What is the Role of An IT Project Manager?
An IT project manager is a professional responsible for overseeing the planning, execution and delegation of an organisation’s information technology (IT) goals for clients or organisations. They set up schedules and budgets, delegate tasks to team members, keep tabs on developments, and contact interested parties. Since almost every organisation depends on computer technologies, they could work in various sectors.
Some organisations even set up IT project management offices (PMOs) to oversee the completion of large-scale projects. The types of projects an IT project manager may be responsible for include software development, mobile application development, web development, database management, etc. Knowing the role of an IT project manager will help you determine whether this is a career you want to pursue or how to start as a responsible professional. Learn more from the article.
1. Establishing the Project’s Goals
The first and foremost responsibility of a project manager before starting a new project is identifying the project goals and expected outcomes. Together with team members, managers, investors, clients, and other interested parties, they should draft a project charter that outlines the objectives and scope of the work, essential deliverables and milestones, the anticipated timeline and budget, etc.
The charter should also include roles and responsibilities for each team member, as well as communication and feedback channels. Finally, it should be reviewed and approved by all stakeholders.
2. Establishing Metrics for the Project
An IT project manager establishes metrics to track a team’s progress towards the project objectives once managers, clients, or other project sponsors approve the project charter. They create precise, well-defined key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge a team’s effectiveness throughout a project.
The SMART method is used to create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely objectives for a project. KPIs ensure that the project is on track and that any issues can be addressed quickly. They are also used to create accountability and measure the success of the project. Finally, they provide a benchmark for future projects.
3. Putting Together Project Timelines
It is the responsibility of an IT project manager to create project schedules so that the team can meet deadlines and deliver the projects on time. To ensure that the team completes their work on time, project scheduling frequently entails figuring out the priority of tasks, estimating how long they will take, and setting deadlines.
Anticipated risks, like longer maintenance intervals, can also affect the project timeline and be factored into the schedule. They use a range of techniques to create project schedules, and they frequently utilise project management software to complete timelines.
4. Making Financial Plans or Budgets
Another responsibility is determining the budget of a project by collaborating with managers or clients. They should estimate the costs and expenses of the project to ensure it stays within the budget. When creating a project budget, some of the most important factors they should take into account are labour costs, which include the pay and working hours of team members, the cost of supplies or equipment, like software, and other expenses like travel or transportation.
They should also consider the cost of any external consultants or vendors that may be necessary for the project. They should also plan for contingencies, such as unexpected delays or cost overruns.
5. Deciding On Project Responsibilities
Task delegation to teams is the responsibility of IT project managers. They make a to-do list and distribute it to team members as the project progresses. They also make use of a visual diagram of a project’s deliverables with a work breakdown structure, which can be beneficial. By using this information, they will compile a list of tasks and subtasks for every deliverable, which is then distributed among team members.
They will be working closely with team members and learning about their skills. They will, therefore, be able to assign tasks in accordance with the preferences and strengths of each team member. For instance, a developer with good problem-solving abilities could be given coding error-related tasks.
6. Resource Allocation
After assigning tasks, an IT project manager sets aside resources to guarantee that team members can finish their work efficiently. Depending on the project you are managing, resources may include equipment, technology, time, people, and relevant information. When writing and reviewing complex code, for instance, you could give a team member an extra monitor.
7. Monitoring Projects
It is now their responsibility to monitor the projects to ensure they stay within the allocated budget, scope and timeline. They should monitor them by communicating with the team members and knowing the status of the work. Holding regular or weekly meetings with the team members is a way of tracking the progress of the project. It will help the IT project managers compare the team’s progress with the timeline.
8. Creating Status Reports
They are held responsible for preparing status reports. As the name says, it is the report prepared to inform all the relevant parties about the project’s status. It is written consistently throughout a project, such as weekly or when an external party requests one. Status reports include a description of the work that the team has completed, information about the remaining tasks and deadlines and information about the anticipated risks or challenges to the project timeline.
9. Handling Risks Involved
Managing risks and obstacles to keep the project moving forward is a crucial aspect of an IT project manager’s work. Project scope creep, requirement changes, and technical difficulties like network outages can all be risks in IT projects. By seeing potential problems and developing a strategy to address them, they can effectively manage risks. If such risks arise, they can use the plan to implement appropriate solutions.
10. Budget-tracking
They keep an eye on expenditures and costs to ensure that the project stays within its allocated budget. Maintaining a cost log allows you to make comparisons between actual spending and the preliminary budget you created during project planning. Budgeting and project management software are tools that many of them use to track spending and create budget documents. With the aid of this software, you can identify areas where spending may be modified to keep the project within your allocated budget.
11. Speaking With Potential Customers
An IT project manager keeps in touch with clients and other interested parties during a project. They respond to inquiries, give progress reports, and showcase deliverables like prototypes. This communication makes a review of the team’s work and comments from interested parties possible. If interested parties request changes to the project’s goals or deliverables, you can discuss them and find the best solution.
12. Assessing Performance
They assess the team’s output to make sure high-calibre work is being produced. Throughout a project, the KPIs are tracked to gauge the team’s effectiveness. They might also assess the calibre of project deliverables through quality assurance (QA) testing. In order for the team to keep working towards the project’s objectives, they can communicate expectations to team members if they find areas where the team needs to improve.
13. Finishing Off Projects
An IT project manager completes documentation and delivers the completed deliverables to interested parties, like investors or clients, at the conclusion of a project. They talk about whether the team has completed the project in accordance with the requirements and goals. In order to identify areas for improvement, a project post-mortem is conducted, which entails evaluating the project and gathering feedback. Workflows or procedures can be modified for upcoming projects using the data collected from a post-mortem.
So, all these are the roles and responsibilities of an IT project manager. They have a lot to do to complete the projects successfully. They must be able to communicate with stakeholders and team members, as well as manage resources and budgets. An IT project manager must also have the ability to troubleshoot and solve problems quickly. They must be able to make informed decisions and take corrective action when needed. They must also be able to provide clear direction and motivate their team to reach their goals. So, hope the article will help you understand their responsibilities.
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Hi, my name is Rahil. I work at YUHIRO Global and I help web agencies and software companies from Europe to build developer teams in India.