Proponents need to appoint a project manager. The project manager is responsible for delivering the project and managing members of the project team, including external advisers and consultants. The project manager requires a good understanding of government processes and excellent business skills for negotiating and developing the project arrangement.
The proponent's relationship with the project manager will require careful development within the following guidelines:
• no matter how much responsibility is delegated to the project manager, proponents retain ultimate authority and therefore must have adequate knowledge and information about the project to be able to exercise that authority properly;
• proponents need to make clear to the project manager the precise extent of any delegated authority together with those decisions reserved to the project proponent; and
• formal communication between the proponents and consultants/advisers should be routed through the project manager.
Where entities lack internal project management expertise or where the project manager has other time pressures, project management expertise may be brought in from outside.
External project management advisers should have a full and practical understanding of the procurement process including:
• key elements of the business case and, if applicable, the value-for-money benchmark(s);
• identifying and evaluating risks;
• tendering procedures;
• negotiation with bidders; and
• contracts management.