Project Management Assistant BTOM_PMA
Generalized under the title “Project Management Assistant” are a number of support roles in the project management field, such as “Project Control Officer”, “Project Accountant”, that are more than just administrative positions. Rather, these are assistant management positions that are focused on the timeliness and cost of work in progress, which can make or break a project. In a control officer capacity you would monitor the daily “to do” lists to make sure supplies arrive on time, are verified, and promptly scheduled for payment. You make sure who is on site, and who is absent from work, which are key payroll responsibilities. You may collect status updates from site supervisors or team leads, to make sure the project stays on track. There are too many tasks that may be delegated to this role to cover off all possibilities in scope of work: what is important is to realize that the project structure has become increasingly common for managing change in the workplace, which adds to the value of being able to take on this role in smaller companies.
A project control officer (PCO) typically acts as a mid-level coordinator reporting to senior staff and senior project managers on larger projects. This professional helps to coordinate project tasks in large information technology projects or construction projects, and will typically provide oversight to make sure that contributors have clear roles in individual projects. The duties of a project control officer may also include budgetary and risk management components. Since a project control officer works directly with project managers, some companies ask that these professionals use a diplomatic approach to work as an effective liaison between different levels of management. Project control officers may execute deliverables, prioritize workloads, handle issues of confidentiality, execute change orders, or present documentation. Through all of these tasks and others, a project control officer coordinates multiple elements of projects to make sure they're done effectively and efficiently.
Qualifications for project control officers include a technical background (such as a degree in computer science or a construction technologist), with computer skills and experience in a range of different software packages. Presentation skills are often handy and in some cases advanced degrees (an MBA) can be an asset, but many individuals can make a useful contribution with less post-secondary education but a solid understanding of project management. Coordinators may also take the place of project managers in smaller initiatives, such as an office move or a smaller renovation project. Companies may also ask for procurement or contract experience, vendor management experience, or other kinds of skills and experience that are relevant to a particular project or work environment. We have many detailed courses in project management on this site, so in the context of being in the office management program we look at someone doing smaller in-house projects that they coordinate on behalf of management. In this course we use basic project management software to illustrate the concepts of how to organize and manage a project from an administrative tracking perspective.
The key to a project’s success is to identify all the activities that must be performed in order to implement specific objectives, and to estimate the effort in time for different classes of labour required to perform the work involved. Usually the project manager does the overall planning, but for smaller projects (or contributing initiatives) that is delegated to the PCO. Also, where standard projects are involved, such as installing equipment with a minimal amount of actual construction, or upgrading the software on corporate PCs, you may see the client calling for a PCO to coordinate the work and to track progress, rather than to actually get a project manager to take on such projects. A PCO may also be focused on a specific trade, such as coordinating all the electrical installations in a larger client environment to make sure the work is done as specified.
One of the major cost components that this role monitors is materials, as well as the Just In Time delivery of materials to make sure there is no large inventory exposed to spoilage, yet the work is not interrupted by materials shortages. The PCO may work closely with a site supervisor to make sure the conditions are right for a layup area to accept deliveries, to coordinate the availability of a crane if necessary, or to make sure all kinds of other conditions are cleared before obstacles get in the way. It can be a hectic role to play, so there is no way the project manager can do everything single-handedly and maintain sponsor and stakeholders management as well. Typically any exceptions that the PCO cannot get resolved will be escalated to the project manager.
Based on the cost of labour and materials the PCO typically creates the budget for a project, which is a major aspect of the project charter. We use detailed estimates in Excel™ depending on the scope of the project and we have several budgeting tools to work the numbers accordingly, estimates that are usually refined by the PCO as the scope of work gets more specific. In many cases, estimates are provided by the trades or sub-contractors, often with a guaranteed maximum that the PCO uses to confirm the budget. Even in smaller projects, using more basic tools, we have provisions for detailed budgeting so that the PCO can assess the cost of work with a fair degree of certainty (so long as the scope of work does not change – then change controls ensure that stakeholders pre-approve the associated budget adjustments as well).
As orders are placed, deliveries are confirmed, and invoices are vetted, the PCO will also keep track of the actual costs. A challenging aspect is the accrual of costs upon commitment until the accounts are settled and acknowledged in the financial accounting systems. The accruals are a primary defense against overspending – there can be as much as a 3 months delay before the actual costs are reflected in the general ledger of the company. It also has a more immediate impact on reinforcing a budgeted amount, and to monitor any issues that could cause actual costs to escalate. The work effort is monitored to ensure the proper amount of time and materials is charged, and then the invoices must be checked to confirm that actual invoices are not out of line with budgets unless the appropriate adjustments are documented due to unforeseen conditions (that exclude a contractor forgetting to account for things).
We explore the use of Excel™ as a powerful tool to report on progress within the project, especially the committed costs, and how they stack up against the approved budget. Excel™ makes it relatively easy to tie budgets and actual to detailed work activities, so that the PCO can audit the expenditures and make sure the client does not overpay for those activities, even though actual costs may not exactly match the budgets. Many large projects have been monitored and controlled using Excel™ as the reporting engine, if only because we can easily manage and share such Excel™-based reports, as compared to teaching stakeholders in the use of project management systems. At the end of this session we also review the career options that exist in this field.
Learning Formats BTOM_PMA
This course will be available in a classroom setting (public or company private) with approximately 30 contact hours.
PDF – Certificate Of Completion
This course offers a certificate of completion that identifies the course, the student, and a brief description of the course. To receive a certificate the student must have attended at least 80% of the course sessions. This personalized certificate is forwarded to the student by Email.
PDF – Course Notebook
This course includes a notebook in PDF format that provides the minimum knowledge the student must master in order to obtain the certificate. In the notebook you will find references to other study materials. Students receive the notebook by Email when their registration is confirmed.
PDF – Program Overview
An overview of this study program can be downloaded from the website by right-clicking on the program link on the enquiry page.
PDF – Current Training Schedule
A list of upcoming training sessions can be downloaded from the website by right-clicking on the schedule link on the enquiry page.
Registration – Service Providers
To register for any training course please look on the enquiry link page of your service provider (from where you accessed this website). On the page you will find a registration request form where you can order the course that you are interested in. The availability dates will be provided to you, along with payment instructions if you decide to go ahead.
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