Project Management Framework
Initiation - Project Organization
Roles & Responsibilities

Definition

A brief description of the expectations (e.g. major assignments, tasks) of each individual or group resource assigned to the project.

Why is this important?

Assigning responsibilities documents the relationships between participants involved in the project, ensures that adequate resources are available, and notifies the participants what is expected of them.

Instruction

Identify what needs to be done (e.g. major assignments, tasks). Create a list of necessary roles for the project. Identify the best resource/staff to serve in these roles. Obtain resource commitments. Create a list that includes the name and contact information for each person serving in each role, along with the key responsibilities associated with each role. Some potential roles include: project sponsor, executive management, users, project manager, program manager, project team member, governance committees, suppliers, vendors and contractors.

How to scale

Define only the major roles to keep this section brief or identify every possible participant if greater detail is needed.

Related Link:
Roles and Responsibilities Examples

Checklists

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Has a project sponsor who meets the following criteria been clearly identified in this section:
The sponsor has authority to make necessary decisions or the support to obtain necessary decisions efficiently and effectively.
The sponsor has support of the affected business area(s).
The sponsor has the ability to obtain/assign required project resources.
The sponsor has the necessary time available to dedicate to this project.
Have these additional key roles been assigned and identified in this section:
Project Manager?
Business Area/Customer Representative(s)?
Technical team members (e.g. analysts, programmers, database administrators)?
Do all parties listed understand and agree with the defined roles and responsibilities?
Are the responsibilities listed for each role clear and concise (not more than 5-10 per role)?
Have names and contact information been listed for each person serving each role?