Summary

Projects can be defined and delivered within different contexts, across diverse industry sectors. They can be large or small. Every project needs to be managed to ensure its success, An associate project manager knows what needs to be achieved, how it will be achieved, how long it will take and how much it will cost, and works with the project team to achieve the required outcomes. Associate project managers need good planning, organisation, leadership, management and communication skills. An associate project manager utilises resources with suitable skills, qualifications, experience and knowledge to work together in a motivated and integrated team, with clearly defined reporting lines, roles, responsibilities and authorities. Dependent upon the size of the organisations and the complexity of projects, associate project managers’ job titles will vary, but typically they can include: assistant project manager, junior project manager, project team leader. Some organisations use ‘project manager’ as a generic job title.

Knowledge

An associate project manager will be able to understand and have knowledge of:

• Project governance – Different types of organisational structures and responsibilities, functions and project phases on different types of project. How governance can control and manage the successful delivery of projects. The significance of the project management plan (PMP)
• Project stakeholder management – Stakeholders: their perspectives, different interests and levels of influence upon project outcomes
• Project communication – Key contexts of a project communication plan, its effectiveness in managing different stakeholders. Factors which can affect communications such as cultural and physical barriers
• Project leadership – The vision and values of the project and its links to objectives; the ways in which these can be effectively communicated and reinforced to team members and stakeholders. Leadership styles, qualities and the importance of motivation on team performance. Characteristics of the working environment which encourage and sustain high performance
• Consolidated planning – Purpose and formats for consolidated plans to support overall management, taking account of lessons learnt and how the plans balance fundamental components of scope, schedule, resources, budgets, risks and quality requirements
• Budgeting and cost control – Funding, estimating, overheads; direct costs, indirect costs, fixed costs, variable costs and an overall budget for a project; tracking systems for actual costs, accruals and committed costs; alternative cost breakdowns to provide for graphical representations, and performance management
• Business case and benefits management – Preparation and/or maintenance of business cases, including benefits management
• Project scope – Requirements management, and evaluation of alternative methods to learn from the past to improve delivery. Project scope change control, baseline change management, configuration management
• Project schedule – Scheduling and estimating for project activities including how they can be quality assessed. Progress monitoring and metrics to assess work performed against the schedule. Schedule management methods to evaluate and revise activities to improve confidence in delivery
• Resource management – Resource analysis, resource allocation and resource acceptance
• Project risk and issue management – The need for and implementation of a risk management plan. Risk management methods and techniques to identify and prioritise threats or opportunities. Mitigation actions to minimise risk impacts and to optimise benefits by managing opportunities
• Contract management and procurement – The nature of contracts, and their implications for contracting organisations. Procurement processes. Legal and ethical means for managing contracts
• Project quality – Quality management processes, assurance and improvements. Outcomes of a quality management plan, metrics for processes and quality standards
• Project context – The different contexts in which projects can be delivered, including health, safety, and environment management. The interdependencies between project(s), programme(s) and portfolio management. Project phases and key review points, across project life cycles

Skills

An associate project manager will be able to demonstrate the following skills within the context of your organisation.

• Project governance – Project monitoring and reporting cycle to track, assess and interpret performance by the application of monitoring techniques to analyse status and manage information
• Stakeholder and communications management – Manage stakeholders, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests. Manage conflicts and negotiations. Communicate to a variety of different audiences. Contribute to negotiations relating to project objectives
• Budgeting and cost control – Develop and agree to project budgets, monitor forecast and actual costs against them and control changes. Support funding submissions. Tracking systems for actual costs, accruals and committed costs; structures for alternative cost breakdowns
• Business case – Contribute to the preparation or maintenance of a business case including achieving required outcomes
• Scope management – Determine, control and manage changes to the scope of a project, including assumptions, dependencies and constraints
• Consolidated planning – Consolidate and document the fundamental components of projects. Monitor progress against the consolidated plan and refine as appropriate, implementing the change control process where relevant
• Schedule management – Prepare and maintain schedules for activities aligned to project delivery
• Risk, and issue management – Identify and monitor project risk or opportunity, plan and implement responses to them, contribute to a risk management plan. Respond to and manage issues within a defined governance structure
• Contract management and procurement – Facilitate a procurement process, contribute to the definition of contractual agreements and contribute to managing a contract
• Quality management – Develop a quality management plan, manage project assurance, and contribute to peer reviews. Utilise an organisation’s continual improvement process including lessons learned
• Resource management – Develop resource management plans for project activities, acquire and manage resources including commitment acceptance, monitor progress against plans

An associate project manager will be able to demonstrate the following behaviours:

• Collaboration and team work – Understands and is effective as part of an integrated team
• Leadership – Communicates direction, and supports the vision for project delivery
• Effective and appropriate communication – Working effectively with and influencing others, taking account of diversity and equality. Influences and facilitates effective team performance
• Drive for results – Demonstrates clear commitment to achieving results, and improving performance
• Integrity, ethics, compliance and professionalism – Promotes the wider public good in all actions, acting in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner. Promotes and models the highest standards of professional integrity, ethics, trust and continued development