PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MODULE 4 NOTES

Perfecting the Initiation Phase

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Project Management

CONTENTS
1. Introduction 3
2. Initiating and starting up a project 4
3. Project staffing roles and functions 5
4. Project steering committee 6
5. Various management roles within project management 6
6. Leadership in project management 13
7. Human resources management in projects 14
8. Wrap-up 18

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1. INTRODUCTION
The project initiation phase is the first phase of your project management lifecycle. It is the starting phase
of a new project. Let’s look at how you will start your project. To start your project, you receive the brief from
the company, and then you begin defining its objectives, scope, purpose and deliverables you will need to
produce. Assemble your project team, set up your project office and initiate your project planning. You need
to execute your project in various phases. While each project is unique, these phases will be present in every
project, and every product will go through a lifecycle of introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The phases
of a project will start with initiation.
The scope of your project has to be carefully defined, along with the approach you will take to deliver your
desired outputs. As a project manager, you will be appointed and required to select your team members based
on their skills and experience. The most common tools or methodologies you will use in the initiation stage are
the project charter, business plan, project framework (or overview), business case justification, and milestone
reviews.
Critical questions to be considered and answered at this stage relate to risk analysis and the resulting impact
on time, cost and quality, together with potential impact on company resources:
• Determine existing needs or potential deficiencies of existing systems
• Establish system concepts which provide initial strategic guidance to overcome existing or potential
deficiencies
• Determine initial technical, environmental, and economic feasibility and practicability of the system
• Examine alternative ways of accomplishing the system objectives
• Provide initial answers to the questions
• What will the system cost?
• When will the system be available?
• What will the system do?
• How will the system be integrated into existing systems?
• Identify the human and non-human resources required to support the system
• Select initial system designs which will satisfy the system objectives
• Determine initial system interfaces
• Establish a system organisation

Furthermore:
• Identify all human and non-human resources required
• Prepare your final system performance requirements
• Prepare your detailed plans required for supporting the system
• Determine your realistic cost, schedule, and performance requirements
• Define intersystem and intrasystem interfaces
• Determine necessary support sub-systems
• Identify and prepare the documents to support the system, such as policies, procedures, job
descriptions, budget and funding papers, letters, memoranda, and so forth

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Your initiation phase sets the tone for your project and guides your project to stay on course. It sets the
standards and documents the parameters that your project execution has to be measured against, to keep the
project on track.
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
• Define objectives and approaches as it relates to starting up a project
• Describe how to set up your project management team in the initiation phase
• Develop a plan for the initiation process
• Identify your role as the project manager in the initiation phase
• Define roles and functions according to methodologies

2. INITIATING AND STARTING UP A PROJECT

The process of initiating your project must be carefully executed to set your project on the right trajectory. Be
careful, because if your project starts off-target with regards to the objectives, your project execution will be
chaotic, and you will not achieve the outcome of your project. To start up your project, establish the following:
1. The objectives and approach to your project
2. Set up your project management team
3. Draw up your plan for the initiation process
Your initiation and start-up phases can be treated as two phases or as one, as they are closely related. By
issuing a project mandate, for your project, you will trigger the initiation and start-up phases. It can be a formal
or informal process, and the formality will depend on the organisation’s maturity level. A well-defined approach
will ensure that your start-up phase of the project can be more institutionalised and better managed. During
this phase, you, as the project manager, must ensure that the necessary resources are available to execute the
project plan efficiently.
The intention of this phase is, therefore, to create clear objectives, set up a suitable project management team,
identify the project execution approach and to start the planning for the formal start-up of your project.
A more formal approach to the existence of the project occurs as soon as you complete the initiation stage,
and usually, commit resources. Your project board (usually from the programme and portfolio management
function) will have a governance control perspective to the project and will formalise a “Go-No Go” decision for
the project. This decision usually takes place during a project initiation meeting; whereafter you can formally
register your project in the programme office, in the company’s project register. The Project Start-Up Activities
are depicted below.

FIGURE 4.1: PROJECT START-UP ACTIVITIES. SOURCE: BRADLEY (1997)

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The appointment of your project management team is the next step, with the commencement of the work on
the project approach and project brief, following close behind or even in parallel. These latter two documents
will have a major influence on the design of your project management team and identification of the most
appropriate individuals to be appointed. During this stage, your project executive needs close involvement
and interaction with your project team, the reason being that these are the two prime documents, which will
provide the decision support information for the project board members.

