Forming a Project Team

Forming a
Project Team

www.maventraining.co.uk І 020 7089 6161

What is a Project?
“A unique, transient endeavour
undertaken to achieve a desired
outcome” APMBok, 5th Edition

• A project is a one-off and special arrangement used by any
endeavour(business, organisation, department etc.) to effect
a necessary change – a project approach is used where
existing day-to-day practices (operations/’business as usual’)
are not appropriate.
• Projects are seen to ‘deliver’ something into the endeavour’s
current situation such that it: solves a problem, addresses
strategic/tactical objectives, addresses an opportunity or
executes mandatory or ‘must-do’ work. The ‘deliverables’ are
used to effect the change leading to benefits.

2 © Maven Training 2011 www.maventraining.co.uk І 020 7089 6161

What is a Project?

• Project type change is typified as:
• Unique – one-off in the current time-frame
• Temporary – they start and end (whereas business as
usual is continuous)
• Deliver change – ‘deliver’ something different to business
as usual
• Cross-functional – need resources, skills, decision-making
effort from and affect a wide range of individuals, groups
and stakeholders not normally connected
• Having (increased)uncertainty – by definition a change has
more risk than no change


Who should be involved in your Project?
In designing and forming a project team
it is useful to consider the different

BUSINESS
‘interests’ in the change…
• BUSINESS interests
• Desire the change to meet a
DELIVERABLE
OUTPUT USERS

need (solve a problem, deliver PRODUCT

strategy, exploit an opportunity,

PROVIDERS
meet compliance)
• Commission/approve,
govern/direct, resource/fund and
expect value (benefits)


Who should be involved in your Project?
• USER interests
• Operate/use the deliverable DELIVERABLE -
also known as the
and directly/indirectly deliver the value the project’s OUTPUT,
or PRODUCT
business interest is seeking
• Need to support, maintain or ‘own’ the deliverable
• Are impacted by the change
• PROVIDER (Supplier) interests
• Technical specialist resources, skills to make the
deliverable
• Supplies capacity and capability to do the ‘work’
• Design and build deliverable to satisfy user interests


What ‘roles’ need filling?
Each of the ‘three interests’ needs
appropriate representation; a
common project management team
model is shown on the right

BUSINESS INTEREST - SPONSOR/PROJECT BOARD EXECUTIVE
• Ultimately accountable, yes/no to key go/no-go decisions, has
authority/seniority to direct programme on behalf of
‘sponsoring group’, leads team, approves all defining and
managing documents, plans and strategies, aligns with
strategy, overall benefit realisation. One individual.



USER INTEREST - SENIOR USER(S)
• Represents and states
needs/requirements of user
community, approve ‘design’
and accepts deliverables,
ensures benefits can be, and
are, realised for the SPONSOR,
support SPONSOR in decision
making. Can be one or more
individuals (to represent varied
USER groups)



PROVIDER(Supplier) INTEREST - SENIOR SUPPLIER(S)
• Commits Project Team
resources to work for Project
Manager and who creates
deliverable to meet SENIOR
USER ‘fitness for purpose’
requirements, technical
design authority, supports
SPONSOR in decision making.
Can be one or more
individuals (to represent
varied PROVIDERs)



PROJECT MANAGER
• ‘Agent’ of SPONSOR to
manage change on their
behalf, facilitates others,
plans, delegates and
monitors work, organises
and handles day-to-day
work (proactive and
reactive). One individual.


Who should be appointed to project roles?

Overarching considerations for any appointment to a role are:
• Availability (at the time the project requires them)
• Competence – knowledge, skills (technical and ‘soft’), behavioural
• Viewpoint/perspective – will this support or conflict with the role?
• Credibility – especially for Project Board roles
• Appropriate authority – at the level appropriate to their role, either
this comes with their business as usual ‘job’ or is given to them by
the project – in the latter case it is important that others they work
with can, and will, respect this temporary status
Other considerations for appointing the right individuals:
• The nature of the project
• The nature of the environment


