2. Learning Outcomes
Prepare organizational structure charts for a functional
organization struc- ture, a project structure and a matrix
structure
Identify the key roles and responsibilities in an IS project
Define programme and project management
List the functions of a programme and project support office
(PPSO)
Summarize the advantages to an organization of using a PPSO
Categorize the activities of a PPSO during the main delivery
stages of a project under the headings of data capture, data
analysis and information presentation.
7. Sponsor
The person
who is
accountable
to the
business for
the invest-
ment
represented
by the
project and
for the
achievement
of the
project’s
business
objectives.
Define the business aims of the project.
Justify the project to the board, or whatever the overall management body is called
in the particular organization.
Define the project’s objectives and its priorities in terms of the ‘triple con- straint’ of
time, cost and quality/performance.
Specify the minimum requirements that the project must meet if it is to achieve its
business objectives.
Obtain approval for any capital expenditure involved.
Initiate the project and appoint the project manager.
Monitor the progress of the project from a business standpoint.
Monitor also the business environment to ensure that the project still meets the
business needs.
Keep the board or higher management informed of progress.
If necessary, terminate the project.
Account for the success of the investment.
Provide high-level support as a champion for the project.
8. User
The user is the person who will make use of the facilities of
the system in their everyday work and is therefore the
person most directly affected by the pro- ject. The user will:
Define the
detailed
requirements
for the system
to the
developers.
Review the
developers’
specification to
ensure that it
supports the
business
functions.
Work with the
developers in
introducing the
system into the
organization.
Conduct, or at
any rate
witness, the
acceptance tests
to ensure that
the sys- tem
meets its
specified
requirements.
9. Project Manager
The project manager is appointed by the sponsor and is responsible for
the management of the project on a day-to-day basis and for the
achievement of the project objectives
• Achieve the project’s objectives within the time, cost and quality/performance
constraints imposed by the sponsor.
• Make or force timely decisions to assure the project’s success.
• Plan, monitor and control the project through to completion.
• Select, build and motivate the project team.
• Keep the sponsor and senior management informed of progress and alert them to
problems – especially if these could have an impact on the project’s achieving its
business objectives.
• Recommend termination of the project to the sponsor, if necessary.
• Serve as the principal point of contact between the sponsor, management and
contributors.
• Select and manage subcontractors.
The
project
manager’s
role is to:
10. Risk Manager
On a large project, risk management may be a significant part
of the project manager’s work and it may be necessary to
appoint someone to assist with this. The project manager
retains overall responsibility for project risk but the risk
manager will control the process of identifying, classifying and
quantify- ing the risks and for chasing people to carry out their
risk reduction actions.
11. Quality Manager
Again, on a large project, it could be worthwhile to
appoint someone as quality manager manager.
Under the guidance of the project manager, this
person will write the quality plan, develop the
quality control procedures, check that these
procedures are being followed and provide advice
and guidance to team members on quality-related
issues.
12. Chief Analyst
This is a senior and experienced business or systems
analyst who will, under the direction of the project
manager, lead the analysis work. The chief analyst
will advise the project manager and project team on
analysis methods and techniques and, with the
quality manager, ensure that appropriate standards
are being followed. It is useful to have as chief
analyst someone with extensive experience of the
type of business being studied who can
authoritatively discuss business issues at the highest
levels in the user organization.
13. Chief Designer
The chief designer works under the direction of the pro-
ject manager to control the work of the design team, and
probably that of the programmers as well. The chief
designer will have extensive experience of the
technology being used and can provide advice and
guidance to the project team as well as develop any
project-specific standards that are required.
14. Database Administrator
The database administrator will be the principal custodian
of the database and of its supporting data dictionary.
The database administrator will develop and enforce
standards for the use of the database product, the naming
and placement of data items and so on.
Usually, the database administrator will work closely with
the chief designer in the development of the design and
with the programming teams in using the database.
15. Configuration
Librarian
• Someone needs to assume responsibility
for operating the configuration control
procedures and, on a large project, this
is often a full-time role.
Team Leader
• The project manager is responsible for
the overall direction of the project, but
detailed management of the staff is
often delegated to a number of team
lead- ers. Typically in charge of a small
group of, for example, programmers,
team leaders plan and direct work on a
day-to-day basis and either review or
organ- ize reviews of the team
members’ work.
16. Project Office
A project office provides administrative support to
the project manager. This includes such things as
the collection and recording of timesheets, the
organ- ization of meetings and the dissemination of
information. It is quite common to find a project
office that supports a number of discrete projects.
18. Programme Management - Programme
Whereas one of the defining features of a project is that it has a definite end-date,
a programme may well be a continuing endeavour with no such finite conclusion.