3. PROJECT STAFFING ROLES AND FUNCTIONS

Acquiring and procuring staff for your project is one of the most important tasks in your role as a project
manager, as well as the programme management office.
Usually, there will be a contest between functional managers and the project managers for the best resources.
It is thus imperative that you thoroughly understand the design of your project execution structure. You must
also determine which human resources are required at which stage, at what level of competence, how to
engage with them, what the reporting and communication channels are, and defining the command and
control structures.
Below, in Figure 4.2, a description is given of the process of design and acquisition of staff.

FIGURE 4.2: DESIGNING AND APPOINTING A PROJECT TEAM | SOURCE: (BRADLEY, 1997)

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4. PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE

Project governance should be a derivative of the larger corporate governance structures, and hence the
organisation’s management team is responsible for setting up, and supporting the governance structure before
the project initiates its activities and to make sure that you make your key decisions at the right time. You will
accomplish this by the drafting of a document that defines the roles and responsibilities for decision-making
in the project team. The project team is seen here in its broadest terms and includes the stakeholders. The
oversight role for the project gets defined regarding a project steering committee and its high-level operating
rules.
The steering committee, in accordance with the overall corporate governance framework, must then define
the following:

5. VARIOUS MANAGEMENT ROLES WITHIN PROJECT

MANAGEMENT
Various management roles are available within the project management arena. In this lesson, we discuss the
role of the project manager, programme manager and the portfolio manager.
We then describe the responsibilities of a project manager and functions within project management.

The role of the project manager

As a project manager, you carry the responsibility of defining your project as a whole. You, therefore, have
the responsibility and authority to ensure that you deliver your project on time and achieve your goals
according to budget and the required quality standard (within agreed specifications). It is your responsibility
to allocate resources to the project, as well as manage relationships with a wide range of groups (including all
project contributors). Your role will also accept responsibility for managing the work of consulting parties or
consultants. The final responsibility for which you will be held accountable is to allocate and utilise resources in
an efficient manner and maintain a cooperative, motivated and successful team (University of Glasgow, n.d.).

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As a project manager, your role is arguably the most challenging role in the project team. Your challenges
come from the project’s progression through its various lifespan phases, where you must be able to adapt to
the changing demands of your project and your team. It is in these transitions that the foremost role of a project
manager is that of being a leader. Holland and Holland (2010) state that the role of project manager consists of
three dimensions.
Figure 4.3 below (Holland & Holland, 2010) shows these dimensions.

FIGURE 4.3: THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ROLE. SOURCE: HOLLAND AND HOLLAND (2010)

Technical
The technical aspects of your role as the project manager require you to roll up your sleeves and get stuck
into technical issues at a detailed level. During the initiation phase of the project, your team is at its leanest and
sometimes it would be required from you to get involved in progressing the detail of technical issues or else
your project will stall.
You are not required to have technical expertise regarding everyone’s tasks within your project. Appreciation
for all the processes being carried out is required, and you should be able to challenge others confidently, at a
level of informed understanding. The technical requirements would include those activities needed to develop
and complete the project definition, and then to implement the project according to its implementation plan,
controlling the project, and assuring the required quality of delivery (Holland & Holland, 2010).

Transactional
Regarding the transactional dimensions of your role as a project manager, refer to the most traditional activities
of project management. It would entail you being responsible and accountable for the activities associated
with managing your project’s workflows and performance. Such activities would initially include establishing
your project baseline metrics and parameters required, to control the project during the implementation stage.
It is during your project’s initiation phase that the transactional activities would include control, with tasks
such as measurement, data analysis and carry out reporting regularly. In this instance, you will execute your
managerial activities and act foremost as a “manager” (Holland & Holland, 2010).

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Transformational
Regarding the transformational dimension, you get involved with activities concerning leading your team; and
acting as project leader. It would call for your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships. Holland
and Holland (2010) state that project managers should be at their most effective during the initiation phase.
The project is delivered by your team, and therefore regular ongoing team maintenance, development and
motivation are essential activities if your project is to be successful (Holland & Holland, 2010).
Holland and Holland (2010) discuss three dimensions of project management (technical, transactional and
transformational), while the IPMA discusses technical, contextual and behavioural competencies.

