Undertaking project management activities
Overview
This standard the competencies required to carry out project management activities in an engineering manufacturing environment. It involves identifying the need for a project and determining its scope and then developing this into a fully detailed project plan. You will be required to form a suitable project team taking into account the technicalities within the project and the individual skills and abilities of the team members. You will also be expected to determine and agree the individual roles and responsibilities of the team members and to set realistic and achievable goals for both the individuals within the team and the team as a whole. Obtaining appropriate authority and support for the release of resources to carry out the project is also included and this will include people, work space/work area, documentation and information. Monitoring the performance of the project to ensure that it meets the identified objectives also features in this standard.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the activities undertaken and to report any problems that you cannot solve, or are outside your responsibility, to the relevant authority. You must ensure that the project is delivered on time; to cost and to the required quality/outcomes and that all necessary project documentation is completed accurately and legibly. You will be expected to take full responsibility for the decisions that you make and the overall performance of the project.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a good understanding of project management, and provide an informed approach to the techniques and procedures used. You will need to understand the various techniques of project management and of team building, coaching, monitoring performance and communication methods available to you in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required criteria.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- establish the need for the project and determine the project scope
- gain authorisation to plan, undertake and complete the project outcomes
- develop a full project plan which accurately identifies the project aims and objectives
- obtain authorisation and support for the release of the necessary resources to carry out the project
- establish a project team with the skill sets required to deliver the project objectives
- determine and agree individual roles and responsibilities within the project team
- agree the review and monitoring processes and procedures to be used during the project.
- monitor the project deliverables in accordance with the project plan
- report on project progress to relevant parties at the agreed stages
- deal promptly and effectively with any problems within your control and report those that cannot be resolved
- make adjustments the project plan where required and agreed
- report project completion and closure to relevant personnel
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the health, safety and environmental requirements applicable to the area the project is to be undertaken
- the legislative, regulatory, standards, directives or codes of practices that must be adhered to
- how to identify the project scope to determine the need for a full project plan and organisation approval
- the factors that may affect the feasibility or constraints of the project
- how to develop specific, measurable, realistic project objectives and deliverables, allowing progress to be monitored and measured
- the criteria to determine if the project has been successful or not
- the tools and techniques available for project planning and monitoring
- how to communicate effectively, listen and question, provide feedback, support others
- how to break the project down into individual deliverable tasks/metrics
- the format and systems used for communicating the project aims, objectives and specific deliverables
- how to form and develop the project team required to meet the identified objectives
- how to allocate specific tasks and responsibilities to the project team members according to individual skills and abilities
- the methods of assessing the project team performance
- the importance of enabling the project team to contribute to the development and review of the project and the methods used to achieve this
- how to determine the specialist help you may require in the project, and how this can be obtained
- how to conduct a project meeting
- how to present information effectively to management, peers, team members and customers
- how to solve problems and overcome barriers/difficulties encountered during the life of the project
- who to liaise with and who to obtain relevant and specific information from to support and assist you in running the project
- how to monitor progress of the project in terms of delivery on time, to budget, with agreed levels of quality
- how to negotiate changes to the project plan and secure agreement from all relevant parties
- the importance of keeping all parties updated on the progress of the project and any changes that have been made
- the implications for the project if changes are not communicated effectively
- how to report project closure, completion and final status to management, teams and customers
- the importance of evaluating the project and to identify where improvements could be made for future projects
- the company systems for recording project outcomes
- how to agree limits of your own authority within the scope of the project and how to identify, outside of your authority area, whom you should report to in the event of encountering problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Undertake project management activities in one of the following areas:
- manufacturing (such as machining, fabrication, welding, material finishing or manufacture, assembly, joining)
- product or system installation
- commissioning
- decommissioning or recycling
- environmental or sustainability
- operational processes (such as movement of materials and logistics)
- maintenance practices (such as preventative, corrective, predictive, reactive or prevention)
- processing operations
- service supplies (such as gas, water, electricity)
- design
- research and development
- engineering support functions (such as procurement, quality assurance, inspection, testing, scheduled safety audits and risk assessments, business improvement, finance, technical sales)
Develop project plans, which clearly identify all the following:
- project outcomes and objectives
- success criteria of the project
- cost of the project
- time scale required for the project
- resources required
- individual tasks within the project
- milestones and deliverables to be met
Consult with appropriate people in order to secure access to four of the
following resources:
- personnel
- documentation and supporting data
- finance
- equipment
- materials
- facilities/work area
- other specific resource
Monitor and review the progress of the project to include all of the following:
- project objectives are on target
- issues or problems are highlighted and resolved
- timelines are within agreed parameters
- budgets are within agreed limits
- agreed processes and procedures are being followed
Ensure that the project delivery and outcomes comply with three of the following:
- organisational guidelines and procedures
- recognised compliance agency/body's standards, directives or codes of practice
- equipment manufacturer's operating specification/range
- customer standards and requirements
- British, European or International standards or directives
- health, safety and environmental requirements
Report and communicate final project outcomes, using:
- verbal report
plus one from the following:
2. computer-based presentation
3. computer generated report
4. specific company document
5. other appropriate media
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Additional Information
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
- strong work ethic
- positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment