15964947 programme and project management roles responsibilities job descriptions

8/4/2019 15964947 Programme and Project Management Roles Responsibilities Job Descriptions

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PPM Roles and Responsibilities

File: PPM ROLES RESPONSIBILITIES JOB DESCRIPTIONSStatus: Final Version 1.0Page 1 of 28

PPM ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES JOB DESCRIPTIONS

The following guidance has been produced to help managers understand the specificskills and abilities required for effective Programme and Project management (PPM) inthe Department for Education and Skills and to design and advertise posts to fulfil that

requirement.

Managers will need to adopt a flexible approach when producing jobdescriptions/specifications to ensure that the design of a post reflects the rightemphasis of skills required. Whilst there are some key roles that are recognisable asspecifically relevant to PPM there are others that might also be appropriate inparticular circumstances. When creating a job specification it is necessary to considerwhich of the roles below are appropriate to the particular job required.

To help in the construction of job specifications we have developed a group of roledescriptions that may be combined to form a job specification. The roles we have

identified are:

Career Manager

Resource Manager

Work Manager

Senior Responsible Owner

Programme Board Member

Project Board Member

When combining the roles to create a Job Specification you will need to consider theappropriateness of individual responsibilities within the role and make suitableamendments to suit your own requirements . To illustrate this we have developed thefollowing sample job specifications:

Programme Director

Programme Manager

Project/Strand Manager

Programme Support Office Member

Project Support Office Member

The above specifications, whilst describing a particular primary job role, e.g.Programme Director, may contain elements from a range of other job roles, e.g.Career Manager. This is illustrated by the diagram below:


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Job Specification Roles reflected

Programme Director

Career ManagerResource Manager

Programme BoardProgramme DirectorSenior Responsible Owner

Programme Manager

Career ManagerWork ManagementProgramme Board MemberProgramme Management

Project/Strand Manager

Career ManagerWork ManagerProject Manager

Programme Support OfficeCareer ManagerProject Support

Project Support Office MemberCareer ManagerProject Support


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CAREER MANAGER

Job purpose

Career managers undertake the reporting officer role in consultation with the relevant

work managers. (While the new ways of working do provide for a separation of taskmanagement and people management, it should be noted that the Career Managerin many cases will also be the Work Manager, although over time the roles maybecome separated).

Job specification

As a Career Manager you will be expected to:

Know what the jobholder is doing.

Review and revise the jobholders forward job plan.

Monitor how well the jobholder is getting on at specific points and conductperformance reviews.

Understand the development needs of both the individual and more widelythose of the Project/Programme.

Agree the training and development needs with the individual and formalisethese in the Development and Career Plan.

Assess the evidence and the jobholders performance at the end of thereporting year and finalise FJPAs on jobholders after the final review. CareerManager also has a role to play in discussing performance with the workmanagers and collecting independent evidence either by observation orother means.

Ensure end of year reporting action is completed to timescales (includingcountersigning panel arrangements).

NB: should the jobholder find their time over committed (as might happen whenworking for more than one person) and has been unable to get the Work Manager(s)

to resolve the situation, it is for the Career Manager to initiate the appropriate stepsin discussion with the Work Manager(s) and/or Resource Manager to resolve thesituation. The Career Manager is also arbiter in case of conflict around leave.

Attributes

Career Managers shouldbe able to:

Assess individuals' competence

Feedback performance information constructively and effectively.

Evaluate individual learning needs.


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Identify situations where coaching is appropriate

Regularly review their own training needs and undertake relevantperformance management training or refresher training as appropriate.

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the principles of managing people byvaluing diversity and encouraging and supporting staff.


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RESOURCE MANAGER

Job purpose

Resource Managers develop and advise on work resource allocation. They will

initiate a process in which decisions about the scope of the work and the level ofresources justified to support its delivery are reached in conjunction with others,including the prospective jobholder.

Job specification

As a Resource Manager you will be expected to:

Monitor the relative priority accorded to existing streams of work, theresources deployed to each and have a clear understanding of the skills,experience and knowledge required to undertake the work.

Make recommendations on the relative priority of each new strand of work inrelation to existing priorities.

Arrange for all new strands of work to be properly scoped and with workmanagers for resource assessments to be conducted.

Oversee requests for staffing which may come from a number of differentsources but will all be ultimately channelled through the Resource Manager.

Deploy or recruit the resources that is agreed are justified to support the

delivery of new strands of work.

