What to Know When Outsourcing Project Management
Project management is a dedicated field for good reason: Project oversight is a full-time role, and those doing tactical project work understandably won’t have the capacity to fill that role as well as their own. Assigning a team member as project manager may be appealing (no need to hire and pay for an additional role), but doing so may set that person up for failure. Yet, hiring a dedicated project manager doesn’t always make sense, either.
If your team doesn’t consistently have ongoing projects, you probably don’t have a need for a project manager all of the time. Hiring someone with expertise in your specific field also won’t guarantee that they’ll be an adept project manager. One solution is to outsource your project management. Bringing in someone with a specialty in project management can offer a variety of benefits. There are some challenges to be aware of, however; by addressing these in advance, you’ll ensure a successful outsourcing experience.
The most obvious benefit of outsourcing your project management is that you gain an extra level of expertise and an outside perspective. Professional project management consultants can offer fresh eyes for challenges that your team may not be able to see in an unbiased way. Outsourcing this role can also save money in your budget for other areas. You may only need to pay a salary for the duration of the project, versus an annual salary for a full-time employee. Given the expertise and experience level required for an in-house employee, this cost savings could be significant. Lastly, outsourcing a project manager gives your team more flexibility. Delays and changes are easier when you’re dealing with an outsourced, contract employee instead of a full-time one who may no longer have applicable work.
Outsourcing does present challenges you may not face with an in-house project manager, though. Someone from outside the company may have a difficult time earning team trust, and adding a new person changes the dynamic of a team. If at all possible, try to bring in your project manager before the actual work starts so they can be there for the ideating and scoping process and connect with the team before work begins. Because the project manager will only be there for a set amount of time, team members may not invest the time in learning to collaborate with them the way they do with one another. Include your project manager in team bonding activities and outings, and consider having an expectation-setting session with everyone at the start of the project.
Ultimately, these challenges can be addressed with some upfront planning. With ongoing projects, a full time, in-house employee may be the best fit, but you can test the waters by outsourcing a project manager for a single project. If you’re considering experimenting with an outsourced project management, we’d love to hear from you.