As enterprise IT projects have expanded in size and complexity, their organisational structure has evolved. This growth has led to increased participants and the rise of specialised disciplines. Where project managers once had responsibilities for support functions, such as administration, scheduling, and risk management, these duties are now managed by dedicated roles such as project administrators, schedulers, and risk managers.

Role Description

In response to these changes, role descriptions in enterprise IT projects have become more specific. A role description outlines the accountabilities, responsibilities, and deliverables expected from each participant. Each role is distinct, ensuring the project team comprises members with the necessary expertise. Role descriptions also establish clear boundaries, ensuring each participant’s responsibilities are well-defined and respected.

Functional Role Categorisation

Roles are categorised by function to clarify the knowledge and skills expected of participants:

  • Business roles: Ensure project outcomes align with the organisation’s strategic goals.
  • Project delivery roles: Manage and execute the project.
  • Service provider roles: Contribute to project delivery and ongoing internal and external support.

This categorisation helps stakeholders understand each role’s contributions, ensuring capable participants manage all aspects of project execution.

Business Roles

Business roles guide the project towards achieving its strategic goals while ensuring alignment with the organisation's broader objectives. These roles can be grouped into directive and consultative capacities, each serving a distinct function in shaping project outcomes. Directive roles provide oversight and decision-making authority, while consultative roles offer specialised knowledge and advice to ensure the project aligns with business needs.

Directive Roles
  • Project Owner: Ensures deliverables match the expected benefits and return on investment specified in the business case, directing the project and making strategic decisions.
  • Senior User: Represents the user community, ensuring outcomes meet user needs and facilitating the operational transition of deliverables.
Consultative Roles
  • Business Sponsor: Offers resources, resolves high-level issues, and champions the project to align it with business goals.
  • Legal Counsel: Offers legal guidance to ensure compliance with standards and regulations.
  • Compliance Manager: Advises on regulatory compliance, ensuring the project meets legal requirements.
  • User Representatives: Also referred to as subject matter experts (SMEs), they provide domain-specific knowledge, highlight business challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Marketing and Communications Specialist: Manages market positioning and communication efforts for projects affecting the organisation’s public image.

Participants in business roles provide strategic insight, domain expertise, and guidance aligned with business goals. They do not necessarily require formal project management or discipline qualifications to fulfil their responsibilities within enterprise IT project delivery.

Project Delivery Roles

Project delivery roles ensure that projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget, and adhering to quality standards. These roles can be grouped into management, facilitation, and execution capacities. Management roles provide oversight and strategic direction, ensuring alignment with project objectives while managing resources and timelines. Facilitation roles drive project processes, removing obstacles to ensure smooth delivery. Execution roles bridge the gap between the project team and business needs, managing changes and communication to keep the project aligned with its goals.

Below are examples of responsibilities within each category

Management Roles
  • Project Manager: Oversees the project from start to finish, managing timelines, resources, and budget.
  • Project Assurance Manager: Maintains quality standards throughout the project.
  • Technical Lead: Provides technical direction, resolves issues, and ensures robust and scalable solutions.
Facilitation Roles
  • SAFe Program Consultant: Guides the implementation of the SAFe framework across teams, providing training and coaching to support SAFe adoption and continuous improvement within the organisation.
  • Scrum Master: Facilitates Scrum processes, removes impediments, and supports the team in Scrum practices.
  • Organisational Change Manager: Leads the planning and execution of change management strategies, including stakeholder engagement, communication, and training, to ensure a smooth operational transition.
Execution Roles
  • Business Analyst: Bridges business stakeholders and the project team, defining requirements and ensuring solutions meet business needs.
  • Process Analyst: Evaluates and redesigns processes and workflows to align with technological changes introduced by the project.
  • Test Analyst: Designs and executes test cases, identifies defects, and ensures the system or product meets required quality standards before deployment.

Participants in project delivery roles must have the qualifications and experience to manage the complexities of enterprise IT projects and navigate the challenges of large-scale implementations

Service Provider Roles

Service management roles are vital for overseeing the ongoing operation and support of the product in the live environment. The following roles ensure that services remain effective, reliable, and aligned with user needs:

  • Service Delivery Manager: Manages service delivery teams, ensuring services meet agreed expectations and service level agreements.
  • IT Operations Manager: Oversees IT service operations, ensuring system reliability and security while managing incidents to minimise disruptions.
  • Technical Support Specialist: Resolves user issues and maintains high service quality.
  • Security Analyst: Protects systems and data from cyber threats, conducting vulnerability assessments and responding to incidents.

Participants in service provider roles contribute to sustaining project operations through specialised expertise and adherence to service management principles. These roles require specific qualifications and a comprehensive understanding of service delivery and their respective disciplines, ensuring that project outputs are effectively maintained and optimised in the live environment.

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