PMP 2.2 Project Roles
Project Manager
person ultimately responsible for the outcome of the project (CEO of the project, large and in charge)
Sponsor
primary role is to pay for project; may be internal or external to the company; could also be called the project champion; in a serious conflict between PM and customer, this role may be called to work with both parties to resolved the dispute
Project Coordinator
usually found in a weak matrix or functional organizations
Project Expeditor
weakest of the three project management roles, a staff assistant who has little or no formal authority; reports to the executive who ultimately has responsibility for the project; primary responsibility lies in making sure things arrive on time and that tasks are completed on time; usually found in a functional organization
Senior Management
anyone more senior than the project manager; role is to help prioritize projects and Mae sure the project manager has the proper authority and access to resources
Project Office
department that aids PMs by sharing the best practices, methodologies, tools, and training with the group; usually serves in a supporting role by defining standards, creating templates, and sharing proven techniques in the organization. may also conduct periodic audits of ongoing projects to assess performance and make recommendations
Functional Manager
departmental manager in most organizational structures; usually "owns" the resources that are loaned to the project and has HR responsibilities for them; may be asked to approve overall project plan; the "experts" when "expert judgement" is mentioned
Project Manager
formally empowered to use organizational resources, in control of the project, authorized to spend the project's budget, authorized to make decision for the project (typically found in a matrix or projected organization type... in a functional organization this role is often a part time position and has significantly less authority)
Project Coordinator
found in organizations where a PM does not exist; weaker than the PM role, this person may not be allowed to make budget decisions or overall project decisions, but may have some authority to reassign resources)
Senior Management
issues strategic plans and goals and makes sure that the company's projects are aligned with them; drive portfolio decisions that shape the downstream programs and projects the organization undertakes; makes be called upon to resolve conflicts within the organization
Project Manager
most of the project's problems and responsibilities belong to this role; generally a bad idea for this person to escalate a problem to someone else