The Roles of the Project Manager - Research Paper Example

The roles of the project Manager of a CRO In the working of clinical research organizations, the project manager is a very important player, right from the start to the end of the project. The project team uses management systems, which guarantee that the different teams work harmoniously, towards the realization of the goals of the project. In the context of CROs, project management connotes the usage of skills, tools and other resources during the execution of a project, so as to ensure that the expectations of the customer are met or exceeded. Project management, within a CRO setting covers the processes involved in serving the demands of the client as well as the executive management, while at the same time remaining within the confines of the schedule and the budget. The roles of the project manager include leading the team, bridging the relations between the client and management and pushing for the needs of the client, among others. The checks made to guarantee the success of the project include reviewing the expectations of the client extensively and exploring vital project issues. Introduction Within the settings of a clinical research organization, a project refers to a distinctive clinical trial. The project is required to have a specific start and completion date (Roy 57). The team working on the project operates within a setting similar to a matrix reporting ground, towards guaranteeing that the tasks to be completed during the progress of the project are realized and that they are performed in a manner that meets or exceeds the expectations of the customer (Roy 57). The team uses project management systems, during the execution of the managerial role, towards ensuring that the different members work in harmony, so as to realize the goals of the project (Boericke 1). As applied in the CRO settings, project management reefers to the application of skills, knowledge, techniques and tools to the execution of the project, so as to meet or supersede the outcomes anticipated (Roy 58). This paper will explore the roles of a project manager, within a CRO setting, towards demonstrating that they are the most important link between the client and the team; they are the managers of changes within the project and they also act as the advocate of the client (Shostak 9). The scope of project Management within a CRO setting In the settings of a Contract Research Organization, the boundaries of project management can be expressed as contained within the following definitions: delighting the customer, offering support to the team in charge of the team and delighting the executive management of the CRO organization (Boericke 1). The duties covered under the project management function are not easy, and this can be evidenced using the mediation role of the project manager, who is many times required to stay at the blurred fence between the demands of the executive management and those of the client (Roy 57). All in all, the project management function is expected to offer results that are satisfactory to the different sides of the project, on a continual basis, until the project is completed (Patanakkul 14). The Roles of the project manager in a CRO setting The effective project manager is required to possess a wide variety of skills and qualities, all of which are supposed to be integrated into their project management techniques (Patanakkul 15). The wide array of skills and qualities enable the project manager to head and guide the team working on the project; negotiate within the organization, with the administration and with the client externally and track the financial progress of the project – according to the budget (Bakar et al.165). Other roles of the project manager include manage project change among other changes, guarantee that deadlines are observed and to offer training to new team players, on working in the highly dynamic environment (Shostak 9). Depending on the complexity of the project, as well as, the experience of the team working on the project, the project manager is required to have the following traits – so as to guarantee positive outcomes (Boericke 1). Roles of the project Manager (Roy 57) In executing the project manager role, they are 100 percent answerable for the performance of the team, delivering the outcomes of the project and managing the budgetary allocations covered by the project (Chiu 40). Internally, as a member of the team working on the project, the project manager acts as the chief communication agent, guaranteeing that information is exchanged between the client and the organizational team working on the project (Roy 59). Notably, the project manager is supposed to oversee the flight of information from the different centers and facets, including third-party vendors and collection sites. Their chief role in managing the flow of information entails the coordination of information flow, which guarantees that the team working on the project will have the required information throughout the course of the project (Boericke 1). In acting as the internal advocate for the client, the project manager is supposed to collect information about the demands of the client, and then they communicate the needs to the executive management – in the best way – so that they can comprehend the need (Patanakkul 18). While communicating the demands of the client to the executive administrators, the project manager checks the effect of the demands on the outlook of the project (Anantatmulla 14). In the case that the demands of the client affect the project considerably, the project manager is responsible for incorporating the necessary changes into the project plan and the execution style. Project changes may take two different forms (Roy 58). The first type of change is resource management, where the changes may come from the client’s side or the side of the team (Roy 57). Despite the changes that arise from transition changes, the project manager is required to take the appropriate steps that will guarantee that they meet the schedule and the contractual agreement. The second aspect of project change is scope, where the tasks to be covered by the project increase or decrease, or the deliverables of the project increase or decrease (Boericke 2). The project manager is required to manage these changes effectively, because a failure to manage them effectively can reduce the profits realized by the CRO, among other effects. In working as the business development manager within the CRO, the project manager may research and give information on leads that offer more areas of business, within a given project (Chiu 40). In such