Lets Write Africa’s Story Together!
Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.
Job Description
Key Focus
This role is responsible for coordinating and managing work streams or small projects. This role could also be expected to assist business project/ programme managers plan, execute and finalise projects according to cost and time. The role incumbent could also be expected to assist project support resources with project/ programme administrative tasks and report on progress to various stakeholders. He/she will be expected to work on low complexity projects/ work streams.
Role Size
M
Qualification Information
Matric + 2 years relevant experience
OR
Matric + 3 Year Tertiary
Key Result Area
Accountability
Project Scoping
- Understand the business requirements/ brief and objectives for a project/ work stream
- Based on the project scope undertaken already, further analyse and break down the effort and agree the parameters required to deliver that work stream or small project component
- Document this in the PID if required
- Work closely with the PM or business owner to gain approval.
Change request & Change control
- Manage the integrated change control process by undertaking the following:
- Be aware of potential changes to the baseline scope of the project that may require the initiation of the change control process
- Understand and communicate to PM/business owner the impact (i.e. time/ cost) of these changes to the project
- Initiate the change control process and get necessary approval
- Re-baseline changes to project schedule, plan and costs
- Ensure change log is updated.
Project planning
- Understands the business case and considers this when defining the project components, approach and key stakeholders etc.
- Establishes the target project plan.
- Based on the completed project scope undertake required analysis to formulate and sign-off the project schedule
- Utilise the business case and project schedule to develop the PID
- Monitor, control and manage the execution of the project according to the plan.
Quality Management
- Confirm and adhere to the quality approach to achieving quality including quality standards, controls and governances, processes and measures and build these into the project plan.
- Execute on quality components through duration of the project.
- Correct and/or escalate non-compliance to quality components timeously.
Project Expense & Benefits Management
Undertake sound cost management and benefits tracking and controls of the project through:
- Sound cost estimation based on effort estimation (project scoping). Refine cost options and engage with PM/ business owner to finalise the budget
- Establish a baseline to control the costs of the project throughout the project life cycle
- Track benefit metrics as agreed with PM/ business owner
- Support the business owner to update the project business case with the changing scenarios and plans.
- Create a robust project budget.
- Adhere to the necessary culture and processes for cost saving and efficiency through the project life cycle
Risk, Opportunity & Issue Management
- Undertake ongoing identification, assessment and monitoring of all project risks/ opportunities/ issues to determine their relevance and impact on the project
- Communicate and create awareness of any relevant issues/ risks/ opportunity with the project team
- Facilitate a process with other stakeholders to plan and identify sound risk mitigation and contingency solutions with PM/ business owner.
- Monitor solutions to ensure their effective implementation, escalating to the PM/ business owner of necessary; update project plans if required.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Facilitate the development of a stakeholder management plan that will effectively engage with key stakeholders/ vendors relevant to the project over the project life cycle
- Track the execution of the stakeholder management.
- Understand and ensure adherence to all governance structures and approval protocols for project decisions
- Plan and execute proper project communication processes/ management, within the project structure, over the course of the project life cycle including communication channels and methods that will be used to share the project performance data, project progress.
- Ensure there is an appropriate change management plan and process followed for the project. This either needs to be executed by the PM or co-ordinated through a Change Management resource.
Procurement & contract management
- Understand the terms and conditions of the vendor contract(s) being used on the project
- Co-ordinate and monitor the cost, quality and delivery of work, according to the contract terms over its duration. Escalate issues if required.
- Undertake ongoing vendor and basic contract management (at an operational level) oversight for the duration of the contract on the project. Address and escalate any issues timeously.
Key Result Area
Accountability
Project Scoping
- Understand the business requirements/ brief and objectives for a project/ work stream
- Based on the project scope undertaken already, further analyse and break down the effort and agree the parameters required to deliver that work stream or small project component
- Document this in the PID if required
- Work closely with the PM or business owner to gain approval.
Change request & Change control
- Manage the integrated change control process by undertaking the following:
- Be aware of potential changes to the baseline scope of the project that may require the initiation of the change control process
- Understand and communicate to PM/business owner the impact (i.e. time/ cost) of these changes to the project
- Initiate the change control process and get necessary approval
- Re-baseline changes to project schedule, plan and costs
- Ensure change log is updated.
Project planning
- Understands the business case and considers this when defining the project components, approach and key stakeholders etc.
- Establishes the target project plan.
- Based on the completed project scope undertake required analysis to formulate and sign-off the project schedule
- Utilise the business case and project schedule to develop the PID
- Monitor, control and manage the execution of the project according to the plan.
Quality Management
- Confirm and adhere to the quality approach to achieving quality including quality standards, controls and governances, processes and measures and build these into the project plan.
- Execute on quality components through duration of the project.
- Correct and/or escalate non-compliance to quality components timeously.
