BUILDING THE PROJECT TEAM

Once the project has been reasonably described, the project manager is ready to assemble a talented, appropriately sized project team. One axiom of project management is that the people who do the work should do the planning, too. More minds on a problem generally results in a better solution. Projects are problem-solving exercises where the end product or service is the solution, so having a good team whose members can cooperate to develop an appropriate solution can make all the difference.

A project team should consist of the minimum number of skill sets necessary to satisfy the project's objectives, as described in the project charter. For a very small project, the team might be just two or three people. For large, complex projects, the number can vary from ten to 50 people or more. Focus on scaling the team to meet the project's needs: no more, no less.