Project Office Charter

Statement of Purpose

The Project Office Charter provides an outline of the services provided by the Project Office and the level at which the client can expect these services to be delivered.  It also briefly covers the role of the Project Office within the University, the standards and values, and the steps required to communicate any feedback.

Background

Over the past decade, project management support services have operated within IT Resources under a variety of guises. Due to an acknowledged need, the Project Office was re-established in 2007 to provide expert advice, mentoring, and project assurance to staff within the Section.  It has been recognised within the Division of Finance and Administration that the Project Office has a role at the Divisional level and as such, services will be provided to all business units.

Role of the Project Office

The role of the Project Office is to provide a range of project management and support services to business units within the Division of Finance and Administration.  These services are offered in conjunction with project management tools and materials based on the tailored project management methodology, PMM@UTas. 
The Project Office aims to provide a consistent approach to project management through the adoption of a widely used methodology.  This serves to minimise the risks inherent in any project. 

Services

When using the services of the Project Office you can expect:

• Experienced and qualified Project Managers to manage projects within the Division on a “pay-as-you-go” basis;
• Mentoring for Project Managers and their teams;
• Project staff capable of assisting in the running of projects of differing size;
• Prompt project support covering a range of topics including the use of project materials, project approach, management enquiries and frequently asked questions;
• Project templates developed to cater to the general needs of the University and tailored to suit a variety of project sizes;
• Project tools freely available to University staff to support them in the operation and management of projects;
• Training tailored to meet the requirements of UTas;
• Business analysis of new initiatives;
• Assistance with project sizing; and
• Quality assurance for ongoing project work.

Client Base

The Project Office supports the Division of Finance and Administration’s business units in the management of projects using a highly communicative and documented process. 

Organisational Structure

The figure below illustrates the organisational structure of the Project Office.  To see the position of the Project Office within the organisation please refer to the following link:

http://www.utas.edu.au/itr/about_itr/ITROrgChart_20060929.pdf

Values

The Project Office aims to provide a service to the division, which allows staff to take greater control of their projects, delivering them on time and on budget.  In doing so, the Project Office staff aim to adhere to the following standards:

• Professional and courteous interactions with clients;
• Prompt response to enquiries;
• Maintain up-to-date qualifications with regular and relevant training;
• Respond and act on feedback;
• Maintain the ideals and interests of the University as a whole;
• Adhere to the policies and procedures as mandated by the University; and
• Maintain the aims of the Edge2 agenda.

Feedback

Any feedback pertaining to the services and staff of the Project Office can be directed to the following contacts:

Carol McDade, Project Administration Officer
Email:  project.office@utas.edu.au
Phone:  6226 6316

Steven Smalley, Manager – Project Office
Email:  steven.smalley@utas.edu.au
Phone:  6226 1063