Ensure mechanisms put in place to manage the assignment of Projects andtasks to individuals are fair and transparent.

Identify gaps in capability, skills or knowledge and suggest strategies to fillthem.

Resource Projects/Programmes without delay, ensuring lead times areaccommodated and provision is made for staff that may require training.

Identify external support as required, e.g. for planning and estimating, withoutthe need for a separate justification.

Make and manage the link between PSA Targets, products and Projects andpriority and staff resource and other running costs, Programme costs, andzero based budgeting.

Attributes

Resource Managers should be able to:

Apply quality management principles and processes


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Apply risk assessment and management principles and processes

Network effectively, negotiate well and influence people, broker relationshipswith stakeholders within and outside the Programme/Project

Be aware of the broader perspective (e.g. links between Projects, links withother Programmes/initiatives) and how this affects the Programme/Project

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the principles of managing people byvaluing diversity and encouraging and supporting staff

Demonstrate an understanding and ability to apply departmental financialprocedures.

Develop strong links and relationship with specialist colleagues re HR andfinance


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WORK MANAGER

Job purpose

Work Managers undertake the line managers /Project Managers /Project Strand

Managers role and are responsible for delivering Project/strand products or ensuringeffective service delivery.

Job specification

As a Work Manager you will be expected to:

Take delivery of the new work and brief the jobholder.

Agree SMART objective(s) with the jobholder for the delivery of that newwork. (SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

Agree with the jobholder what skills levels, including training and developmentneeds may be required to enable the individual to carry out the worksatisfactorily.

Manage the jobholder on a day to day basis, for example agreeing leave,giving feedback, coaching and support and managing performance.

Monitor performance against agreed objectives, record evidence and providea written summary (on FJPA) of how the jobholder has delivered againstagreed objectives and competences for use in quarterly reviews.

Consult with the Career Manager on performance, conduct and disciplinematters, including poor performance and agree appropriate action, wherenecessary.

Tell the Career Manager if there is to be a major change in a jobholdersresponsibilities.

Ensure that the Resource Manager is kept informed at all times of whenresource needs go up or down.

Attributes

Work Managers should be able to:

Assess individuals' competence

Feedback performance information constructively and effectively.

Evaluate individual learning needs.

Identify situations where coaching is appropriate

Regularly review their own training needs and undertake relevant


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performance management training or refresher training as appropriate.

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the principles of managing people byvaluing diversity and encouraging and supporting staff.


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SENIOR RESPONSIBLE OWNER

Job purpose

The Senior Responsible Owner/Project Owner (SRO/PO) is the individual

responsible and accountable for the successful outcome of the Project, that is,achieving the required benefits from the investment.

Job specification

As an SROyou will be expected to:

Develop, and act as custodian for, the Projects vision.

Carry sufficient authority over the deployment of resources.

Define the Projects objectives and provide input to the Project Brief andBusiness Case (including approval of this personally or by the Programme /Project Board).

Own and oversee the preparation of the Business Case and budget for theProject, ensuring that the proposals are realistic and meet business objectives.

Ensure that a Brief is developed which reflects the Project objectives clearly andis agreed by stakeholders.

Approve the Business Case, Programme / Project Brief and, where appropriate,Project Initiation Document (PID). In PRINCE2 a specific document which isproduced to enable a Project Board to take the decision whether or not to start aProject.

Establish an appropriate organisation structure and effective communicationprocesses

Ensure that the users and other stakeholders are involved in and are committedto the Project

Provide terms of appointment, adequate resources and necessary support forProgramme Director, Programme Manager or Project Manager (as appropriate)

Agree the management approach to be applied to the Programme / Projectincluding for example, the reporting and control mechanisms, escalationprocesses etc.

Ensure that the mandatory Gateway review process is followed and beresponsive to the recommendations of Gateway and other Health check reviews.


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Ensure that changes in circumstances affecting the Programme / Project areevaluated and appropriate action is taken

Approve changes to the scope of the Programme / Project, ensuring that anyimpact on time, cost or quality are assessed and reported to the Investment

Decision Maker

Monitor and control the business change at a strategic level

Approve progress to date and plan for further activities at agreed Projectmilestones throughout the Programme / Project

Provide advice and input as required throughout the Programme / Project

Ensure policy is coherent with delivery

Ensure that Projected benefits have been realised or that long term evaluation ofpolicy impact is included in future corporate planning

Resolve issues affecting successful delivery particularly those relating to costescalation and delayed delivery, referring major issues upwards as necessary.

