Part 8 of 10-The Book that Most Impacted My Career-Excellence in Engineering

 

This is Part 8 of a blog relating sections of Excellence In Engineering by W.H. Roadstrum, 1967, with Project Management Institute’s Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK).

Remembering “Engineering work is project work”, Roadstrum carries this theme throughout the book.   As a result, Chapter 14-The Project Engineer can be applied equally to current day project management and the Project Manager.   

Before citing the good and poor practices for the project engineer, Roadstrum describes the role of project engineer, and his supervisor the unit manager.  

The unit manager’s function is to get the engineering work in his assigned area of responsibility done effectively on a continuous basis.   Describing the project engineer, Roadstrum writes, he supplies the people and other resources needed for the work.  He provides work for his people and meets the budget.  He hires and fires people, trains them, appraises them, and adjusts their salaries.  He forms projects and project teams and provides them with support and guidance.

The project engineer’s function is to execute the assigned project on time and within the budget, and with excellent technical results.   He is the leader of his men on the project and he is devoted entirely to getting the project done through administrative ability and team leadership and B) his own outstanding technical understanding and efforts. 

Good Practices for the Project Engineer

1.The unit manager with overall responsibility for the project assigns a project engineer; together they work out the manpower and other resources and support requirements.

2.The project engineer sets down on paper, with manager’s approval, the specific project goals, and the resources to be used, including the funds and time.

3.The project engineer operates the project in such a way that essentially all professional contributors are aware of every important development or problem on a daily basis.

4.The project engineer keeps himself current on all aspects of his project so that he is ready at any time to explain where the project is technically, financially, and schedule-wise.

5.The project engineer uses to the maximum possible extent the resources and support available to him and his people.

6.The project engineer acts as the principal writer and editor of major project reports.

Poor Practices for the Project Engineer

1.The unit manager assigns no project engineer or assigns one on an inadequate part-time basis.

2.The unit manager assigns a “technical” project leader with no responsibility for project administration.

3.The project engineer buries himself in one technical phase of the project to the detriment of the other necessary aspects and of his overall integrating role.

4.The unit manager assigns a nominal project engineer but then runs the project himself.

5.The project engineer allows such friction to develop between his immediate group and other interested groups (for example, production) that present and future progress of the project is hindered.

6.The project engineer delegates parts of the work to others and then fails to exercise the leadership needed to draw everything together for an excellent solution.

In PMBOK Chapter 1, the responsibility and roles of the project manager are very concisely described.  Section 1.7 states the project manager is the person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives.  

Section 1.7.1 summarizes the responsibilities of the project manager and the key factors for success.   The project manager is responsible to satisfy the needs: task needs, team needs and individual needs.   This requires project managers to possess and demonstrate:

• Comprehensive knowledge of project management
• Effective performance of activities encompassing all project management knowledge areas
• Superior personal interaction skills and proactive behavior with all project participants.

The interpersonal skills expected from successful project managers are:

• Leadership
• Team building
• Motivation
• Communication
• Influencing
• Decision making
• Political and cultural awareness
• Negotiations
• Trust building
• Conflict management
• Coaching