The role of the programme manager

The second group that Levine (2006) refers to entails the programme or project group. This group plans and
implements designated projects (Levine, 2006). The group focuses on the successful execution of projects.
In this focus, the role of your programme manager is separate from that of your project manager role. The
programme manager needs to interact with each project manager, to provide support and guidance on the
individual projects.
Furthermore, the programme manager needs to convey the important relationship of each project to the
“bigger picture”, including the larger programme and the organisational performance objectives, to the
individual project managers.
Wideman (2006) touches on similar aspects as found in the Sukad Group’s publications. Reference to the
programme manager being responsible for ensuring that the overall programme structure is made and
programme management processes enable the component teams to complete their work successfully
and that components’ deliverables are integrated into the programme’s end products, services, results and
benefits. The programme manager also ensures that projects are organised and executed consistently and
fulfilled within established standards.
Wideman (2006) argues that the programme manager should have a broad view of both programme
objectives, and organisational culture and processes, leveraging resources among the constituent projects
in the programme, evaluating the total cost of ownership, as well as requirements and configuration
management across projects. To fulfil the specifics of the programme management role, the programme
manager executes an appropriate selection of the following programme management activities (Project
Management Institute (PMI), 1997):
• Visionary leader of the programme to maintain alignment with the organisation’s goals and the
programme’s goals and objectives
• Business development in the area of the programme’s domain, or coordinates that activity with others
• Coordination of the product concept and development of a convincing business case
• Establishing criteria for resource allocation
• Spanning a product’s entire lifecycle, from concept, through multiple projects and operations, and into
product or programme retirement
• Coordinating with product management, if he or she is not responsible for this business process
• Ensuring that the programme efforts remain feasible and the promised benefits are delivered, even as
the business climate changes
• Managing the staging of multiple versions or releases of the programme or programme’s product
• Maintaining executive visibility, support and interest through the extended duration of each programme
• Coordinating the growth, skill and competence development of project managers and team leaders in
the programme
• Demonstration of exemplary team skills, including leadership and team building, influence and
communication
• Directing the efforts of a PgMO to support the abovementioned activities
• Acting as a manager in the abovementioned activities
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A PgMO is helpful in the following areas of the programme:

• Providing management and administrative support
• Coordinating the availability and use of enterprise resources that are not within the programme’s control
• Providing programme accounting for programme control and progress billing
• Providing administrative support to projects, including time tracking, status aggregation and report roll-
ups
• Managing cross-project dependencies within the programme and across other programmes
• Ensuring the use of consistent process, techniques and tools across the projects and sub-projects within
the programme
• Managing contracts, both as a buyer and as a seller; as a seller, managing the relationship with external
customers; and as a buyer, managing subcontracts, where needed

The role of your programme manager is to guide the development of your project team culture and to ensure
that the programme is aligned with organisational goals while following enterprise or portfolio strategy.

The role of the portfolio manager

The reporting, command and control relationships of the portfolio manager role are attributed to managers or
heads of department in respect to each project (Careeronestop.org, 2014). The role may also report to a board
or steering committee in respect of a particular project.
• The roles of your portfolio manager are:
• To provide overall control and coordination for change

To combine strategic and advisory elements, as well as more hands-on management and analysis activities
(Careeronestop.org, 2014)
Key activities include the following:
• Oversee and coordinate change at the office and governance processes
• Provide business analysis input and managing the provision of business analysis services
• Project manage some individual projects within the overall programme
• Be a “critical friend” to those leading and managing change within the organisation
• Provide a quality assurance role to ensure that projects are well managed, and adhere to appropriate
standards and good practice
• Support individual projects by providing advice and guidance regarding project governance,
management and benefits realisation
• Support the process of project prioritisation, approval and initiation, including supplier selection (where
applicable)
• Manage the programme office function
• Manage portfolio level risk for change
• Portfolio level planning and reporting
• Ensure that projects fit into the organisational strategy

The position also involves being part of your overall management team and contributing to the collective
leadership of the team. In a pure state in a very mature organisation, you will require the role of a portfolio
manager. Usually, the portfolio management perspective resides within roles and functions such as those of
project sponsor, client and line manager in the business. The reason for this is that these people and positions
would have the budget for a ten-year strategic plan (Office of Government Commerce (OGC), 2008).

