Business project management occupations
Project Team Roles and Responsibilities in Project Management
Updated March 10, 2023
What is a project team?
A project team is a group of individuals who are working on a shared project together, with shared goals and objectives. Everyone on the project team has a responsibility to perform their tasks and contribute to the success of the project. Because there are usually several individuals on the project team, you may find a mixture of experts with varying skills, abilities and experiences, and it's common for a project team to be cross-functional or to comprise people from different teams within the organization. The typical makeup of a project team includes:- Project manager
- Project team members
- Project sponsor
- Project stakeholders
- Business analyst
Prepare for interviews with practice questions and tips
5 common roles on a project team
On a project team, each member has certain responsibilities or specific tasks that help contribute to the success of the project. That's why it's important to have varying roles on the project team, including:1. Project manager
The project manager is an essential part of most projects, as these are the professionals who keep the project on schedule and within budget. Project managers act as the representative between project team members and project stakeholders, communicating with both groups to ensure everyone is aware of expectations and can understand more about how a project is faring.Project manager responsibilities
Sometimes, a project manager also uses a project coordinator or assistant to accomplish their tasks, which may include:- Creating a schedule and various deadlines based on project needs and stakeholder requests
- Hiring and recruiting individuals to work on the project
- Providing regular updates to company and project partners
- Reviewing the budget to ensure the project isn't costing more resources than allotted
- Assigning tasks to individuals based on their role in the organization and their specific abilities
- Getting resources for the project team members that support responsibilities
2. Project team member
Any individual who works on the project, no matter if they're full-time or part-time, is a project team member. This may include both in-house employees and external individuals who may be consultants, experts, or vendors. The project manager delegates tasks to project team members based on their experiences, abilities and the department they work in within the business. On larger projects, team leaders may oversee team members.Project team member responsibilities
Project team member responsibilities may include:- Contributing to overall project objectives
- Completing their work on time and within budget
- Working with users to establish business needs
- Providing expertise
- Documenting the process
3. Project sponsor
The project sponsor is typically a senior manager who provides high-level resources and support for a project to facilitate its success. They’re considered to be the in-house champion of the project and aid communication between the project manager and the organization’s executive team.Project sponsor responsibilities
Project sponsor responsibilities may include:
- Making key business decisions about the project
- Approving any increases to the budget and schedule adjustments
- Regularly communicating with the project manager and members of the team to reestablish goals and help the project manager source the education and other resources team members may need for their work
- Resolving conflicts among the team members if the project manager cannot
Tip: There can be more than one sponsor in a project team. Sometimes sponsors appoint a senior responsible owner or an executive sponsor who translates the vision and the strategy to the team’s plans and assignments.Related: Project Sponsor vs. Project Manager: Key Differences
4. Project stakeholders
Project stakeholders or collaborators include anyone who works toward, funds or is affected by the project’s final result. Any project’s success depends on the satisfaction of these interested parties.Project collaborators can be categorized into two ways:- Internal collaborators are those who are directly involved with the project from within the organization. They often include the project team, project manager, project sponsor and other internal teams.
- External collaborators are affected by the project’s outcome even though they’re not directly involved with the project. They can include external clients, the end-user, customers, subcontractors, the government, suppliers and the community.
Project stakeholder responsibilities
The typical responsibilities of project collaborators include:- Identifying project constraints
- Naming project risks
- Offering expertise
- Giving feedback
Related: Project Stakeholder Management: Definition, How-To and Tips
5. Business analyst
A business analyst is responsible for improving an organization, and they often play an important role in a project team. They may strategize with company stakeholders to develop objectives that solve issues the business is experiencing or come up with ways to improve the performance of a certain department.Business analyst responsibilities
Because of their role within a business, an analyst’s responsibilities could include:- Defining the project
- Establishing the project’s goals
- Documenting the technical requirements for an effective project team
- Making sure that the deliverables the team comes up with support the overarching objective of the project and business
Other roles
There are other roles on a project team that may be necessary for some projects and not needed for others. They are:- Executive sponsor
- Project committee
- Team leader
- Customer
- Functional manager
- IT professional
- Program manager
- Quality assurance professionals
- Subject matter expert
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of establishing a project team?
There are many benefits to having a project team dedicated to completing a large-scale project, including that there are varying skills represented and different perspectives that members of the team can contribute. With a dedicated project team, the project remains a large focus for the organization so that any problems the project should solve can be addressed as soon as possible.Also, each member of the team can feel like a valuable part of the organization and motivated to perform well both while completing the project and after the project is over, which can lead to higher employee loyalty and job satisfaction.How do you build an effective project team?
To build a project team that will contribute to the success of the project and help the organization meet its goals, it's important to first select who should be on the team. Establish who works well together, which departments should have a representative on the team, the goals of the project and who has the necessary skills and experience to perform the work. Then, share the expectations you have from everyone on the team, and select the tools, software and programs you'll use.Some of the other actions to take to ensure your project team is effective are:- Set goals
- Establish the importance of communication
- Facilitate relationships between members of the project team
- Recognize team members for their contribution and hard work
What are some areas of expertise within a project team?
Depending on the project, there's often a wide range of expertise present on the team. You may find that team members are skilled in areas such as:- Management
- Marketing
- Data analysis
- User research
- Visual design
- Accessibility
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