With a project, the project manager is usually responsible only for the achievement
of the narrow project objectives, but in a pro- gramme the programme manager
may well be responsible for realizing the business objectives as well.
A programme is a series of projects that together contribute towards
the achievement of some overall business or organizational objective.
A programme is a very large project with
a number of subsidiary projects involved.
A programme is a set of projects
which share a fixed pool of resources.
A programme is a group of projects
undertaken for a single client.
19. Programme Management – Programme Director
To decide on the
relative priority
of the projects on
a continuing
basis. This may
mean giving
precedence to
project A at one
stage and to
project B at
another.
To arbitrate
between project
managers in their
demands for
resources and,
where necessary,
decide who will
have use of
resources at each
point.
To ensure that
the utilization
levels of the
resources are
kept as high as
possible, thereby
ensuring that
costs are kept
strictly under
control.
To keep a careful
watch over the
organization’s
strategy and
ensure that all
the projects
continue to
contribute to the
achievement of
those object-
ives. The issue
here is not just
that projects can
drift off course
but also that the
strategy itself
will change as the
organization
adapts to
changing
circumstances.
To act as overall
champion for the
programme
within the
organization.
22. Project Assurance
Business assurance
• Evaluating the business aspects of any proposed changes to the
project and ensuring that the project continues to be viable in
busi- ness terms.
User assurance
• Representing the interests of the system’s users, ensuring that
the users’ requirements are properly addressed, establishing the
accept- ance criteria for the project, assessing changes and
assisting in the quality review of products from the users’
perspectives.
Technical assurance
• Assisting in defining the technical strategy for the project,
advising on quality criteria and other technical methods and
standards and ensuring that these standards are being adhered to.
23. Possible Function of a PPSO
Preinitiation
Approval process
Business case
preparation Initiation
Planning
Risk management
Resourcing
Delivery
Reporting
Time recording
Documentation library
Configuration
management
Monitoring and control
Financial
Stakeholder management
Business case monitoring
Change control
Assurance
Procurement
Training/mentoring
Postproject
Post project
reviews
Benefits realization
24. Ongoing PPSO Activities
In addition to the specific PPSO functions carried out to support projects
directly, there are a number of areas where the PPSO may be involved on a
continuing basis. The PPSO may be the custodian of the standards to which
projects are expected to adhere. These standards may have been
developed by the PPSO and the PPSO may be responsible for their
maintenance, or this work may have been subcontracted elsewhere. These
standards may be very detailed or relatively high-level – once again it
depends on the organization. The quality standards are likely to be
included in this set. The overall project support infrastructure, with a set
of procedures, report templates and the like, may be defined and
maintained by the PPSO.
25. Benefits of a PPSO
Information
Past
Consistency
IndependentSpecialism
Centre of
excellence
26. The programme and project support office plays a key role in many organiza-
tions. In some, the PPSO provides only administrative support on request from
the pro- ject manager; in others it is central to the overall control of the project
or pro- gramme portfolio. The use of PPSOs has become more widespread as
organizations have accepted the need to retain information on their projects
and to learn from their experiences. The PPSO has become the central
repository for this know- ledge. Many activities are common to all projects and
the PPSO can provide specialist skills and expertise in areas such as planning,
reporting, configura- tion management, documentation library and change
control. One of the advantages of having a PPSO is that it can provide senior
man- agement with an independent view of projects, separate from the
projects’ own management.
CONCLUSION
27. It is vital to the success of an IS project that there is a clear understanding of
who the customer is, who will make the major decisions about the scope and
direction of the project and who will ultimately accept responsibility for the
project. It is necessary, in particular, to identify the sponsor of the project
within the organization. Various bodies may be formed to guide and advise the
pro- ject, including the steering group, the user group and the risk management
committee.
A programme is a group of projects that together contribute towards the
achievement of some overall business objective and which involve the sharing of
resources. The programme director will act as arbiter between projects and
champion for the overall programme. The PRINCE2® project management
method offers a convenient and effect- ive structure for the management of IS
projects.
CONCLUSION
28. PREFERENCE
James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2008), Project Management for Information
Systems, British Library
Marsh, David (2000), The Project and Programme Support Office Handbook:
Foundation, Project Manager Today
Marsh, David (2000), The Project and Programme Support Office Handbook:
Advanced, Project Manager Today
Office of Government Commerce (2002), Managing Successful Projects with
PRINCE2, 3rd edn, The Stationery Office
Reiss, Geoff (1996), Programme Management Demystified, E&FN Spon
Shafto, Tony (1990), The Foundations of Business Organisation, Stanley
Thornes
Turner, J Rodney and Simister, Stephen J (eds) (2000), Gower Handbook of
Project Management, 3rd edn, Gower