Project Expense & Benefits Management
Undertake sound cost management and benefits tracking and controls of the project through:
- Sound cost estimation based on effort estimation (project scoping). Refine cost options and engage with PM/ business owner to finalise the budget
- Establish a baseline to control the costs of the project throughout the project life cycle
- Track benefit metrics as agreed with PM/ business owner
- Support the business owner to update the project business case with the changing scenarios and plans.
- Create a robust project budget.
- Adhere to the necessary culture and processes for cost saving and efficiency through the project life cycle
Risk, Opportunity & Issue Management
- Undertake ongoing identification, assessment and monitoring of all project risks/ opportunities/ issues to determine their relevance and impact on the project
- Communicate and create awareness of any relevant issues/ risks/ opportunity with the project team
- Facilitate a process with other stakeholders to plan and identify sound risk mitigation and contingency solutions with PM/ business owner.
- Monitor solutions to ensure their effective implementation, escalating to the PM/ business owner of necessary; update project plans if required.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Facilitate the development of a stakeholder management plan that will effectively engage with key stakeholders/ vendors relevant to the project over the project life cycle
- Track the execution of the stakeholder management.
- Understand and ensure adherence to all governance structures and approval protocols for project decisions
- Plan and execute proper project communication processes/ management, within the project structure, over the course of the project life cycle including communication channels and methods that will be used to share the project performance data, project progress.
- Ensure there is an appropriate change management plan and process followed for the project. This either needs to be executed by the PM or co-ordinated through a Change Management resource.
Procurement & contract management
- Understand the terms and conditions of the vendor contract(s) being used on the project
- Co-ordinate and monitor the cost, quality and delivery of work, according to the contract terms over its duration. Escalate issues if required.
- Undertake ongoing vendor and basic contract management (at an operational level) oversight for the duration of the contract on the project. Address and escalate any issues timeously.
Team effectiveness
- Build and manage an effective project team in terms of;
- Positive team culture, dynamics and values.
- Resource allocation, skills identification and development
- Contracting, monitoring, management and delivery of project tasks and outcomes
- Recognition, motivation and support (wellness)
Accountable for one or more small-sized projects of low complexity with a small-sized team. Focuses on the creation of the project vision and planning documents and manages the implementation, reporting, and performance of the overall project with the expectation of delivering on time, within budget, and to scope.
Responsibilities
Project Planning
Produce workstream or project plans, ensuring that all activities are identified, are appropriately organized to deliver project objectives, and comply with the organization’s project management framework.
Project Scope Definition
Manage the delivery of research, workshops, and other activities to support the specification and agreement of project deliverables.
Stakeholder Management
Plan and deliver stakeholder engagement activities to develop effective working relationships for projects and to ensure that stakeholder needs and concerns are identified and met.
Requirements Management
Coordinate the identification and elicitation of requirements; conduct analysis of those requirements for completion and alignment; document and manage requirements throughout the life of the project; and coordinate the verification of the end deliverable. Generally done at the level of project phases.
Project Risk and Issue Management
Identify and evaluate risks, issues, dependencies, and constraints associated with the project, escalating matters where appropriate. Where necessary, develop, agree on, and implement solutions to overcome these concerns.
Project Reporting and Review
Draft project review reports and presentations, including key information, commentary, and recommendations, to support the review process and enable stakeholders to evaluate progress and agree on change.
Project Team Management
Lead a small project team; communicate the necessary outcomes and the direction required to achieve them; coordinate team actions on project tasks; request additional team member support when needed; and identify areas of improvement to build the capability of the team through training, coaching, and mentoring.
Continuous Improvement
Contribute to reviewing existing operations in own area of work, and generate new ideas to assist in identifying continuous improvements.
Project Resource Management
Manage the deployment of project resources, proactively managing project costs, providing forecasts, and presenting variances with narrative at appropriate review points to ensure effective utilization.
Work Scheduling and Allocation
Assign short-term work schedules to a team of subordinates in order to achieve expectations while following established timelines.
Document Preparation
Prepare moderately complex documents using a variety of applications for technology devices, such as standard office software. Also responsible for gathering and summarizing data for reports.
Project Closeout and Handover
Draft elements of product documentation and user training to support handover to business as usual. Contribute to post-project reviews and identification of lessons learned.
Project Assurance
Conduct assurance reviews within the project, facilitate the delivery of assurance reviews by independent third parties, and take appropriate action to resolve any issues identified, so that senior stakeholders have confidence that the project can deliver according to time, budget, and quality.
Personal Capability Building
Develop own capabilities by participating in assessment and development planning activities as well as formal and informal training and coaching; gain or maintain external professional accreditation, where relevant, to improve performance and fulfill personal potential. Maintain an understanding of relevant technology, external regulation, and industry best practices through ongoing education, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
Skills
Agile Project Management, Change Management, Prioritization, Project Budget Management, Project Communications Management, Project Estimations, Project Management Governance, Project Organization, Project Quality Assurance, Project Quality Management, Project Reporting, Project Scope Management, Requirements Management
