Do you utilize Project Management Coordinators or other project management support staff in your work? If so, how do you utilize them?
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
In what ways have you used project management support staff to assist you with managing your projects? I’ve known PMs who use Schedulers to manage their project schedules and Risk Managers to handle project risks. However, I’m curious how PMs use Coordinators, Specialists and similar titles in an effective manner. Saving Changes...
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Deepa KalangiManager, Program Management, Author, Trainer| CVS HealthCharlotte, NC, United States
Hi Eric
I have used coordinators before. Below is the list that they helped me on
1. Finances- our budgeting and calculating variances was a little time consuming and hard process. We have our numbers coming from different systems, ex: RPM, Cognos, BI, and different ways and time periods for contractors vs FT. So they would reconcile and send me one excel spreadsheet and they also will be doing the variance column. Rest following up etc, I would do. That was a huge help.
2. Also, overall weekly meeting set up and being a scribe. Not all meetings though, the ones that are very standard in nature and are run weekly, they are a scribe for me,helpful especially because I have large audience 25+ people in the meeting.
3. Status report templates- sometimes, tweaking in or changing the reports for certain level of stakeholders, they would help with the .ppt format, layout changes.
4. Other documentation- we have Phase Gate Reviews, for which we need to fill certain SDLC forms, they would help me out with the same.
As Deepa has indicated, I've most commonly used them and seem them used to relieve the PM of project administration so the PM can focus their efforts on stakeholder engagement, team building, risk management and other more strategic pursuits.
However, you don't want the PA/PCO to be a paper pusher - when the relationship works well, they truly become the right-hand person to the PM and are able to step in at a moment's notice if the PM is sick, on vacation or otherwise unavailable.
Always have a PC or elect a PC within the team, if anything to provide experience for future PM's. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
It depends on the project size. For smaller, quicker projects, I won't have a project administrator.
On bigger projects, I will assign a project administrative support person to take care of most of the data capture and data reporting. Saving Changes...
Support in reporting needs for both directions, customer and own organisation.
Generally acting in a supportive PMO role.
Adminstrative support, for example acting in a SharePoint administrator role.
Meeting support, logistics support for specific project events. Saving Changes...