Appointing roles – the nature of the project
• An appropriate and complete project mandate/Project Brief is essential
input to the design of and appointment of individuals to project team
roles.
• Understanding the objectives, scope, expected deliverables / output /
product, desired outcome / benefits and risks, interfaces with other
change (projects, programmes) and users affected will highlight:
• Project importance and hence levels of authority (and experience) required
• Capacity/capability demanded and that available (what competence is needed, and
where do we resource the roles from – in-house or bought-in?)
• Novelty or uncertainty of the work –guidance or ‘assurance’ roles may be required
to supplement appointments unfamiliar with the nature of the project
• Scale and complexity – may require breaking down roles into sub-roles to manage
this more easily, or changing roles over time as the project evolves
• Project management style/method – use of standard or special management
methods demands that knowledgeable and experienced individuals are used


Appointing roles – the nature of the environment

• Your organisation is unique – some of the factors listed below may drive
team design and hence appointment of roles to your project:
• Project management maturity and experience – is capability/capacity
available?, using embedded staff or hiring in?
• ‘Connectedness’ of the project – if part of a programme or wider portfolio,
roles might be filled from higher level programmes/portfolio structures (and
this could be demanded by your organization)
• Customer/client base– internal/external? Multi-customer? Representation
for users needs to be appropriate for those who are ‘down-stream’/remote
• Language/geography – some roles may need to be equipped, or positioned,
to work locally/remotely from the ‘action’ and with necessary competence to
engage with users/suppliers appropriately with local language/style
• Governance and corporate standards – demands for compliance with and
consistent application of governance/standards may demand role
appointments to assure these, or to have experience of working with them
• Culture – how we ‘do things around here’ – may dictate decisions for
appointments to meet ‘style’ of users, business and supplier interests


Checklist one- key characteristics of board roles

• Board roles are primarily aimed at DIRECTION of the project,
characteristics of appointees should include:
• Willing and able to take on accountability for the
success/failure of the project from their perspective (‘interest’)
• Have appropriate authority – give direction, approve strategies
and plans, commit resources (in their ‘interest’ area)
• Provide unified direction and delegate to the Project Manager
• Work together with other board ‘interests’ to seek consensus,
and pragmatic and realistic agreements and solutions
• Adequately represent the needs of those in their ‘interest’
• Leadership. influence and negotiation
• Act as the ‘voice of the project’ to upward and outward
stakeholders


Checklist two - key characteristics of other roles
Project Manager role is focused on Project Team roles are focussed on
MANAGING the project DELIVERY
• Can exert authority given by SPONSOR • Can exert authority given by Project Manager
• Works with board – ‘leads up’, appropriate • Technical and specialist knowledge and skills -
reporting, offers challenge and options related to the deliverable(s) in their work
• Delegation – to Team Manager and Team • Plans, monitors and manages delivery
Member roles resources ‘down stream’ where appropriate
• Organised – planning, monitoring (cost, • Many characteristics are similar to Project
time, scope, quality, risk and benefits); Manager’s
maintains information and data records — Organised around their or their resources
• People skills work
— People skills
• Communication – influence, negotiation,
conflict management — Communication
— Problem solving and time management
• Problem solving and time management
— Proactive and reactive behaviour
• Attention to detail whilst maintaining ‘big
• Represents ‘supplier’ interests whilst working
picture’ perspective
for the Project Manager and the project’s
• Proactive ands reactive behaviour objectives
• Represents project ‘customer’ (even when
externally resourced


When you train with Maven

During the course

Course materials including models, games, puzzles, slides, activities and sample
examination papers.

Experienced trainers who know how to manage projects and how to use the
techniques and can provide lots of worked examples to help you see how the
technique actually works and its benefits.

Guidance and activities to help you feel confident in sitting your examination.

After the course

Use www.maventraining.co.uk/knowledge-centre to stay up-to-date with issues
relating to project, programme and portfolio management.


For further information about Maven Training please contact:

Melanie Franklin
Telephone: 020 7403 7100
e-mail: melanie.franklin@maventraining.co.uk
website: www.maventraining.co.uk

www.maventraining.co.uk І 020 7089 6161

Forming a Project Team

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