Act as an arbiter on any disputes which occur on the client side

Ensure that a post Project review or post implementation review is carried outand considered by all users and key stakeholders (including identification oflessons learned both during and on completion of the Project).

Sign-off the Programme/Project Exit Strategy

Sign-off the Programme/Project Closure Report

Attributes

The SRO should be able to:

Take responsibility for ensuring that quality management principles and

processes are applied

Apply risk assessment and management principles and processes

Network effectively, negotiate well and influence people, broker relationshipswith stakeholders within and outside the Programme

Be aware of the broader perspective (e.g. links between Projects, links withother Programmes/initiatives) and how this affects the Programme

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the principles of managing people by valuingdiversity and encouraging and supporting staff.


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PROGRAMME BOARD MEMBER

Job Role

Programme Board Members provide support to the SRO in relation to directional

input and decision making for the Programme to ensure:

That the Programme delivers the desired outcome presented in its BusinessCase and/or Programme Brief;

That all Programme-level risks are assessed and effectively managed i.e.that where required effective counter-measures are developed and deployedand, that suitable contingency plans are put in place for all highimpact/probability risks and deployed when/where necessary; and,

That Programme level issues are identified and effectively managedout/down.

Job Specification

As a Programme Board Member you will be required / expected to:

Approve the High Level Programme plan (defining content) and authorisedeviation from it.

Approve the Programme Brief and any Definition Documents

Approve of the Business Requirements Catalogue, if appropriate

Consider the allocation of time and resources necessary to meeting theProgramme objectives.

Confirm Programme tolerances (budget, time and quality)

Manage Programme Risks i.e. to both assess risks (i.e. barriers to deliveryand risks of success) and ensure that all identified risks are managedeffectively and efficiently by ensuring:

o that suitable counter-measures are developed and deployed to reducelikelihood and/or impact of risk; and,

o that where required - i.e. for high impact probability risks suitable

contingency plans re; identified risk/s are put in place and deployed toreduce impact of risk if/when it materialises.

Ensure that the required resources are committed for each phase andarbitrate on any conflicts within the Programme or negotiate a solution to anyproblems between the Programme and external bodies also ensure thatresources required to manage risks and issues are identified/agreed andsourced.

Review each completed Phase and approve progress to the next

Quality Assure high level strategic products, including consideration of

feedback during any consultation exercise and agree action as necessary.Approve changes to the Programme scope and timescales


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Assist the Programme Manager and SRO in the resolution of issues and risksescalated to him/her

Comply with any Departmental directives or standards affecting theProgramme

Provide assurance that all Programme Deliverables have been deliveredsatisfactorily

Provide assurance that all Acceptance Criteria have been met; ensuringimplementation includes appropriate handling of equal opportunities issues.

Decide the recommendations for follow-on actions and transfer these toappropriate authorities

Ensure that the views of the Working Groups and steering committees areconsidered and where appropriate used to direct the Programme

Ensure that internal and external communications are effective

Oversee the evaluation arrangements for Projects.

Approve the Programme Exit Strategy

Approve the Programme Closure Report

Attributes

Programme Board members should be able to:

Understand Programme plans and monitor progress against these

Understand and act on those factors that affect the successful delivery of theProgramme

Ensure that quality management principles and processes are applied

Broker relationships with stakeholders within and outside the Programme

Provide delegated authority, as required, to ensure the Programme meets itsobjectives

Be aware of the broader perspective, including equality and diversity issues,and how they affect the Programme.


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PROJECT BOARD MEMBER

Job Purpose

Project Board members will usually be appointed by the SRO/PO, with specific remit

to assist in decision-making and on-going progress of the Project. Their primaryfocus is on process and delivery issues, as opposed to the strategic content role of aProgramme Board.

Job Specification

Project Board members are responsible for:

Appointing the Project Sponsor/Project Director (and Project Manager, where

these roles are combined) and agreeing his/her remit and delegated authority

Signing off the Project Brief and Project Initiation Document or equivalentAgreeing all major plans

Authorising any major deviations from the agreed stage plans

Signing off the completion of each stage, including the Deliverables, and

giving approval to start the subsequent stage

Communicating information about the Project to the organisation(s) and

stakeholder groups as necessary

Ensuring that the required resources are available

Resolving any conflicts escalated by the Project team, client or supplier

Agreeing the Project tolerances for time, quality and cost

Providing overall strategic guidance for the Project

The risk(s) associated with the Project

The quality assurance for the Project

Providing advice and direction to the Project Sponsor/Project Director

Approving the end Project report and the lessons learned report

Ensuring that a post implementation review (or post Project review) is

scheduled and takes place

Resolving deviations from plans or escalating as necessary

Resolving conflicts between Project team, end users and suppliers or

escalating as necessary

Ensuring coherence across the wider Programme if appropriate.

