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Once the business case is approved by the Project Owner and a recommended solution has been put forward, the Executive and the Project Manager must be appointed, so that the “Project Fiche” can be prepared and decisions can be taken.
The process to be followed is:
| ● | Selection of the Executive from the Project Owner |
| ● | Selection of a person who possess all the skills and qualifications to manage the project (Project Manager) |
| ● | Confirmation of the availability of the selected people and checking of their commitment to carry out these roles |
| ● | Appointment of the Executive and Project Manager |
| ● | Confirmation of their appointments via agreement to job descriptions. |
 For large projects or projects of strategic importance, agreed job descriptions should be signed by the persons undertaking each role. For small or low risk projects it may not be necessary to have formal job descriptions but the selected persons should have read and understood the responsibilities contained in the role descriptions included in the “Project Fiche” (refer to 1.5.3.4).
The Executive should:
Checklist 1-1: Characteristics that the Executive should possess
| • | be a senior reputable figure approved by the Department/ Agency Management Board |
| • | have a good understanding of the business issues associated with the project |
| • | have the authority to take decisions and to ensure whether the project achieves its objectives |
| • | have good relationships with all the stakeholders so that they accept to be represented by him/ her |
| • | have sufficient experience and knowledge to carry out his/her responsibilities |
| • | be active, with good communication skills and ability to influence people |
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Correspondingly, the Project Manager should:
Checklist 1-2: Characteristics that the Project Manager should possess
| ● | be a professional with University Degree or Post Graduate studies in a discipline which is relevant to the industry within which the current project is being undertaken |
| ● | have experience in project management. Depending on the scale and complexity of the current project, the minimum experience required to undertake this role successfully must be outlined. Experience may be defined in terms of: |
| • | the types of projects the person has been involved with |
| • | the industries within which the projects were undertaken |
| • | the size and level of complexity of the projects managed |
| • | the number of years spent in managing projects |
| ● | be able to apply standard project management approaches and methodologies |
| ● | be able to produce a detailed project plan and maintain it |
| ● | be able to direct, manage and motivate the project team |
| ● | be able to plan and manage the employment of resources in order to meet the milestones set in project plan |
| ● | understand the financial aspects |
| ● | be able to define appropriate quality targets and standards |
| ● | have the knowledge of quality assurance and control techniques to ensure that the targets and standards are met |
| ● | have the knowledge on how to apply change management processes effectively |
| ● | be able to build and sustain effective communications with the other roles |
| ● | be accountable methodical, inspirational and motivational. |
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 Before finalise the selection of the Executive and Project Manager, it is suggested to answer the questions in the following checklist. The purpose of these questions is to ensure that the most significant criteria for the selection of the appropriate persons have been used.
Checklist 1-3: Summarised checklist for the selection of the Executive and Project Manager
| 1. | Does the proposed Executive have the appropriate authority to support the project adequately? |
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| 2. | Do the selected people have the skills, knowledge and expertise to undertake their tasks? |
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| 3. | Does the selected Project Manager have previous experience in the field? |
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| 4. | Has the selected Project Manager participated in training programmes concerning project management methodologies, practices and tools? |
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| 5. | Apart from the professional experience and qualifications the selected people possess, do they have the interpersonal characteristics required to ensure that they will fulfil successfully their duties? |
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| 6. | Has the availability of the appointees been checked for the whole project execution period? |
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| 7. | Are any appointees likely to change job in the near future? If yes, does this mean that they can not participate any longer at the project? |
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