Organizing and Staffing The Project Office and Team

Organizing and Staffing the
Project Office and Team

Project management includes:
 A project manager
 An assistant project manager
 A project (home) office
 A project team
Before the staffing function begins, five

basic questions are usually considered:
● What are the requirements for an
individual to become a successful
project manager?
Project management includes:
● Who should be a member of the project

team?
● Who should be a member of the project
office?
● What problems can occur during
recruiting activities?
● What can happen downstream to cause
the loss of key team members?
THE STAFFING
ENVIRONMENT
• Project management is successful only if
the project manager and his team are
totally dedicated to the successful
completion of the project. This requires
each team member of the project team
and office to have a good understanding of
the fundamental project requirements,
which include:
THE STAFFING
ENVIRONMENT
● Customer liaison
● Project direction
● Project planning
● Project control
● Project evaluation
● Project reporting
The personal attributes and abilities of project
managers will either attract or deter highly
desirable individuals. Basic characteristics include:
● Honesty and integrity
● Understanding of personnel problems
● Understanding of project technology
● Business management competence
● Management principles
● Communications
The personal attributes and abilities of project
managers will either attract or deter highly
desirable individuals. Basic characteristics include:
● Alertness and quickness

● Versatility
● Energy and toughness
● Decision-making ability
● Ability to evaluate risk and uncertainty
Executives must realize that the project manager’s
objectives during staffing are to:
● Acquire the best available assets and try to

improve them
● Provide a good working environment for all
personnel
● Make sure that all resources are applied effectively
and efficiently so that all constraints are met, if
possible
SELECTING THE PROJECT
MANAGER: AN EXECUTIVE
DECISION
The selection process for project managers
is not easy. Five basic questions must be
considered:
● What are the internal and external
sources?
● How do we select?
● How do we provide career development in
project management?
MANAGER: AN EXECUTIVE
DECISION
The selection process for project managers
is not easy. Five basic questions must be
considered:
● How can we develop project management
skills?
● How do we evaluate project management
performance?
The major responsibilities of the project manager include:
● To produce the end-item with the available resources
and within the constraints of time, cost, and
performance/technology
● To meet contractual profit objectives
● To make all required decisions whether they be for
alternatives or termination
● To act as the customer (external) and upper-level and
functional management (internal) communications focal
point
● To “negotiate” with all functional
disciplines for accomplishment of the
necessary work packages within the
constraints of time, cost, and
performance/technology
● To resolve all conflicts

In order for project managers to fulfill their
responsibilities successfully, they are constantly
required to demonstrate their skills in interface,
resource, and planning and control management.
These implicit responsibilities are shown below:
● Interface Management
● Product interfaces —Performance of parts or
subsections —Physical connection of parts or
subsections
● Project interfaces Customer
● Management (functional and upper-level) ● Change of
responsibilities
● Information flow
● Material interfaces (inventory control)
● Resource Management
● Time (schedule)
● Manpower
● Money
● Facilities
● Equipment
● Material
● Information/technology
● Planning and Control Management
● Increased equipment utilization
● Increased performance efficiency
● Reduced risks
● Identification of alternatives to problems
● Identification of alternative resolutions to conflicts
One of the best ways to interview is to read each
element of the job description to the potential
candidate. Many individuals want a career path in
project management but are totally unaware of
what the project manager’s duties are. There are
also job-related questions to consider, such as:
● Are feasibility and economic analyses

necessary?
● Is complex technical expertise required? If so, is
it within the individual’s capabilities?
● If the individual is lacking expertise, will there be
sufficient backup strength in the line organizations?
● Is this the company’s or the individual’s first
exposure to this type of project and/or client? If so,
what are the risks to be considered?
● What is the priority for this project, and what are
the risks?
SKILL REQUIREMENTS FOR
PROGRAM MANAGERS
The program manager must understand the
culture and value system of the organization
he is working with. Effective program
management is directly related to proficiency
in these ten skills:
● Team building
● Leadership
● Conflict resolution
SKILL REQUIREMENTS FOR
PROGRAM MANAGERS
Effective program management is directly related to
proficiency in these ten skills:
● Technical expertise
● Planning
● Organization
● Entrepreneurship
● Administration
● Management support
● Resource allocation
SPECIAL CASES IN PROJECT MANAGER
SELECTION
There are four major problem areas in
staffing projects:
● Part-time versus full-time assignments
● Several projects assigned to one project
manager
● Projects assigned to functional managers
● The project manager role retained by the
general manager
NEXT GENERATION PROJECT
MANAGERS
The primary skills needed to be an effective
project manager in the twenty-first century
are:
● Knowledge of the business
● Risk management
● Integration skills
THE ORGANIZATIONAL STAFFING
PROCESS
Staffing the project organization can become a
long and tedious effort, especially on large and
complex engineering projects. Three major
questions must be answered:
● What people resources are required?

● Where will the people come from?
● What type of project organizational structure
will be best?
THE PROJECT OFFICE
The responsibilities of the project office

include:
● Acting as the focal point of information for
both in-house control and customer
reporting
● Controlling time, cost, and performance to
adhere to contractual requirements
THE PROJECT OFFICE
The responsibilities of the project office
include:
● Ensuring that all work required is
documented and distributed to all key
personnel
• Ensuring that all work performed is both

authorized and funded by contractual
documentation
THE FUNCTIONAL TEAM
Functional management must be represented
at all staffing meetings because functional
staffing is directly dependent on project
requirements and because:
● Functional managers generally have more
expertise and can identify high-risk areas.
● Functional managers must develop a

positive attitude toward project success.
MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION TEAM
These roles, which undermine project
management implementation, are described
below:
● The aggressor
● Criticizes everybody and everything on project
management
● Deflates the status and ego of other team
members
● Always acts aggressively
● The dominator
● Always tries to take over
● Professes to know everything about
project management
● Tries to manipulate people
● Will challenge those in charge for
leadership role
● The devil’s advocate
● Finds fault in all areas of project
management
● Refuses to support project management
unless threatened
● Acts more of a devil than an advocate
● Must be the first one with a new
idea/approach to project management
● Constantly changes topics

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Organizing and Staffing the

Project Office and Team

Before the staffing function begins, five

● Who should be a member of the project

● Alertness and quickness

● Acquire the best available assets and try to

● To resolve all conflicts

● Are feasibility and economic analyses

● What people resources are required?

The responsibilities of the project office

• Ensuring that all work performed is both

● Functional managers must develop a

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