what is a project manager? what do they do?

Question

I'd like a detailed description please.

Answer 1

Depends on what the project is, but generally a project manager is in charge of the job (database roll out for example). They make sure that the timelines and deliverables are met. They schedule and chair meetings. They plan and possibly do the budgets.

Answer 2

"Nothing" is a good guide. If the project is intense and time critical then the last thing you want is for the project manager to have some particular part of the work to do. They need their hands free so that they can keep track of everything else.

Alternative description: they make GANTT charts and watch people ignore them.

Better: they make sure everyone knows what they have to do, when they have to do it by, what their boundaries and interfaces are (e.g. "your work stops at pipe flange X52 - just leave that blanked off and the next person will join their bit to that") and how much money they can all spend. And they track it all to see that the time and money don't get frittered away, figure out contingencies when something goes wrong (e.g. "I dug that hole to put the X52 in like you asked but there's Roman ruins at the bottom, what are we gonna do?") and report back in good times and bad.

Answer 3

Project managers do a number of different things.

(1) Manage a project - manage the budget of the projects, the manner in which funds are spent in relation to employees, their overtime, salary
Put deadlines on the specific milestones of the project
Develop tracking mechanisms for the status of projects (status reports)

(2) Develop projects based on the customer or departmental needs
Sometimes this means a significant amount of research before developing a project to solve a problem or push an initiative

(3) It may involve developing a process or departmental instructions

(4) Have to deliver results in the allotted time. Document snags and develop relationships across departments to get the goals completed.

(5) Often, you have project revenue spent or cost savings using formulas and in-depth financial or statistical analysis.

Some project managers use Microsoft Project to track projects.

Answer 4

A Project Manager overseas the project and analysis the risks involved and the people the project will benefit. He will also write a business plan to organise the project and he will delegate tasks.

Answer 5

They oversee all aspects of a jobs - staff, that the deadlines are met on each part of the project/job, keeping an eye on the costs, generally keeping the client happy, while making sure that there there are enough staff (and they are doing the job well, and have the tools/experience to do what they are supposed to be doing).

Answer 6

project managers are the overlords of getting projects completed from start to finish. for example, there are project managers in nearly every field suck as IT, Biz mgmt, construction, developers etc. these people are charged usually with taking on the tasks of getting prjoects started, from nothing usually, and seeing them through to completion. IT PM's assemble and direct staff members to build the infrastructure, setup equpiment, check for issues and maintain accordingly. Whatever field you are in as a PM it is very good. These individuals are highly sought after depending on their exp. You could be overseeing the purchasing of materials, delivery and assembly. It's kind a of jack-of-all-trades in the professional sense. Your hitman to take care of a job and be well rewarded. good work if you can get it and the kind of work you keep.

Answer 7

someone who is incharge of a projects and makes sure that all the deadlines are met