuring that the project sticks as accurately as possible to the plan. If, for some reason, the plan needs to be changed, then the manager is responsible for contracting the appropriate people and making sure that these changes take place as smoothly and efficiently as possible. If there is a problem on site that is caused by the design, then the project manager will take this back to the architect who will then reproduce part of the design so as to solve the problem.
• Knowledge transfer needs to take place throughout the project. This means that the contractors will tell the manager regularly what they have done, any problems they think have arisen, and if they think that they can solve these. This means that the manager is always informed about the progress of the project or any setbacks.
• The project manager will also have to provide constant feedback to the company or person who has requested the Project and also let the employer know if the project is going to run over costs or time.