Project Roles

Project manager:

This manager is in charge of all components of the project related to the project including managing the initial set of project requirements, analysis, and system, and detailed design. This manager must ensure that the original project description and requirements specifications are satisfied. The manager is also responsible for ensuring that the implementation strictly adheres to the information given in the design documents, and that the testing phase accurately tests the tool for establishing that all the requirements have been satisfied. The manager ensures the timely completion of tasks and maintains a current project plan. This manager is responsible for the success of the project.

Project Coordinator / Facilitator:

This manager is in charge of organizing and scheduling meetings for group members. The manager is also responsible for ensuring regular attendance of all group members and to facilitate (moderate) the meetings to ensure that the meetings follow the agenda and that the desired outcomes of the meeting are met. This manager should also prepare and distribute the agenda for the meetings at least 24 hours prior to the meeting time so all members have sufficient time to prepare. (Items for the agenda should come from the project manager and other group members.) This manager should also distribute the results of the meetings to all members to ensure a clear understanding of the outcomes and action items, no later than 24 hours after the meeting (different group members should take turns recording the minutes). All meeting announcements (agendas) and meeting summaries should be cc'd to the cps479 account (you will be evaluated based on your adherence to this requirement).

Documentation and Configuration manager:

This manager is responsible for delegating tasks associated with all forms of documentation for the project including reports for requirements, analysis and design, documentation within the code, user manual, and final report. In the latter half of the project, this manager is responsible for delegating the implementation tasks and ensuring that all the correct versions of modules are used during the development phase. In addition, this manager is responsible for the integration of the different modules, therefore plays a critical role during the design phase when module interface specifications are determined. This person is responsible for the demonstration of the project at the end of the term.

Customer Liaison/Research Coordinator:

This manager is responsible for all communication between the group members and the customer. This role includes the setting up of teleconferences and meetings. Any questions from the group members will be channeled through this person. This person is also responsible for collecting information specific to the project domain (e.g. background research). This manager is responsible for maintaining all correspondences between the customer and the group.

Specialist:

In the case of the team containing an extra team member, that person is the specialist for a specific task. This means that their duties with respect to each of the phases of the software development process will focus on their specialty, but that does not mean that they are relieved all together from other tasks. But instead, their share of the work will primarily be associated with the special need. Example specialities include databases and networking.