Represent the right interests

What you will understand

• Recognise business, user and supplier interests.
• Distinguish the responsibilities of board, project manager and team manager.
• Explain why accountability is not removed by delegating work.

The idea

An organisation chart is useful only if it helps real decisions reach the right people. A project needs a business reason to proceed, users whose needs will be met, and suppliers able to create the products. The organising practice brings those interests together and makes authority, responsibilities and working relationships explicit.

The business interest asks whether the investment is worthwhile and remains aligned with organisational objectives. The user interest concerns what people need from the products and the benefits their use should enable. The supplier interest concerns the skills, knowledge and resources required to produce the products. These are interests to represent, not necessarily three separate employing organisations or three people who have identical job titles in everyday work.

The project board directs the project within the authority given by the business layer. It includes the executive, senior user and senior supplier responsibilities. The executive is accountable for overall project success and business justification and chairs the board. The senior user represents user needs and expected benefits; the senior supplier represents the ability to create the required products. The board provides decisions and direction rather than collectively managing every daily task.

The project manager manages day-to-day work on behalf of the board within agreed tolerances. This includes planning, coordinating authorised work, monitoring forecasts and escalating matters outside delegated authority. A team manager manages the delivery of products agreed through work packages and reports progress to the project manager. On a small project, the project manager may also undertake team-management responsibilities, provided the responsibilities remain clear.

Accountability describes who ultimately answers for a responsibility; delegation describes who performs an activity. A board member may arrange for specialists to carry out assurance checks but remains accountable for assurance in the relevant interest. Likewise, a project manager can receive administrative help without handing over responsibility for managing the project. Identify the decision or duty before matching it to a familiar-sounding role title.

Role descriptions and the project management team structure make these arrangements visible. They should explain authority limits, expected capabilities, reporting and key relationships. Membership needs to reflect the project as it evolves; a later rollout stage may need different supplier expertise. People should know whom to approach when an unresolved user requirement conflicts with a delivery commitment. A large board is not automatically representative, and an impressive title does not substitute for the authority to act.

Three interests on the board

Points to remember

• Match responsibilities to business, user and supplier interests.
• The board directs; the project manager manages day to day.
• The executive, rather than the project manager, is accountable for the business case.

Your takeaway

Good organising gives the required interests an effective voice and places direction, daily management and delivery at suitable levels. Clear authority and accountability matter more than the number of names on a chart.