It should be noted that when the project is implemented by a Contractor, most of the core management activities are performed by the management team of the Contractor (e.g. the development of the Plans, the reporting of project’s performance, the preparation of the Final Evaluation Report, etc.). However, even in this case, the Project Management Team is responsible for managing the project on behalf of the Contracting Authority, as well as for monitoring and controlling the Contractor’s performance. The following table presents the project management activities throughout the whole project life cycle and distinguishes the role of the Contractor’s Project Management Team in performing these activities from that of the Project Management Team of the Contracting Authority.

A/A

Phase/ Activity

Description

Role of the Contractor’s Project Management Team

Role of the Contracting Authority’s Project Management Team

Guidance is provided in …

Available Tools

1

PROJECT INITIATION PHASE

Checklist 1-6: Reviewing the Project Initiation Phase

1.1

Needs identification/ assessment

This activity involves the analysis of the problem, the collection of necessary information, the identification of needs and the formulation of project ideas.

-

The Management of the Contracting Authorities is usually responsible for identifying the needs and formulate the project ideas

Subchapter 1.4.1

1.2

Setting priorities

This activity involves the prioritisation of candidate projects in order to select the one or more to be implemented first.

-

High level decision makers are responsible for prioritising projects

Subchapter 1.4.2

1.3

Appointment of the project design team

This activity involves the appointment of the project designers, who will be provided with the key elements of the project idea in order to proceed with the design of the project.

-

The Management of the Contracting Authorities is responsible for appointing the team of project designers

Subchapter 1.4.3

-

1.4

Development of Business Case

This activity involves the development of the Business Case, which is the document outlining the justification for the start-up of the project. More specifically, this activity involves:

-

Subchapter 1.5.1

1.5

Appointment of the Executive and Project Manager

This activity involves the appointment of the Executive of the Project Steering Committee and the Project Manager, so that the “Project Fiche” can be prepared and decisions can be taken.

-

Project owner is responsible for the selection of the Executive and the Project Manager on behalf of the Contracting Authority

Subchapter 1.5.2

1.6

Establishment of Project Fiche

This activity involves the preparation and compilation of the Project Fiche, which is a document that describes the project’s scope objectives, main activities, deliverables, organization, roles and responsibilities, provisional budget, possible risks, assumptions and constraints. Moreover, it is the activity during which the procurement needs are defined and documented.  Actually, the approval of this document indicates the agreement of the Project Owner, Contracting Authority and Funding Agency to support the project implementation.

-

Subchapter 1.5.3

1.7

Project approval

During this activity the Project Manager presents the Project Fiche and any other supportive documentation to the superior level of the Project Owner and asks for approval. In case of EU funded projects the Project Fiche must be approved also by the Competent Bodies (national & EU).

-

Subchapter 1.6.1

-

1.8

Appointment of the remaining members of Project Management Team

This activity involves the appointment of the Project Steering Committee members (except the Executive), the Team Manager and Quality Assurance Manager (where appropriate).

-

Subchapter 1.6.2

2

PROJECT PLANNING PHASE

Checklist 7-2: Reviewing the Project Planning Phase

2.1

Development of Activities Schedule

This activity involves the development of the Activities (Baseline) Schedule  through the application of Work Breakdown Structure, the identification of activities, the determination of activities’ sequence and dependencies, the estimation of activities/ tasks duration and the definition of their start and finish dates.

Responsible for the development of the Activities Schedule (for the Project)

Subchapter 7.4.1

2.2

Development of Resource Plan

This activity involves the development of the Resource Plan through the identification of the physical resources (labour, equipment, and material), the assignment of the resources to project activities/ tasks and the scheduling of their usage during the project implementation period.

Responsible for the development of the Resource Plan (i.e. responsible for preparing the  Resource Baseline Schedule and assigning Resources to Activities/ tasks)

Subchapter 7.4.2

2.3

Development of Cost Plan

This activity involves the development of the Cost Plan through the identification and estimation of costs, the development of Cost (Baseline) Schedule and the estimation of cost per activity/ task.

Responsible for the development of the Cost Plan (i.e. responsible for preparing the Cost Baseline Schedule and estimating the cost per activity/ task)

Subchapter 7.4.3

2.4

Development of Quality Plan

This activity involves the development of the Quality Plan through the definition of quality criteria and standards for the deliverables that will be produced and the establishment of quality control processes and techniques.

