Project Roles

Well-defined and clearly articulated project roles are essential to a successful outcome. Each role carries distinct responsibilities and plays a vital part in driving progress toward the project’s goals.

Understanding your role from the start helps ensure alignment, accountability, and momentum throughout the project lifecycle

Project Advocate

The Project Advocate serves as the primary point of contact from the customer department and is typically the requester of the project. As a key member of the project team, the advocate champions the initiative, ensures departmental needs are represented, and helps drive alignment between stakeholders and project goals.

Core Responsibilities:

Represent the customer department’s interests and priorities
Provide context, background, and rationale for the project request
Collaborate with the project team to shape scope and outcomes
Communicate updates and gather feedback from the department

Executive Approver

All project proposals must be endorsed by a Loyola Vice President before submission. This step ensures executive awareness of project requests and prevents any approved initiatives from surprising cabinet-level leadership.

Key Points:

Endorsement confirms alignment with institutional priorities
It signals executive-level support for resource allocation and visibility
The Project Advocate or Project Sponsor(s) are responsible for securing this endorsement.

Project Sponsor

The Project Sponsor is the senior leader—typically at the Dean, Associate Vice President (AVP) level, or higher—who holds ultimate authority over the project. There may be more than one sponsor, depending on the scope and cross-functional nature of the initiative.

Key Responsibilities:

Set the project vision and strategic direction
Approve funding and allocation of institutional resources
Resolve escalated issues and remove barriers to progress
Approve major deliverables and milestones
Champion the project across the organization, providing visibility, focus, and moral support

The Sponsor’s active engagement is critical to maintaining momentum, securing buy-in, and ensuring alignment with Loyola’s broader mission and priorities.

Project Manager

The Project Manager is the central point of contact for the project and is responsible for its tactical execution from Initiation through Transition & Close. While the Project Manager does not perform all the work, they are accountable for ensuring that the work gets done—on time, within scope, and on budget.

Core Responsibilities:

Lead day-to-day project operations and coordination
Manage scope, schedule, and budget
Secure and align resources across departments
Facilitate communication and collaboration among team members
Oversee and maintain the project team site as the central hub for documentation and updates
Track progress, identify risks, and escalate issues as needed

The Project Manager is the engine that keeps the project moving forward, ensuring clarity, accountability, and momentum across all phases.

Technical Lead

The Technical Lead is responsible for coordinating technical resources and delivering the technical scope specific to their area(s), all under the guidance of the Project Manager. This role may be filled by one or more individuals depending on the complexity and breadth of the project’s technical needs—and in many cases, the Technical Lead also performs the technical work themselves.

Key Responsibilities:

Coordinate technical tasks and resources within their domain
Deliver technical scope items as defined in the project plan
Collaborate closely with the Project Manager to align timelines, dependencies, and deliverables
Identify risks or constraints related to technical execution
Serve as the subject matter expert for their area

Not all projects require a Technical Lead, but when they do, this role is essential for ensuring that technical components are delivered accurately, efficiently, and in sync with broader project goals.

Project Team Member

Project Team Members are individuals who actively contribute to the work of the project. They may come from any department impacted by the initiative and are formally assigned through the Project Charter.

Key Responsibilities & Engagement:

Participate in project work as defined by their role or expertise
Attend team meetings and contribute to discussions
Receive regular progress updates and communications
Access and utilize the project team site for documentation, collaboration, and resources

Team Members play a vital role in ensuring that departmental perspectives are represented and that the project’s outcomes are practical, inclusive, and sustainable.

Project Stakeholder

A Project Stakeholder is anyone with an interest in the success or failure of the project. This includes all previously defined roles—Sponsors, Advocates, Managers, Leads, and Team Members—as well as others who may be impacted by or invested in the project’s outcomes.

Key Considerations:

Stakeholders may be internal or external to the project team
Their level of involvement can vary from active participation to periodic consultation
Key Stakeholders should be regularly informed of project progress, milestones, and decisions

Effective stakeholder engagement ensures alignment, transparency, and support throughout the project lifecycle

Change Manager

Some projects may require the dedicated support of a Change Manager to ensure that operational, technical, and procedural changes are successfully adopted across the organization. The Change Manager designs and implements strategies that prepare, support, and engage stakeholders throughout the change journey.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and execute change management plans aligned with project goals
Design and deliver training programs to build readiness and capability
Create and manage project communications that inform, inspire, and align stakeholders
Identify change impacts and develop mitigation strategies
Partner with project leadership to monitor adoption and adjust tactics as needed

The Change Manager plays a critical role in turning project outcomes into lasting improvements by fostering understanding, commitment, and confidence among those affected.