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Responsibilities of a project manager

Your project manager’s responsibilities include the following (Kerzner 2001:167-168):
• Produce the end product with the available resources and within the time, budget, performance and
technology constraints
• Meet contractual profit objectives
• Make all required decisions
• Act as the focal point for communication with the external customer, and internally with senior and
functional management
• Negotiate with functional management for completion of the work packages within the time, budget,
performance and technology constraints
• Resolve all conflicts, if possible

Implicit responsibilities include:

• Interface management
• Resource management, and
• Planning and control management

In carrying out your responsibilities, be constantly aware of the following functions and issues:

Functions within project management

Functions within Project Management entail the elements as discussed below:

1. Project Accounting
Project accounting (sometimes referred to as job cost accounting) is the practice of creating financial reports
specifically designed to track the financial progress of your projects, which you can then use to aid project
management. For monitoring financial progress of organisational elements (geographical or functional
departments, divisions and the enterprise as a whole) over defined time periods (typically weeks, months,
quarters and years) standard accounting is used.
Projects differ in that they frequently cross organisational boundaries, may last for anything from a few days or
weeks to some years, during which time you may revise budgets many times.
They may also be one of a number of projects that make up a larger overall project or programme.
Consequently, in a project management environment, costs (both direct and overhead) and revenues, are also
allocated to projects, which may be subdivided into a work breakdown structure, and grouped together into
project hierarchies. Project accounting permits reporting at any such level that has been defined and often
allows comparison with historical as well as current budgets.

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Government contractors commonly use project accounting, where the ability to account for costs by contract
(and sometimes contract line item, or CLIN) is usually a requirement for interim payments. Percentage-of-
completion is frequently independently assessed by you, the project manager. Funding advances and actual-
to-budget cost variances are calculated using the project budget adjusted to percent-of-completion.
Where labour costs are a significant portion of the overall project cost, it is usually necessary for employees to
fill out a timesheet to generate the data to allocate project costs.
The capital budget processes of corporations and governments are chiefly concerned with major investment
projects, which typically have upfront costs and longer-term benefits. Nett present value assessments are
largely what investment decisions are based on, whether it is a decision to go ahead or not. Project accounting
of the costs and benefits can provide crucially important feedback on the quality of these important decisions.
An interesting specialised form of project accounting is television or film. Costs are tracked on the individual
movie and television episodes to identify film production costs. A movie studio will employ production
accounting to track the costs of its many separate projects.

2. Change Control
Change control is a formal process used to ensure that product, service or process is only modified when in
line with the identified necessary change. It is part of ITIL. It is particularly related to software development
because of the danger of unnecessary changes being introduced without forethought, introducing faults (bugs)
into the system or undoing changes made by other users of the software. Later it became a fundamental
process in quality control. Change "freeze point" was introduced to suspend any further changes until after the
completion of the initial project.
Change control is also formally used where the impact of change could have a severe risk and, or financial
consequence. A typical example of the computer and network environment is upgrading of operating systems,
network routeing tables or the electrical power systems supporting such infrastructure, and then forgetting
changes to the contract itself.
George Grills et al. published a paper which guides the development and implementation of a policy on
the integrity of recordkeeping systems. There are considerable overlap and confusion between change
management, configuration management and change control.
The definition below is not yet integrated with definitions of the others.
Change Control
Change control is a general term describing the procedures used to ensure that changes (normally, but not
necessarily, to IT systems) are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner. Change control is a major
aspect of the broader discipline of change management.
Change is “an event that results in a new status of one or more configuration items (CI's)”.
Change control aims to ensure that all changes are assessed and approved by management before
implementation. Its goals are:
• Minimal disruption to services
• Reduction in back-out activities
• Economic utilisation of resources involved in implementing change

Probably the best way to explain change control is to describe it how we use it today. It comprises of a set of six
steps. Each step may have another process associated with it.
These start with the receipt of the request for change or RFC, or a request for service (RFS):
• Record or classify
• Assess
• Plan

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• Build or test
• Implement
• Close or gain acceptance

Let's take a look at this process in detail:

Six Steps of Change Control

Step 1: Record or classify
You would receive a formal request for something (usually in the client's contract) to be changed, known as the
"change initiation". Someone then records and classifies or categorises that request. Part of the classification
would be to assign a category to the change, i.e. is the change a "major business change", "normal business
change" or "minor business change". The first category would be immediately liable to a CAB (Change Advisory
Board). Then it would be necessary to assign a priority to the change, i.e. "emergency change", "expedited
change" or "normal change". The first would already be completed in reality with the change being done
retrospectively (an emergency CAB may have been involved too).
Step 2: Assess
The second implies that it needs doing within the SLA (service level agreement) times. Here, the impact level
needs to be decided, i.e. is this change going to have a "major", "normal" or "minor" impact on the business. The
first should go to a CAB (Change Advisory Board). The classifier then decides who or whom should be invited
to make an impact assessment. The impact assessor or assessors then make their risk analyses, typically by
answering a set of questions concerning risk, both to the business and to the IT estate, and followed by making
a judgment, on who or whom should carry out the change, typically known as an SDU team (service delivery
unit).
If more than one assessment has been carried out, it should be the job of the change manager or change
administrator to consolidate or summarise these. At this point, they may decide or have it decided by policy to
have the first CAB or Change Advisory Board meeting to ascertain that there is a business justification for the
change. Afterwards, the decision on the technical justification can be carried out. The change is then sent to
the new change owner or CO.
Step 3: Plan
It will be an SDU team that has been identified or pre-identified as having a major role in carrying out this
particular type of change. The SDU's first job is to plan the change in detail, and also construct a regression
plan, if it all goes wrong. The plans and the build should be according to ITIL standards, checked out by an
independent reviewer. Of course, this is optional and would depend on the nature and scope of the change.
Step 4: Build or Test
If their plan is agreed (this could be another CAB), then they will build their solution.
Step 5: Implement
They will then seek approval (and as stated, maybe a review) and request a time and date to carry out the
implementation phase.
They may do this by raising a flag called a request to implement flag (RTI). It is then answered by the change
manager, when approved (by another CAB), with authority to implement flag (ATI). The change can be
implemented but only at the time and date agreed.
Step 6: Close or gain acceptance
Following implementation, it is common practice to carry out a post-implementation review (PIR) which would
take place at another CAB meeting. The change is closed if all is in order. The various CAB meetings would be
one meeting, tasked with looking at all changes in their various phases, and agreeing that they may proceed
or not, as the case may be. The information for the CABs would be obtained by interrogating the forward
schedule of change (a database of the changes).

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Summary
As stated previously, each step may have another process associated with it, as such change control is
contextually specific.
That concludes this section on various roles within project management.

6. LEADERSHIP IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The leader in an organisation may not necessarily be the manager of the organisation. You may be that leader
yourself. A leader is someone who can get things done through others but may not necessarily possess rank,
or have the power of authority (Bellman, Crosby, Glen, Mattus & Phillips, 2013).
Leaders direct things “goalward”, and move others to follow. They conduct activities and talent towards ends.
Leadership, in the project environment, can be seen as the activity of, and ability to, influence and direct team
members’ performance towards the execution of goals crucial to project success. According to the Project
Manager Competency Development Framework (PMCDF): " It is the project manager’s role to lead the project
through the project processes." Leading is especially important in project management given that many times
you, as the project manager, do not have direct authority, yet is charged with the successful realisation of a
project (Bellman, Crosby, Jedd, 2013).
It is important to manage effectively, for example, carry out the necessary functions of budgeting, planning,
organising, evaluating, and controlling (Crawford). However, you can also inspire the efforts of those within
contemporary management structures, such as matrix, virtual teams and self-directed horizontally organised
project units. By leading, you can look forward to improved results, and increased productivity. The challenge
is for you to combine these two areas of competence; to “do things right” and to “do the right thing” (Bennis,
Verma and Wideman, 1994).
In traditional management, hierarchies and bureaucracies, workers are expected to obey in accordance with
their rank, but by coaxing, collaboration and cooperation, people are more likely to perform to their potential,
rather than perfunctorily.
Good leadership consists of motivating people to their highest levels, by offering them opportunities, not
obligations. Leaders have followers; managers have subordinates. A leader’s power is earned through personal
commitment, founded on relationships, and is legitimised via the authority granted willingly, through those
relationships as a matter of consequence (Englund, Bucero & Saladis, 2006).
Leaders have various personal leadership styles. Some basic styles are:

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7. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN PROJECTS