Approving Project Exit Strategy

Approving Project Closure Report

Attributes

Project board members should be able to:


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Understand Project plans and monitor progress against plans

Understand and act on those factors that affect the successful delivery of the

Project

Broker relationships with stakeholders within and outside the Project

Provide delegated authority, as required, to ensure the Project meets its

objectives

Be aware of the broader perspective (including equality and diversity issues)

and how it affects the Project.

Notes

The Project Board is set up by the SRO/PO and Project Sponsor (or ProjectSponsor/Project Manager where these roles are combined) during the start up of the

Project and should be confirmed by corporate management.

Membership of the Project Board should include individuals who represent thosesenior managers who have an interest in the Project and whose activities will beaffected by the Project. There should also be a representative for the end users topromote their concerns and interests. In addition, a senior representative of thesuppliers can be invited to the board to provide their perspective and expertise.Depending on the nature of the Project other peoples expert opinion may be soughtto provide input to decisions made by the SRO/PO as the Boards executive. Forexample, the views of corporate or Programme management, Audit, technicalspecialists (i.e. procurement or commercial), legal advisors, other key stakeholders

(perhaps from other Departments) may be required. However, it is important to notethat the core membership of the Board should be: the SRO/PO as executive, thestakeholder representative and a senior technical expert, typically from the supplier.

The frequency of Project Board meetings should be appropriate to the scale andcomplexity of the Project. However, the Project Board members, particularly theSRO/PO, should be accessible to the Project Sponsor (or combined role of ProjectSponsor/Project Manager) throughout the Project as required.


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PROGRAMME DIRECTOR

Job Purpose

The Programme Director is normally the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the

Programme. Where this is not the case, the SRO, whilst retaining accountability forthe Programme, can delegate responsibility to the Programme Director to providethe interface between Programme ownership and delivery. They are the client siderepresentative who acts as a single focal point of contact with the ProgrammeManager for the day-to-day management of the interests of the organisation. TheProgramme Director is responsible for ensuring that the desired Programmeobjectives are delivered. The person in this role must have adequate knowledge andinformation about the business and the Programme to be able to make informeddecisions.

Job specification

The Programme Director is responsible for:

Developing, and acting as custodian for, the Programmes vision.

Defining the Programmes objectives and providing input to the BusinessCase.

Ensuring an appropriate Programme management framework is in place,incorporating the Gateway review process if required.

Securing resources and expertise from the client organisation as required, forexample, appointing professional advisers to support the Programme Directorrole.

Overseeing value management strategy.

Appraising and managing risks to the Programme.

Acting as sole point of contact with Programme Manager.

Co-ordinating and fostering teamwork.

Managing the Programme Managers performance of delegated responsibility.

Establishing formal reporting arrangements on Programme progress.

Defining criteria for control and management of the Programme.

Assisting the Programme Manager in the resolution of problems.

Receiving and reviewing detailed reports on the Programme from the

Programme Manager.


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Ensuring the Programme Manager receives Departmental decisions on time.

Establishing with the Programme Manager a common approach to majorissues that arise.

Establishing a mechanism to ensure regular dialogue with contractors topromote problem solving, team working and risk-sharing.

Key Skills

Encouraging Innovation and Managing Change: You will be able to applyinterpretative and creative thinking in relation to the scope of the Programme anddemonstrate a proactive and enthusiastic approach to embedding this in practice.You will be able to adapt and deal with situations and manage expectations duringperiods of change, especially in the eyes of the Programme'scustomers/stakeholders. You will also be able to take account of the broader

perspective (including equality and diversity issues) and how it affects theProgramme and wider priorities.

Working Together: You will be able to broker relationships with stakeholderswithin and outside the Programme and demonstrate the sensitivities required tobalance and resolve the tensions in working with a wide range of contacts (bothinternally and externally at senior levels). You will preserve the Programmes keyobjectives through effective consultation and negotiation to achieve the rightperspective and the required outcomes.

