The client role in project management
01 Sep 2021
The number of people who will work on your project and their responsibilities will depend on your outsourcing partner. But no matter who is on your team, it’s important for team members to have a clear vision and a shared understanding of project roles and responsibilities.
We’ve already discussed what a typical development team structure looks like and the responsibilities of software team members. Now is a good time to talk about who the client is and their role in the project. Yes, the client has responsibilities too. The client responsibilities in a project include:
- Actively participating in eliciting, reviewing, and approving product requirements and designs to ensure business needs are met
- Providing regular feedback and answering clarifying questions throughout the product development process
- Tracking project progress, constantly reviewing deliverables, and taking part in meetings
- Validating incoming invoices
It’s important to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all project stakeholders and specify the level of autonomy and independence on your outsourcing partner’s side early on. Also, you (as the client) should understand that one of your major tasks is to share your project’s vision, set clear goals, and motivate your team.