What does a project manager do?

A project manager plans, steers and monitors a project from initiation through to closure. They are responsible for budget, schedule and resources, coordinate the project team and make sure the project objectives are met.

What is the project manager responsible for?

Within a project, the project manager takes on the operational planning and control. This makes them the role that ensures the project runs in a focused, goal-oriented way.

What is the difference between a project lead and a project manager?

In practice, the two terms are often used interchangeably. The project lead is usually focused on one specific project and operationally responsible, whereas the project manager takes a cross-project view of methods, standards and several projects at once. How both can be mapped in software is shown by the project management of projectfacts.

What are the main tasks of a project manager?

The main tasks include budget and resource planning as well as setting content, schedule and cost targets. Structured project planning provides the basis for this.

Project Manager - Definition

What is a Project Manager? Definition and meaning

Within a project, various people or groups take on various roles. The project manager is responsible for the operational planning and control of the project.

A project manager is therefore the person who guides a project from initiation through delivery to closure. They carry the responsibility for meeting the agreed objectives within the given framework of time, budget and quality. As the central point of contact, they form the interface between the client, the project team and other parties involved.

The main tasks centre on budget and resource planning, as well as the definition of objectives, such as content, schedule or cost targets, within the project.

The tasks of a project manager

The tasks of a project manager span the entire life cycle of a project. The most important ones include:

Defining objectives: Setting and agreeing the content, schedule and cost targets with the client.
Project planning: Creating the project structure, schedule and work packages as the basis for delivery.
Resource planning: Scheduling staff, budget and materials as well as avoiding bottlenecks.
Control and monitoring: Tracking progress, costs and deadlines and taking corrective action when things deviate.
Team leadership: Coordinating and motivating the project team and allocating tasks.
Communication: Reporting to the client and stakeholders and facilitating decisions.
Risk management: Identifying, assessing and managing project risks.
Project closure: Signing off the results, documenting the project and evaluating the lessons learned.

Responsibility and authority

The project manager carries overall responsibility for achieving the project objectives. They are accountable for completing the project within the given framework of time, budget and quality, and they report progress to the client and to decision-making bodies.

To live up to this responsibility, the project manager needs the corresponding competencies and authority. These include the authority to decide how the scheduled resources are used, the professional leadership of the project team and the sign-off of work results. The extent of this authority depends on the project organisation within the company.

Project lead vs. project manager

In practice, the terms project lead and project manager are often used interchangeably. Both describe a person who is responsible for the planning and control of a project. Depending on the company and the project methodology, however, there are subtle differences:

Project lead: usually focused on one specific project and operationally responsible for its delivery.
Project manager: often works across projects, owns methods and standards and keeps several projects or an entire project portfolio in view.

In smaller organisations, both roles often come together in a single person. How the control of individual projects and an entire portfolio can be mapped in software is shown by the project management of projectfacts.

Requirements and skills

A project manager combines professional, methodological and social skills. The most important requirements include:

Methodological expertise: A confident command of project management methods, project planning and controlling.
Strong communication: Clear reporting, negotiating and facilitating between all parties involved.
Leadership ability: Guiding and motivating the project team and resolving conflicts.
Organisational talent: Coordinating tasks, deadlines and resources in a structured way.
Analytical thinking: Assessing progress and risks and making well-founded decisions.
Assertiveness: Pursuing objectives even in the face of resistance and setting priorities.

Tasks across the project life cycle

The tasks of a project manager change across the project phases:

Planning: The project manager defines objectives, creates the project plan and schedules budget and resources.
Control: During delivery they monitor progress, costs and deadlines, lead the project team and respond to deviations and risks.
Closure: At the end they hand over the results, document the project and evaluate the lessons learned for future projects.