Achieving and Improving: You will take personal responsibility for successfuldelivery of the Programme, ensuring that it is scoped, planned, implemented andevaluated within the parameters of the Department for Education and Skills PPMguidance. You will maintain a key strategic focus by effectively identifying,analysing and prioritising risks/issues external to the Programme and reconcilingthese with internal priorities. You will also provide delegated authority, as required,to ensure the Programme meets its objectives and achieves the right balancebetween quality, time, cost and risk. You will challenge where necessary tocontinuously improve working methods, systems and processes.

Communicating Effectively: You will be able toeffectively represent theProgramme and explain its purpose/benefits to the Department clearly andpositively to internal and external customers/stakeholders. You will alsodemonstrate an understanding of the broader and strategic context of theProgramme and be able to interpret, influence and apply that into effectiveoutcomes. You will need to often persuade stakeholders/customers to accept aparticular way forward, sometimes dealing with resistance and negotiating toreach an agreed way forward.

Leading and Managing Others: You will demonstrate personal commitment,leadership and involvement throughout the Programme as a champion. You willbe able to draw upon the various skills and talents of different people both within

and outside the Programme to achieve its Deliverables. You will communicate aclear vision of the future direction and role of the Programme and provide


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constructive and positive support when things go wrong so that lessons can belearned and improvements made. You will demonstrate a thorough knowledge ofthe principles of managing people by valuing diversity and encouraging andsupporting staff to ensure the Department for Education and Skills agenda istaken forward.


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PROGRAMME MANAGER

Job Purpose

The Programme Manager leads the Programme Support Office and is responsiblefor the ongoing health of the Programme management mechanisms and ensuringthat the Programmes progress towards the delivery of the expected outcomes ismonitored. They ensure the coherence of the Programme, and develop and maintainthe appropriate environment to support each individual Project within it.

Job Specification

As a Programme Manager you will be expected to:

Plan the Programme and monitor its overall progress, resolving issues andinitiating corrective action as appropriate.

Be responsible for the Quality Assurance and overall integrity of the

Programme - focusing inwardly on the internal consistency of the Programme;

and outwardly on its coherence with infrastructure planning, interfaces with

other Programmes and corporate technical and specialist standards.

Manage both the dependencies and the interfaces between Projects.

Manage the Programme's budget on behalf of the Programme Director,

monitoring the expenditures and costs against delivered and realised benefits

as the Programme progresses.

Facilitate the appointment of individuals to the Project management teams.

Ensure that the delivery of new products or services from the Projects is to the

appropriate levels of quality, on time and within budget, in accordance with

the Programme plan.

Ensure that there is efficient allocation of common resources and skills within

the Project portfolio.

Manage third party contributions to the Programme as appropriate.


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Ensure effective Communication with all stakeholders.

Ensure that the risks to the Programme's successful outcome are managed.

Initiate extra activities wherever gaps in the Programme are identified.

Report progress of the Programme at regular intervals to the Programme

Director (typically reporting to the Programme Director or SRO).

Ensure that the benefits of the Programme activities are identified and

measured

Manage the knowledge transfer within the Programme.

Key Skills

Encouraging Innovation and Managing Change: Using Project managementand creativity techniques, you will ensure the Department is capable of achievingthe change required by the Programme. You w ill be committed to challenging thestatus quo and look for new and better ways of delivering the Departmentsbusiness. You will be able to apply interpretative and creative thinking in relationto the scope of the Programme and demonstrate a proactive and enthusiasticapproach to embedding this in practice. You will be able to adapt and deal withsituations and manage expectations during periods of change, especially in theeyes of the Project's customers/stakeholders. You will also be able to takeaccount of the broader perspective and how it affects the individual Projects andwider Programme priorities.

Working Together: You will be able to create a shared sense of purpose andcommitment amongst the disparate members of Project teams through networkingand sharing best practice across the Programme. You will be able to secure activestakeholder management/ownership of the Programme and broker relationshipsat all levels. You will demonstrate the sensitivities required to balance and resolve

the tensions in working with a wide range of contacts (both internally andexternally at senior levels). You will preserve the Programmes key objectivesthrough effective consultation and negotiation to achieve the right perspective andthe required outcomes.