a case, the project manager is required to manage the out-of-scope variables, which may take the form of repeat business for the particular client (Anantatmulla 14). After the business development role of the team establishes that a further opportunity is available and can be taken by the CRO, the project manager is incorporated as a team member, helping with the drafting of the proposal (Shostak 10). Checks for Guaranteeing Project Success (Shostak 10) Guaranteeing the Success of the Project Project managers are usually not a part of the teams that sell business development projects to clients, but they are a critical team player in guaranteeing the success of the project. Towards realizing this, the project manager is required to study the project, to the level of the finest details, because their comprehensive understanding of the needs of the client offers them the information required (Chiu 41). This is because; the project manager is the one responsible for the administration of the project to its completion, which guarantees that the outcomes meet the demands of the client (Boericke 3). The project manager is required to understand the hot buttons of the client, which helps when offering them updates regarding the progress of work and the status of the project. Through the proactive administration of the different duties and the roles covered by the project, they are able to avoid crisis managing the demands of the client, which offers the executive management, the information required for decision-making (Roy 59). The proactive management of the project requires the selection of appropriate standard operating Procedures (SOPs), the outlining of a project management plan and the drafting of an execution plan. The SOPs developed are used for the purposes of evaluating the realization of project deliverables. In many cases, the development of SOPs incorporates the demands of the client as well as those of the CRO (Roy 59). On the other hand, the execution plan offers the project manager with the how-to directions on the areas to be checked by the team, so as to guarantee its success (Kliem and Anderson 151). During the launch of the project, the cooperation of the project manager with the executive representatives of the different functional roles is very important (Bakar et al. 168). The different functional roles that are incorporated into the teamwork include clinical operations, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, medical writing, external vendors, data management, biostatistics and medical monitoring (Roy 59). The meetings held during the launch of a project are very crucial to the success of the project, because they explore the individuals that are best-suited to work in the team (Boericke 4). The selection for the individuals to form the team checks for technical expertise, dynamics of the members of the team and their knowledge of project issues. More importantly, the training of the team members to participate in the project is required, particularly in the case where the project is not similar to previous ones. Conclusion In Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), projects are the clinical trials. The project implementation team works on a tight schedule, therefore the project manager, usually operates under pressure to administrate the varied aspects of the project. Project management, within the settings of CROs is relatively different from that in mainstream organizations. The distinctions include that it is supposed to maintain a balance between the demands of the client as well as those of the executive management. The roles of the project manager of CRO include leading the team, advocating the demands of the client, mediating the relations between the client and the executive management, representing the internal business development function and administrating project changes. The project manager is, ordinarily 100 percent answerable to the client as well as to the executive management of the CRO. One of the crucial roles of the project manager include facilitating the transfer of information from different centers – internal and external – and guaranteeing the reception of the required information by the project team. The role of the project manager is very crucial in guaranteeing the success of CRO projects. Works Cited Anantatmulla, Vittal. “Project Manager Leadership Role in Improving Project Performance”. Engineering Management Journal, 22.1(2010): 13-18. Bakar, Abu. Razak, Arman, Karim, Nurkhuraishah, Nizam, Mohamed, and Modifa, Abd. “The Role of Project Managers in Improving Project Performance in Construction: an Indonesian Experience”. International Journal of Academic Research, 3.6(2011): 164-168. Boericke, Kim. “What is the role of the Project Manager in a Contract Research Organization”? SOCRA, 2003. Web. 4 Feb 2014. https://www.socra.org/pdf/200311_RoleOfProjMgrCRO.pdf Chiu, Alfred. “Ten Tips for Smart Project Managers”. Chemical Engineering, Jan (2012): 40-43. Kliem, Ralph, and Anderson, Harris. The Organizational Engineering Approach to Project Management. Boca Raton, Fl: St Lucie Press, 2003. Print. Link to the Book: http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=VqZwuU37EpcC&pg=PP6&lpg=PP6&dq=Kliem,+Ralph,+and+Anderson,+Harris.+The+Organizational+Engineering+Approach+to+Project+%09Management.+Boca+Raton,+Fl:+St+Lucie+Press,+2003&source=bl&ots=yX5w-WIDy7&sig=RxsqVyuWkQ6dBNV3K02VRyu9fWQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8ADyUofDJ7KM7AbJgoDIBA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Patanakkul, Peerasit. “Project Manager Assignment and Its Impact on Multiple Projects Management Effectiveness: An Empirical Study of an IT Organization”. Engineering Management Journal, 23.4 (2011): 14-21. Roy, Michael. Biotechnology Operations: Principles and Practices. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2011. Print. Link to the Book: http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=aGOgZrjf9vkC&pg=PR2&lpg=PR2&dq=Roy,+Michael.+Biotechnology+Operations:+Principles+and+Practices.+Boca+Raton,+FL:+CRC+%09Press,+2011&source=bl&ots=NnxLhTwUtK&sig=-xAv_8x-LCuMu_HxR4hPKZHlPxs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ggDyUsOSMcHe7AaRuYCwAQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Roy%2C%20Michael.%20Biotechnology%20Operations%3A%20Principles%20and%20Practices.%20Boca%20Raton%2C%20FL%3A%20CRC%20%09Press%2C%202011&f=false Shostak, Jack. SAS Programming in the Pharmaceutical Industry. 1st Edition. Cary, North Carolina: SAS Publishing, 2005. Print. Link to the Book: http://www.planta.cn/forum/files_planta/sas_programming_in_the_pharmaceutical_industry_119.pdf Read More