Responsible for the development of the Quality Plan

Subchapter 7.4.4

2.5

Development of Issue Management Plan

This activity involves the determination of the process according to which the issues related to the project will be formally identified, assessed and resolved

-

Subchapter 7.4.5

&

Chapter 6 “Contract Implementation & Contract Management”/ Handling Problems

2.6

Development of Change Management Plan

This activity involves the determination of the process according to which the requests for changes that have a direct impact on the project’s scope, cost, schedule or quality will be formally identified, assessed and resolved

-

Subchapter 7.4.6

&

Chapter 6 “Contract Implementation & Contract Management”/ Change Control

-

2.7

Development of Risk Plan

This activity involves the updating of Risk Log by reviewing the risks already identified and by identifying and evaluating new risks, as well as the development of Risk Management Plan (i.e. definition of risk management process, design of  relative documents, determination of roles and responsibilities)

Responsible for updating the Risk Log and developing the Risk Management Plan

Subchapter 7.4.7

2.8

Development of Acceptance Plan

This activity involves the development of the Acceptance Plan through the establishment of criteria & standards for the acceptance of the deliverables and the formalization & documentation of the acceptance process.

-

Subchapter 7.4.8

2.9

Setting up Performance Indicators

This activity involves the establishment of performance indicators and the process for monitoring them.

-

Subchapter 7.4.9

-

2.10

Development of Communication Plan

This activity involves the identification of the stakeholders, the determination of their communication needs, the definition of communication strategy and the completion of Communication Plan/ Matrix.

Responsible for the development of the Communication Plan, which should include the communication activities for which the Contractor is responsible (i.e. Progress Reports to the Contracting Authority, internal review meetings, Formal Review Meetings with the Contracting Authority, etc)

Subchapter 7.4.10

3

PROJECT EXECUTION & CONTROL PHASE

Checklist 7-5: Reviewing the Project Execution & Control Phase

3.1

Schedule Management or Schedule Control

This activity involves the recording of activities’ and tasks’ progress, the updating of Activities Schedule and the identification and resolving of schedule problems.

Responsible for:

Subchapter 7.5.1

3.2

Resource Management

This activity involves the recording of resource progress, the updating of Resource Schedule and the identification and resolving of resource allocation problems.

Responsible for:

The Project Manager is responsible for:

Subchapter 7.5.2

3.3

Cost Management or Cost Control

This activity involves the recording of actual costs (or expenses), the updating of the Cost Schedule and the identification and resolving of cost problems.

Responsible for:

The Project Manager is responsible for:

Subchapter 7.5.3

3.4

Quality Management

This activity involves the application of quality control processes as defined in the Quality Plan. During this activity the project deliverables are reviewed in order to ensure that they meet the quality targets and standards defined in the Quality Plan.

Responsible for the implementation of the Quality Plan

Subchapter 7.5.4

3.5

Issue Management

This activity involves the application of the issue management processes that were defined in the Issue Management Plan

Responsible for raising issues and implementing resolution actions

Subchapter 7.5.5

&

Chapter 6 “Contract Implementation & Contract Management”/ Handling Problems

3.6

Change Management or Change Control

This activity involves the application of the change management processes that were defined in the Change Management Plan

Responsible for:

The Project Manager is responsible for:

Subchapter 7.5.6

&

Chapter 6 “Contract Implementation & Contract Management”/ Change Control

3.7

Risk Management

This activity involves the application of risk monitoring and control processes that were defined in the Risk Management Plan.

Responsible for:

Subchapter 7.5.7

3.8

Acceptance Management

This activity involves the reviewing or testing of the deliverables against predefined criteria in order to decide whether they can be accepted or not.  

-

Subchapter 7.5.8

&

Chapter 6 “Contract Implementation & Contract Management”

-

3.9

Communication Management

This activity involves the distribution of information to project stakeholders according to the Communication Plan and the reporting of project’s performance.

Responsible for:

The Project Manager is responsible for:

The Project Steering Committee is responsible for approving the Progress Reports submitted by the Contractor

Subchapter 7.5.9

4

PROJECT CLOSURE PHASE

Checklist 7-8: Reviewing the Project Closure Phase

4.1

Performance of Administrative Closure

This activity involves the following:

Responsible for managing and coordinating the administrative closure.

Subchapter 7.6.1

4.2

Conduction of Project Evaluation Review

This activity involves the evaluation of project’s performance, conformance (i.e. whether the implementation of the project was in accordance with the processes defined in the Planning Phase) and effectiveness, as well as the preparation of the Project Evaluation Report.

Responsible for preparing the Project Evaluation Report and submitting it to the Contracting Authority

Subchapter 7.6.2

4.3

Conduction of post-project review

This activity involves the re-examination and review of project deliverables/ products/ outcomes a period after the end of the project in order to check whether the expected benefits have been achieved or not.  

-

Subchapter 7.6.3

-