Achieving and Improving: You will take personal responsibility for successfulmanagement of the Programmes portfolio of Projects and for ensuring these arefocussed on delivery of the required capabilities. You will actively co-ordinate theProgrammes components, the relationship with other Programmes and theinterface to business strategy. Your ability to manage the expectations of seniorcustomers on the Programme Board will be key to successful delivery of the

Programme. You will demonstrate your understanding of budgetary control andresource allocation procedures and ensure the Programme is scoped, planned


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implemented and evaluated within the parameters of the Department forEducation and Skills PPM guidance. You will maintain a key strategic focus byeffectively identifying, analysing and prioritising risks/issues external to theProgramme and reconciling these with internal priorities. You will also providedelegated authority, as required, to ensure the Programme meets its objectives

and achieves the right balance between quality, time, cost and risk. You willchallenge where necessary to continuously improve working methods, systemsand processes.

Communicating Effectively: You will be able toeffectively represent theProgramme and explain its purpose/benefits to the Department clearly andpositively to internal and external customers/stakeholders. You will alsodemonstrate an understanding of the broader and strategic context of the Projectand be able to interpret, influence and apply that into effective outcomes. You willneed to often persuade stakeholders/customers to accept a particular wayforward, sometimes dealing with resistance and negotiating to reach an agreed

way forward.

Leading and Managing Others: You will effectively deploy leadership qualitiesand management skills to ensure that the Programme stays on track. You will beable to effectively draw upon the various skills and talents of different people bothwithin and outside the Programme to achieve its Deliverables. You willcommunicate a clear vision of the future direction and role of the Programme andprovide constructive and positive support when things go wrong so that lessonscan be learned and improvements made. You will demonstrate a thoroughknowledge of the principles of managing people by valuing diversity andencouraging and supporting staff to ensure the Department for Education agenda

is taken forward.

Notes

On large and complex Programmes it may be appropriate to appoint otherindividuals with specific management roles that are listed above, for example a riskmanager, a communication manager, a benefits realisation manager or a financialmanager, and these may also operate as cross cutting Projects reporting in at aProgramme level.

Ideally the Programme Manager will not have delivery responsibilities as there is asignificant risk that delivery pressures will result in a reduction in Programmemanagement activity and thus a loss of cohesion and control within the Programme.


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PROJECT/STRAND MANAGER

Job purpose

Project/strand Managers are responsible for delivering the required outputs or

Deliverables detailed in the Project plan.

Job specification

As aProject/Strand Manager you will be expected to:

Plan and manage the Project/strand from outset to closure, including co-ordinating and justifying Business Case development to stakeholders.

Develop and manage a Project plan, to support the activity, resources andinterdependencies.

Encourage the identification of risks and issues and ensure that these areassessed and appropriately managed.

Develop and manage the budget and benefits realisation across theProject/strand including quality.

Take the lead in managing relationships including internal and external teammembers, stakeholders and Sponsors / Project Board.

Report progress and direct communications for the Project/strand.

Identify and resolve issues and manage Project/Strand risks, including thedevelopment of contingency plans

Ensure that the right people, with the right skills, are secured for the right roleswithin the Project/Strand.

Manage the production of the required Deliverables

Adopt any delegation and use of Project assurance roles within agreedreporting structures

Liaise with Programme management (if the Project/Strand is part of aProgramme) and related Projects to ensure that work is neither overlookednor duplicated

Oversee overall progress and use of resources, initiating corrective actionwhere necessary

Implement change control and any required configuration management

Report through agreed reporting lines on Project/Strand progress through

highlight reports and stage assessments


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Liaise with appointed Project assurance roles to assure the overall directionand integrity of the Project

Identify and obtain any support and advice required for the management,planning and control of the Project/Strand

Manage Project administration

Conduct end Project/strand evaluation to assess how well the Project wasmanaged and prepare an end-Project report (including lessons learnedreport/preparation of any follow-on action recommendations as required)

Key Skills

Encouraging Innovation and Managing Change: You will enjoy developingand implementing new ideas. This will involve challenging existing processes and

introducing approaches to improve the quality of Project outcomes andDeliverables. You will actively encourage and support creativity in the ProjectSupport Office members you manage. You will have the ability to analyse thefuture impact of new ideas by taking a big picture approach to strategicallyposition the Project within the Department. You respond positively to change andare able to work flexibly across a range of Project strands. You will also have theability to anticipate, control and implement a process of change when necessary.

Working Together: You will be able to develop effective relationships with keyProject stakeholders and customers through consultation, advice, facilitation ofdiscussion and resolution of conflict. You will work and consult with

internal/external contacts in a constructive and helpful way, offering advice, asappropriate to achieve Project milestones. This will involve developingrelationships with key Project stakeholders to establish trust, credibility andrespect.

