The Project Administrator: Perspectives to Project Support Services

The application of projects in various organizational settings and for multiple purposes is accelerating at a rapid pace. Increasingly public and private sector institutions and enterprises appreciate the value of projects to render services and products on time, within budget and according to quality specifications. The ultimate success of projects is, however, dependent on the professional expertise of dedicated support staff. The role and responsibilities of project administrators are therefore rapidly growing to establish administrative support structures, systems and processes, as well as adequate project controls, document management, and stakeholder communication. Project host organizations, project managers and governance bodies, such as steering committees, need to be strongly supported to ensure that the hands of key role-players are strengthened through accurate record-keeping, archival services, project management information systems, control systems, and team support. For this purpose, organizational arrangements such as project management units, project support offices, and project management offices are established to facilitate institutional memory and to embed the principles of a learning organization as far as project best practices are concerned. The body of knowledge of Project Management is also highly dynamic and is expanding to incorporate the exciting world of project support services. The purpose of this publication is to provide an overview of the nature of project support services with particular reference to the roles and responsibilities of project administrators. The publication covers the following key areas: the fundamentals of project management including concepts, principles, life cycle phases, PMBOK, and methodologies; the nature of project support services, including the typical job profile and responsibilities of project administrators; support through organizational and project governance arrangements; project planning support; project controls, reviews, and reporting support; and project team support and self-management. This publication is a must-read for project practitioners in the field of project support services and business administration, and also serves as an invaluable text book to train project support staff. Various self-assessment exercises and practical examples are included to aid this purpose.