Each activity and stage in your project should have human resources allocated to it. The human resources in a
project team should be multi-disciplinary and must have project management experience, as well as technical
experience.
In this section, we discuss job analysis and job description.
Job Analysis
Several methods may be used that exist individually or in combination when conducting your job analysis.
These include the following:
• Job classification system reviews
• Incumbent interviews
• Supervisor interviews
• Expert panels
• Structured questionnaires
• Task inventories
• Checklists
• Open-ended questionnaires
• Observations
• Incumbent work logs

A typical method of job analysis you could use would be to give the incumbent a simple questionnaire to
identify job duties, responsibilities, equipment used, work relationships, and the work environment. The
completed questionnaire would then be used to assist the job analyst, to draft the job description and, or job
specifications (HR-Guide.com, 2001).
The method of job analysis you choose will depend on practical concerns, such as the type of job, the number
of jobs, the number of incumbents, and the location of the jobs (HR-Guide.com, 2001).
The job analysis should collect information on the following areas:
Duties and tasks:
The basic unit of a job is the performance of specific tasks and duties. Information you will collect about these
items may include frequency, duration, effort, skill, complexity, equipment, standards.
Environment:
This may have a significant impact on the physical requirements of performing a job. The work environment
may include unpleasant conditions, such as offensive odours and temperature extremes. The incumbent may
be exposed to definite risks, such as noxious fumes, radioactive substances, hostile and aggressive people,
and dangerous explosives.
Tools and equipment:
Some duties and tasks are performed using specific equipment and tools. Equipment may include protective
clothing. Specify these items in a job analysis.
Relationships:
This includes supervision given and received, as well as relationships with internal or external people.
Requirements:
The knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job. While an incumbent may have higher
knowledge, skills, and abilities than those required for the job, a job analysis typically only states the minimum
requirements to perform the job (HR-Guide.com, 2001).
The job analysis serves the purpose of determining and documenting the relations between the job to be
done, and employment procedures, such as training, selection, the determination of compensation and
performance reviews.
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Given below is a synopsis of these various employment procedures (HR-Guide.com, 2001).

Procedure Description
Training content (this will affect the choice of a project management
paradigm in relation to the various professional bodies, their
qualifications on offer and the roles that are implied in the use of a
specific methodology)
The job analysis
can be used in
Assessment tests to measure the effectiveness of the training
training/needs intervention
assessment to
identify or develop:
The equipment to be used in delivering the training

The methods that need to be developed to deliver the training (i.e.

small group, computer-based, video, classroom, etc.)

Job duties that should be included in advertisements of vacant

positions

Appropriate salary level for the position to help determine what

salary should be offered to a candidate

The job analysis Minimum requirements (education and/or experience) for

can be used screening applicants
in selection
procedures to Interview questions
identify or develop:
Selection tests/instruments (e.g. written tests, oral tests, job
simulations)

Applicant appraisal/evaluation forms

Orientation materials for applicants/new hires

Skill levels

The job analysis Compensable job factors

can be used in
compensation Work environment (e.g. hazards, attention, physical effort)
to identify or
determine: Responsibilities (e.g. fiscal, supervisory)

Required level of education (indirectly related to salary level)

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Procedure Description
Goals and objectives

The job analysis Performance standards

can be used in
performance Evaluation criteria
review to identify or
develop: Length of probationary periods

Duties to be evaluated

Please take note that the job description can only be drafted after conducting a proper job analysis. The
section below will elaborate on the importance of the job description in staffing project roles (HR-Guide.com,
2001).

Job Descriptions
A job description sets out the purpose of a job, where it fits in the organisation structure, the context within
which the jobholder functions, and the principal accountabilities of jobholders, or the main tasks they have to
carry out (Chapman, 2011).
From the above, you will see that a job description encompasses the following:
• The title of the job in the structure
• The description of the overall purpose of the job, with its accompanying positional title
• The description of the key result areas in which the incumbent of the position must perform. It can be at
such a low level to include tasks (the inclusion of tasks would be at low levels of authority and more for
junior positions)
• The key performance indicators, measures that would be required to establish the level of performance
of the incumbent
• It sets out the communication, command and control relationships regarding the position. It entails the
definition of the line of control, endowing the position with authority and responsibility, thus determining
which decisions can be made autonomously, who controls the position from a superior position, and who
is under the control of the position from a subordinate perspective. It would also entail the definition of
the reporting channels (Chapman, 2011).