Achieving and Improving: You will be able to effectively deploy Projectmanagement tools and techniques within the context of the Department forEducation PPM guidance to schedule, plan, track and correct Projectperformance. You will also understand how to obtain and ensure quality results(or products) for total customer satisfaction, including accurately assessinginternal/external Project risks and developing contingency and mitigation plans.Where appropriate, you will challenge accepted practices which may inhibit thequality and timeliness of Project Deliverables and implement acceptable solutionswhich meet customer /stakeholder needs. You actively learn from yourexperiences and regularly monitor customer service and act on feedback.

Communicating Effectively: You will be able tocommunicate effectively inwriting and orally. You will have the ability to translate complex informationincluding business requirements and produce detailed summaries, includinghighlight reports. You will use a variety of communications methods to provideinformation in a way that is accessible and easily understood. You will need to

influence and persuade stakeholders/customers to accept a particular way


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forward, sometimes dealing with resistance to the proposals.

Leading and Managing Others: You will be able to direct, manage andmotivate the Project team, set achievable objectives and take responsibility formaking decisions and for providing constructive feedback. You will have the

ability to assemble a Project team which has the right mix of skills, coach teammembers and plan and manage the deployment of resources to meet Projectmilestones. You will and will understand and know how to share informationeffectively and delegate where appropriate. You will demonstrate a thoroughknowledge of the principles of managing people by valuing diversity andencouraging and supporting staff to ensure the Department for Education agendais taken forward.


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PROGRAMME SUPPORT OFFICE MEMBER

Job Purpose

Programme Support Office members are the central resources in aProgramme who

control the Programme management process (management of plans, risks andissues, servicing of the Project board, etc) on behalf of the Programme Manager.

Job Specification

As a Programme Support Officeryou will be expected to:

Provide day-to-day administrative support for Programme activities with aspecialism in one or more of the following: change control, qualitymanagement, risk and issue management, Project knowledge andreporting (for example, Programme Board meetings).

Gather, and evaluate information to reach sound decisions and providecomplete and accurate presentations or reports.

Provide effective configuration management services to the Programme,ensuring that decisions are recorded, risks and issues documented andplans are maintained.

Understand current and future business requirements.

Understand and manage the Approvals/Gateway process.

Identify, track and evaluate the realisation of business benefits andmonitor and maximize benefits on an ongoing basis.

Understand business requirements, translate and present them in astructured format and articulate them to key stakeholders.

Understand the cost/benefit assumptions in relation to the Programme.This will include appraisal of available options to make recommendationson the most feasible one through a Business Case.

Translate complex information including business requirements andproduce detailed summaries, including highlight reports.

Assess the impact and implications of decisions on other parts of theorganisation including people, process and technology and determine theeffects of your own and others work within this broad context.

Understand and implement Programme plans, monitor progress againstthem and identify any deviation.

Articulate policy clearly, enabling underlying assumptions to be understood

and tested so that the Project can achieve its objectives. Understanding ofthe impact of policy on Programme delivery and operations.


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Working knowledge and previous experience of PRINCE 2 methodology

Identify what is to be assured and establish a quality approach for theProgramme using accepted methodology. This will include applyingquality management techniques with capacity for ongoing evaluation and

amendment if required.

Identify and evaluate likely risks and obstacles and design, operate andmonitor systems to mitigate them. Manage business continuity

Identify, track and manage scope. Able to analyse and evaluate impact ofproposed changes on scope and report findings and solutions. Proactivelymanages changes to Deliverables, timescales, budgets etc.

Establish and oversee relationships with all stakeholders. This will includeidentifying their requirements and concerns and managing expectations

and pressures and producing a Stakeholder Communication Plan.

Establish Programme Management Office. Provide and monitor day-to-daysupport for Programme activities with a specialism in one or more of thefollowing: change control, quality management, risk and issuemanagement, Project knowledge and reporting (for example, ProjectBoard meetings)

Ability to use product-based approach to planning and define Programmesteps and outcomes, scope out length and difficulty and establish plans,milestones and priorities. Implements plans, monitor progress and takes

action to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Experience of usingstandard software (e.g. Microsoft Project, PMW, Primavera) and tools,(e.g. Gantt, PCN) to capture, monitor and evaluate Programme progressagainst the plan.

