Roles in portfolio-managed and large-scale projects

The project owner has overall responsibility for ensuring that the project achieves its objectives. The project owner will be decided based on the project’s objectives and content. The project owner appoints and chairs the project board.

At minimum, the project board should consist of a representative of the users of the project's deliveries (senior user) and a representative of those implementing the project (senior supplier).

The project owner, with the support of the project board, shall:

• follow up the project’s progress and results
• support the project manager and the project team in their implementation of the project
• ensure necessary clarifications and resources
• contribute to ensuring expedient handover of the project to operation and management in the line organisation

More information about the project owner from Prosjektveiviseren.

The project manager is the project’s day-to-day leader and reports to the project owner. The project manager ensures that the project is completed within the given frameworks, which, among other things, includes:

• planning
• delegating tasks to the rest of the project team
• following up activities, progress and uncertainty
• managing all aspects of the project

The project manager must motivate all those involved to contribute to achieving the project's objectives.

More information about the project manager from Prosjektveiviseren.

A project participant will work on defined project tasks together with the other members of the project team. A project participant's role is not to advocate the special interests of the unit he/she represents, but to contribute necessary expertise.

More information about project participants from Prosjektveiviseren.

The benefits realisation lead has overall responsibility for ensuring that the project’s benefits are realised. The benefits realisation lead will normally be a manager from the part of the line organisation that will realise the benefits.

More information about the benefits realisation lead from Prosjektveiviseren.

Not all projects need a reference group. This will depend on the size and complexity of the project.

The role of the reference group is advisory, but it has no direct power in the project. The group often comprises user representatives or experts who are not directly involved in the project but have valuable expertise and can provide advice and input.

The reference group may also act as a change network when new technical solutions or work methods are introduced, by promoting the project in the members’ respective units.

The project’s stakeholders are persons, groups or organisations that may affect, become affected by, or believe that they will be affected by the project’s implementation or results. Examples of typical stakeholder groups include the management, users (students and staff), committees and associations, authorities, the HE sector and other groups with potential interests in the project.

Examples of stakeholders at OsloMet.

More information about stakeholders from Prosjektveiviseren.