You can further see that a job description defines a person's role and accountability. Without a job description,
it is not possible for a person to properly commit to or be held accountable for a role. It is interesting to note
that there is reference to the role of the person occupying the position. It aligns with the concept of the job
family as well (Chapman, 2011).
Chapman (2011) also refers to the differences between job descriptions for companies of various sizes. In the
project context, it would entail that there would be differences between positions on projects. The differences
arise from the complexity of the project, the competence levels of the project management personnel, the
maturity of the organisation in project execution, and the level of task density. The same source refers to the
detail that would be included and allude to writing a job manual, rather than too many cumbersome lists of
tasks in one job description. It would then entail responsibilities being defined, rather than lists of tasks. It also
mentions that not all responsibilities are tied to a single role.
Below is a summary (Chapman, 2011) of the reasons why job descriptions are important.

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The Reasons Why Job Descriptions Are Important

1. It clarifies employer expectations for the employee.
2. It provides the basis of measuring job performance.
3. It provides a clear description of the role for job candidates.
4. It provides a structure and discipline for the company to understand and structure all jobs and ensure that
the necessary activities, duties and responsibilities are covered by one job or another.
5. It provides continuity of role parameters irrespective of manager interpretation.
6. It enables pay and grading systems to be structured fairly and logically.
7. It prevents the arbitrary interpretation of role content and limits by the employee, employer and manager.
8. It is an essential reference tool in issues of employee/employer disputes.
9. It is an essential reference tool for discipline issues.
10. It provides important reference points for training and development areas.
11. It provides neutral and objective (as opposed to subjective or arbitrary) reference points for appraisals,
performance reviews and counselling.
12. It enables the formulation of skill set and behaviour set requirements per role.
13. It enables a factual view (as opposed to instinctual) to be taken by employees and managers in career
progression and succession planning.
14. It enables the organisation to structure and manage roles in a uniform way, thus increasing the efficiency
and effectiveness of recruitment, training and development, organisational structure, work flow and
activities, customer service, etc.
From the summary above, you should find it clear that job descriptions are vital for structuring the organisation.
It was found in the research on organisational structures, with specific reference to the projectised organisation,
that the literature is sparse on the aspect of job descriptions when discussing organisational designs, yet it is
clear that the job description plays a central part in any organisational design.
Furthermore, there was no mention in project management literature, of the process of conducting a job
analysis. It is of concern because complex and large projects are often seen as a temporary organisation, with
ties to the permanent organisation, which would exist for a period, however lengthy it might be. The concern is
that when you plan your team composition, there should be a reference to the complexity of the role.

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8. WRAP-UP

Your project initiation phase is the conceptualisation of the project. The first step in the project initiation phase
is to specify what the project should accomplish. Articulate your customer’s needs adequately, formulate
goals, and objectives should stand out as a significant focus area. This starting point is critical because it is
essential for those who will deliver the product or process, for those who will use that product or process,
and for those who have a stake in the project, to reach agreement on its initiation. The initiation phase is the
first project phase and is the predecessor to project planning. Activities conducted during the Initiation Phase
will eventually be integrated into the various planning documents and will drive planning elements, such as
schedule and budget.
Your product description statement is an informal, high-level statement, contained within the project concept
document, which describes the characteristics of the product or process to be created. What is the purpose,
that the new product or process is intended to serve and what brought about the need for the product or
process? Typically, a product description statement does not have a great deal of detail and will be used as a
basis for building progressively more detailed descriptions, within the Planning Phase. The project feasibility
study is the next document to be followed by the development of a project concept document.
Your project team is responsible for conducting customer, stakeholder, and fact-finding interviews. For the
project feasibility document, your team should hold research and brainstorming sessions to generate the
necessary information. Afterwards, you complete the project concept document and prepare the project
charter. Project team members may also need to complete any ancillary project initiation materials. You (as
project manager), the programme manager and portfolio manager should have a clear job description and
understand your roles in the execution of the project.
The project kick-off meeting is the event that formally marks the beginning of your project. It is most likely the
first opportunity for you to assemble the entire project team to discuss your vision for the project, show support
for the project, and advocate project success. Project team members are introduced to each other and given
the opportunity to discuss their areas of expertise, and how they will contribute to the project. The project
charter is presented and discussed, to foster a mutual understanding of, - and enthusiasm for the project. At
the conclusion of the meeting, project team members will understand their “next steps,” and will leave the
meeting ready and excited to begin work.

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