Key Skills

Encouraging Innovation and Managing Change: You will enjoy challengingexisting processes and introducing new approaches to make Projects moremanageable/support better delivery. You respond positively to change and are

able to work flexibly across a range of Programme strands, progressing work inconjunction with the Programme Manager. You will also have the ability to controland implement a process of change when needed and to document and trackemerging issues.

Working Together: You will be able to work and consult with internal/externalcontacts at a range of levels in a constructive and helpful way, offering advice, asappropriate to achieve Project milestones. This will involve developingrelationships with key Project stakeholders to establish trust, credibility andrespect.

Achieving and Improving: You will be able to use Project management toolsand techniques within the context of the Department for Education PPM guidance


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to schedule, plan, track and correct Programme performance. You will alsounderstand how to obtain and ensure quality results (or products) for totalcustomer satisfaction. This will include accurately assessing internal/externalProject risks, developing contingency/mitigation plans and where appropriate,challenging accepted practices which may inhibit the quality and timeliness of

Programme Deliverables.

Communicating Effectively: You will be able tocommunicate effectively inwriting and orally. You will co-ordinate clear highlight/status reports thatdemonstrate your understanding of the key issues surrounding the Programme.You will use a variety of communications methods to provide information in a waythat is accessible and easily understood. You will need to influence and persuadestakeholders/customers to accept a particular way forward, sometimes dealingwith resistance to the proposals.

Leading and Managing Others: You will be able to motivate other Programme

Support Office members, set achievable objectives and take responsibility forproviding constructive feedback. You will value diversity and encourage andsupport staff to ensure the Department for Education agenda is taken forward.


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PROJECT SUPPORT OFFICE MEMBER

Job purpose

Project Support Office members are responsible for delivering the required outputs

or Deliverables detailed in the Project plan under the direction of the Project orStrand Manager.

Job specification

As aProject Support Office Member you will be expected to:

Assist the Project manager in delivering the Projects objectives by completingspecific Project tasks as required, for example creating and or maintaining plansand logs, or developing a specific set of products for the Project, e.g. produceguidance.

Provide technical expertise in support of Project objectives as specified by theProject Manager for example in the use of MS Project software not sure aboutthis not every team member will be expected to provide this. A good Projectteam will always have someone who can operate MSP well but all team membersshould be able to understand the Gantt chart. Perhaps it would be better to saybe able to apply sound Project management awareness to the control of yourarea of activity within the team and be able to read and understand standardProject documentation.

Provide administrative support to the Project Manager as appropriate

Advise the Project Manager if you identify any risks that are likely to affectdelivery of the Projects objectives and to be part of the risk management process

Provide information for Project documentation as required/ maintain the Projectdocumentation in line with the Project quality plan

Provide timely, open and honest feedback to the Project Manager in relation toprogress, risks and issues.

Key Skills

Encouraging Innovation and Managing Change: You will enjoy challengingexisting processes and introducing new approaches to make Projects moremanageable/support better delivery. You respond positively to change and areable to work flexibly across a range of Project strands, progressing work inconjunction with the Project Manager. You will also have the ability to control andimplement a process of change when needed and to document and trackemerging issues.

Working Together: You will be able to work and consult with internal/external

contacts at a range of levels in a constructive and helpful way, offering advice, asappropriate to achieve Project milestones. This will involve developing


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relationships with key Project stakeholders to establish trust, credibility andrespect.

Achieving and Improving: You will be able to use Project management toolsand techniques within the context of the Department for Education PPM guidance

to schedule, plan, track and correct Project performance. You will alsounderstand how to obtain and ensure quality results (or products) for totalcustomer satisfaction. This will include accurately assessing internal/externalProject risks, developing contingency/mitigation plans and where appropriate,challenging accepted practices which may inhibit the quality and timeliness ofProject Deliverables.

Communicating Effectively: You will be able tocommunicate effectively inwriting and orally. You will produce clear highlight/status reports that demonstrateyour understanding of the key issues surrounding the Project. You will use avariety of communications methods to provide information in a way that is

accessible and easily understood. You will need to influence and persuadestakeholders/customers to accept a particular way forward, sometimes dealingwith resistance to the proposals.

Leading and Managing Others: You will be able to motivate other ProjectSupport Office members, set achievable objectives and take responsibility forproviding constructive feedback. You will value diversity and encourage andsupport staff to ensure the Department for Education agenda is taken forward.