PROJECT ORGANISATION 2: Sub-project manager (SPM) and work package owner (WPO)¶

Projects are always teamwork and in order to organise them, the definitions of the work packages are required, which can be taken from the WBS.

But who is the project manager's partner in the project?

Step 1
Decide which functional unit in the organisation or which external partner could perform the WP. Include the unit or external company in the WBS and create the first organisation breakdown structure (OBS), assign sub-project managers and the people who will be responsible for the work packages.

Step 2
For some WPs, an employee profile must be created in order to define the required WPO. The client, the HR department and / or (if the client has agreed to this) a line manager from the line organisation can possibly be recruited as supporters for this task. If the company carrying out the project has a quality management system, e.g. based on ISO 9000, predefined employee profiles may already be available in the QM manual.

Step 3
Define the people responsible for the WPs; possibly in conjunction with the people specified in step 3.

Step 4
It may be necessary to discuss the WPs with the person who is responsible for it and make some adjustments.

Step 5
Create a project organisation chart and establish an escalation procedure in case of a crisis [18]. It should be clarified that the project manager is the decision-maker in the event of a crisis, as this person has the most comprehensive knowledge of the project.

Procedures after defining the WPOs and SPMs
The next step is to dovetail the project with the line.