Project Coordinator Responsibilities and Roles

The Role of Project Management Coordination

Project Coordinator Role and Responsibilities: To coordinate a project managers need to apply a set of various tools, techniques, skills and experience. The overall goal of coordinating a project is to make sure the project is completed on time, within the budget and delivers the required results or objectives which are clearly defined in the project plan.

Typical for managing projects which is different from managing a business is that the project has its beginning and end. In addition the project has clear objectives, budget and timeframe (clear expectations about what, when, who and how much). This requires a dedicated manager who will be in charge for coordinating the project throughout its lifecycle – from start to finish.

 

Let’s take a look at the main phases which exist in each and every project regardless of project type, size and industry.

All projects include 4 main phases from beginning to closing:

1. Project initiation

This is the first phase in every project where the project is planned including the overall goal, needs, milestones and initial budget. The plan is further developed to include the team members and any skills required for successful project execution.

2. Project plan

After the project has been initiated a thorough project plan is developed and finalized. This involves detailed research and planning and includes all the important aspects of project management such as final budget plan, manpower plan, time plan with milestones and all other resources required for managing and coordination.

3. Project execution

This is where the critical project coordination comes into place. The project coordinator manages all the tasks and activities in order to deliver each project milestone on time, within budget and based on the required targets and objectives.

The role includes coordination of activities, effective communication, resource management and team building and management. To coordinate the project activities successfully the manager needs to stay informed regarding all project developments and take necessary actions if there is a gap between the project plan requirements and the actual results.

4. Project finalization

After all project steps and milestones have been finished the manager needs to finalize and close the project successfully. At the end of the project the manager reports on the results delivered, important issues and the general success of the project. Stakeholders are informed about the project results. This step includes the lessons learned part which is important in order to improve the project coordination in any future projects.

Project coordinators have to plan their role and activities throughout these 4 main stages. While it is clear that the third stage (the project execution) is where most of the efforts and time will be allocated, all other phases are important as well. For example the project plan is critical for the coordinator to make sure he or she is involved and fully understands the expectations from the stakeholders. In addition, the project initiation will drive the project plan so it is critical for the manager to be involved and contribute to the initial ideas and approaches used for developing the project plan.

 

Tip: Convert the project expectations into measurable metrics, develop effective reporting and coordinate and measure your project progress on an ongoing basis. This will help you identify issues immediately and take appropriate actions.

Recommended for You

• Quality Plan in Project Management Templates
• Project Priority Requirements Scoring and Ranking System
• Project Plan Work Breakdown Structure
• Project Management Tools and Techniques
• Project Management Risk Assessment