“My people know exactly what needs to be done. They’ve already come up with a schedule that shows the project should be able to be completed within three months. It really is very straightforward, so I should be able to manage it along with my current obligations without any trouble. I don’t see why we need to designate someone full time as the project manager.”

That was my manager’s response to my suggestion that we designate a dedicated project manager to oversee all project activities, his group’s IT activities, other impacted functional areas, and the vendor deliverables required to successfully complete this project. As a manager or department head, you have probably heard these words. If you have great people working for you, they typically view the appointment of a project manager as a negative reflection on their abilities.

Your challenge is to ensure that you and your management team recognize the need for a dedicated project manager to oversee the mission-critical, business transformational initiatives that warrant one. Otherwise, all of the internal and external activities and the cross-functional risks may not be identified. This can mean several things, including the promised end dates will be overly optimistic and not met; the unidentified costs will surface and skew the business case; and the business objectives dependent upon a project being finished will constantly have to be reformulated as the project falters. And if it is primarily a technology-focused project, the effect on the business user or customer can easily be glossed over.

But how do you determine if your special initiative requires project management structure and expertise versus just good management oversight?

If your manager has delivered a successful project of like magnitude and under similar circumstances in the past, then ask yourself if that manager can manage a project as well as the normal day-to-day operations. You can also usually determine whether your project requires a dedicated project manager by answering the following questions:

If you answered “yes” to more than one of the questions above, you should consider appointing a dedicated project manager who can provide structure and expertise using proven project management practices and techniques. In this way, you can ensure your project’s success and get the best results possible from your team.