Who do what, when the job for each start and when stop?? Saving Changes...
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
You can find lot of times the same question here and long debates on the matter. I will answer trying to understand the reason of your question. I have helped organizations to implement project mangement (including my actual work place). Because the complexity of projects we faced we decide to have a project manager for each layer inside the enterprise architecture which is involved on the project: business, application, technology, security and information, just in case the budged allow that. Those project mangers helps the project project manger to have things done inside each specific layer and they are the single point of contact for the project project manager. Project management is not about to be something project manager. If you are a project manager and you have to manage different activities and people that belongs to different enteprise architecture layers (as I do each day of my life) then with the architecture layers in your head you can understand the limits for each pull of activities and how to manage it from end to end. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
In a nutshell, when somebody refers to a technical project manager they are referring to a project manager who has a technical background in the relevant industry. The fact that the PM has technical skills/knowledge does not mean that they are expected to do technical work but rather to use those skills or knowledge to make expert judgment calls. Again not in isolation. Saving Changes...
This question comes over and over again and I think there is a very good reason why this question is being raised so often.
The PM is expected, among other things, to lead the project team. However it is common sense and I have seen it with my own eyes many times that you can't really lead a team if you don't come from the same line of work as its members.
You can't be a leader if you can't feel what your team members feel while they are doing the work. You don't have to be a brilliant subject matter expert but you must have working experience in a relevant line of work applicable to the project.
The differences are huge:
- A non-technical project manager schedules meetings with the team, keeps track of the tasks, raises issues and reports the progress to the stakeholders that need the information. Such a PM however can't make any work related decision and is forced to blindly trust the team on all the decisions. Such a PM can't challenge the team and can't properly asses risks. When it comes to handling the team these PMs are some sort of secretaries.
- A technical PM is able to get directly involved in the decision making process of the team. He is able to understand risks properly and challenge the team members on technical issues.
Another important aspect is the discussion with stakeholders. A non-technical PM ,before talking to stakeholders, must ask the team members about the status of the project and then report it most of the times without really understanding what they are reporting. If the stakeholders ask question the non-technical PM would not be able to answer and would have to ask an expert from the team. Many times an expert has to be always on some meetings as the PM can't handle them.
A technical PM on the other hand understands in details what is going on and he is able to answer by himself to questions asked by the stakeholders.
A non-technical PM often faces difficulties talking with the team as he is unable to speak the technical language while a technical PM is very comfortable in these kind of discussions. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Project managers lead large projects. Technical project managers lead small projects. Saving Changes...
