Project Manager Responsibilities

1. Project Manager Responsibilities Don Cole Project Management for ARA Engineers and Scientists

2. PM Course Overview • PM Responsibilities • Define the Program Structure • Review the SOW scope • Design the Work Breakdown Structure – driven by SOW • Design the Team Organization • Driven by WBS or Customer (IPT, Contract Requirements, etc.) • Driven by size of project or cost • Design the Plan and Schedule • Integrated Master Plan • Integrated Master Schedule

3. Introduction • Very few companies provide Project Managers with the level of responsibility and authority that ARA provides • Polymath Concept – a person who is well educated, or who excels, in a wide variety of subjects or fields • Importance of delegating and communicating • “Trust but verify” • Whether a project is simple or complex, the same principles apply • Provide quality products and services • Deliver on time and within budget • Develop enduring customers • Lead a positive experience for the project staff $ Success

4. Desired Learning Objectives • Understand your responsibilities • Leadership and Management • Influence of ARA culture • Become familiar with available resources • Project Manager’s Handbook • E-Office • Deltek • Corporate Staff and colleagues • More advanced management tools and procedures

5. Overview • Review contents of the Project Manager Handbook • Emphasize responsibilities and resources • Review importance of Customer Development • Discuss sources of risks and potential outcomes • Emphasize importance of identification and mitigation • Review available resources and discuss shortcomings

6. Overview of PM Handbook • Introduction • Responsibilities • Resources • Development of Project Plan • Leading Project Execution • Leaving vs. Managing • Closing out the Project • Appendices • More detail • Examples

7. The Project Manager is Responsible for All Aspects of a Project • Quality Technical Performance • Project Budget and Expenditure • Schedule Performance • Deliverables • Leadership of Project Staff • Customer Development • Risk Management

8. Both Leadership and Management are Required Deltek, EVM Compare Cost to Budget

9. Assure Quality Technical Performance • Develop a sound technical approach • Assure a qualified technical staff • Delegate appropriately and clearly • Assure all responsibilities understood and accepted • Seek assistance when needed • Seek out knowledgeable colleagues • Schedule quality reviews • Monitor progress and cost • Assure high-quality products and services

10. Manage Cost • Develop a realistic budget • Organize tasks mindful of cost control • Measurable milestones or each task • Simplify task management, minimize: • Number of organizations • Number of staff • Level of WBS • Develop separate Phases/Tasks for different organizations, efforts • Monitor costs closely • Review costs monthly • Don’t forget the 75 percent limitation of funds notice requirement for government T&M and Cost Plus contracts • Compare cost to progress

11. Manage Schedule • Understand what has to be delivered and when it’s due • Clearly identify when deliverables are due • Develop measurable milestones on path to deliverable • Determine where “slack” exists and where it does not • Focus on “Critical Path” • Be aware of potential changes to critical path • Review progress in all tasks

12. Provide Quality Deliverables • Determine contract requirements • Understand customer preferences and expectations • Assure adequate progress to delivery • Do not wait until the last minute • Avoid the “90 percent complete” trap • Provide competent review • Schedule review(s) to allow both time and funding to make necessary adjustments

13. Lead Your Project to Success • Make sure assignments, schedule and budgets are clear • Encourage staff to do their best • Recognize/Reward significant achievements • Praise good efforts • Listen to concerns • Assure staff recognizes that you understand concerns and are addressing them appropriately • Arrange help where needed • Monitor concern until resolved • Be accessible to your team • Lead by example!

14. Communicate to Assure Success

15. Develop Enduring Customers • Determine: • Customer needs and desires • Clearly balance desires vs. requirement, budget to control expectation • What makes customer look good • How will customer be “graded?” • What are customer’s fears? • Adjust project to maximize customer benefit within budget • Assure frequent contact • Assure contract stays on course as requirements and expectations evolve • Demonstrate concern, be proactive in developing solutions or improvements • Arrange senior management visit ARA

16. Listen and Lead

17. Risk Management • Project Technical, Schedule and Cost • Client evaluation of performance for future procurements • Additional business with this client • Safety • Impact of injury or property damage on company liability, customer confidence, employee morale • Security • Impact of security violations on future contracts dealing with classified materials • Small Business • Failure to meet SBA goals can limit our ability to participate in future procurements Your management of risks can outlive your project and impact the whole company

18. ARA Resources • Deltek– your detailed cost accounting tool • Basic cost status (through last closed period) via Eoffice JSR • E-Office – a management information system • A rudimentary Project Management tool

19. Tracking Project Status • No formal ARA-wide tool for developing detailed project structure and budget • Eoffice has simple top-level budget tools • Many divisions have developed their own tools • PM has freedom to select the appropriate tool for the project • Deltek can provide costs for comparison to budget history • Important to structure Deltek project accounting to simplify accurate status evaluation • Accounts should align with delegated responsibility Funded Amount Project/phase/task $ End Date Cost or schedule variance? Time Budget Actual

20. Other Resources MS Project -- sophisticated project management capability MS Excel -- Simplified project management capability

21. Limits to Authority • Only an Officer of ARA can sign contracts, subcontracts and other binding agreements. • ARA has specifically delegated purchase approval authority for project-related expenses up to a defined level (See Purchasing Website) • Must be in compliance with CAS-approved procedures How can ARA retain flexibility to respond quickly as we grow?

22. Summary • As Project Manager, ARA provides you with full responsibility and authority for execution of the project • Your performance can have a much wider impact than just the success of the project • Your ability to relate to the customer, project staff and corporate staff can significantly affect the success of your efforts • ARA provides only rudimentary tools for Project Management • Other tools may be provided by your division or acquired for your project • Course will provide take-away templates and checklists