A successful project will:
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Meet or exceed client expectations.
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Deliver on the agreed objectives - on time and within agreed budget.
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Make the client look good with their superiors and peers and validate their choice of your PR agency.
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Be undertaken with the minimum of fuss, drama and stuff-ups.
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Overall, be a good experience for everyone.
Responsibilities of the project manager
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Key client link - managing the relationship and maintaining a firm understanding of client expectations.
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Choose the team.
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Distribute the work based on the provision of a thorough brief, ensuring a good understanding of a) client expectations b) objectives.
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Introduce team members to the client as appropriate - clients take comfort in knowing that they are being looked after.
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Lead the team, monitor team workflow/effectiveness, maintain interest in activity and offer assistance and/or guidance as required.
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Make sure things happen.
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Challenge consultants (and themselves) to do the best they can.
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Spend the budget, all the budget, and no more than the budget.
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Maintain contact with the client in the hope of more work.
Responsibilities of team members
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Show an interest in the client's business, stay-in-touch (read stuff). Clients and project managers appreciate smart and well-informed people.
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Build relationship with client its managers and staff.
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Think about the task, contribute ideas to help meet or exceed expectations.
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Meet or exceed the project manager's expectations.
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Ensure effective project budget control/comply with financial and quality processes detailed in quality manual.
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Communicate with the team and offer assistance and/or guidance as required.
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Try and move up the value chain (do more than the allotted task).
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Do the work as soon as you can, don't hoard it. Do it today, tomorrow will bring more.
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Meet or beat the deadline. Put your hand up if you can't so the work can be
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Bill for the time you work, all of it (short billing is good news for the client and project manager but not for you the PR professional).