What Every IT Manager Needs To Know About Project Management

Expert Reference Series of White Papers
What Every IT
Manager Needs To
Know About Project
Management
1-800-COURSES www.globalknowledge.comWhat Every IT Manager Needs To
Know About Project Management
Rhané Thomas, Global Knowledge Instructor
IntroductionThe IT Manager, or any functional manager, and the Project Manager have a lot in common. Both work to achieve organizational goals by directing the activities of people. They employ many of the same knowledge sets, skills, abilities and personal traits to plan, organize, staff, direct and control their teams, including:
. Strong leadership and interpersonal skills . Ability to manage people, time and resources . Ability to develop people . Excellent communication and presentation skills . Good organizational and problem solving abilities . Good negotiation, conflict resolution and decision making skills . Talent to handle clients . Knowledge/awareness of the requirements of the relevant legislation and regulations . Honesty and integrity
Differences between IT Managers and Project ManagersAlthough most managers have similar skills sets, there are some differences between the roles of IT Managers and Project Managers. The main difference is one of focus. The IT Manager is responsible for an ongoing pro-gram of IT services, while the Project Manager's accountability and authority last only for the life of the project. In fact, it is the time-limited nature of projects that makes the role of Project Manager so important.
Despite such similarities and differences, it is important for the IT Manager to know the basics of formalized project management. Why? Because every organization needs to be able to implement change and almost all important changes are defined or implemented through project teams. Does everyone in the organization (or in IT) need to know project management, or is it safe to leave it in the hands of a highly trained few? Spread the knowledge around!
Copyright ©2009 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. 2Project TeamsProject teams are frequently cross-functional, with members from many parts of the organization. Project teams must be able to interact successfully with people throughout the organization in order to plan and complete the project. Everyone in the organization will be affected by what the project teams do, so the more members of the organization understand about project management, the better they will be able to support, guide, and interact with the project team.
Many organizations have trained Project Managers or a Project Management Offices. However, IT Managers without these resources can still benefit from project management frameworks that describe best practices such ®as the Project Management Institute's PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge) and the United King-dom government's PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments). It is not necessary or possible for everyone in an organization to be project management professionals, but that doesn't mean that they should be ignorant of the essentials of project management. The important thing for the entire organization is to select an approach to managing projects and socialize it in the organization.
ProjectsThe Need for ChangeLet's talk a little more about projects themselves. We've said that change is the reason for projects. Changes in the business are naturally reflected, or anticipated, in the technology supporting the business. We agree on where they come from, but what is a project? A project is a one-time, multitask job with clearly defined starting and ending dates, a specific scope of work to be performed, a budget, and a specified goal or outcome to be achieved. You can easily understand that the amount of time, energy and focus required to get a project done would place an unacceptable burden on any IT manager, if added to current responsibilities. Enter the project team.
The Project ManagerWhen the need for a change is identified, the search is on for a Project Manager. Someone is needed to focus on the initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing the work of the project. However, the Project Manger does not perform the activities that make up the project; this is the purpose of the project team. The IT Manager supports the project by providing staff resources and by lending authority to the Project Manager. U... [download for more]