2.8 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER

Management of system development projects is specialized work often requiring managers who can 'think on their feet', adjust swiftly to new information, handle troublesome situations of all kinds competently, and keep everyone involved satisfied as the work progresses. When a project is for complex systems it can be a full time job to establish, manage, and monitor a project. All system development projects should have a designated "Project Manager" who assures it is accomplished on scheduled and under budget. This manager needs access to all resources required to accomplish the project, authority to perform all tasks required, and accountability for any problems with the project.

The Project Manager could be someone who is designated to lead the effort from among a staff of peers. For a project where a number of PCs are being swapped out for newer ones with updated software, a knowledgeable technician may be able to serve in this role. The role can be moved from one person to another, depending on the project and the strengths and weaknesses of available staff. For large projects, an experienced and capable Project Manager should be used with specific experience in the area of development being undertaken - especially those identified as high risk, e.g. software development.

The Project Manager will prepare a System Development Plan, see Section V, and provide updates to the System Development Project Summary. This effort will essentially be to decompose the project, define task dependencies, estimate resources required, perform a risk analysis of work needed, schedule the project, allocate resources, initiate all activities, monitor activities, and adjust project approach (as defined in SDP) as needed.