Datasheet

Determining Roles and Responsibilities
No person is an island, and the same is especially true of Web contractors. Every project requires some
level of coordination with additional people, whether they are members of your team, or stakeholders
from the client’s company. As such, a successful project becomes less about providing a set of deliver-
ables at a specific time, and more about managing the different members of the project team. Clearly
communicating the expectations placed on every member of the project will help ensure that deadlines
are met on time, on budget, and above the client’s expectations.
At some point in your professional career, you’ll be staffed on a project where its requirements exceed
your abilities as an individual. This isn’t something to dread, however. Rather, discuss with your client
that their project’s scope requires additional resources to meet the deadlines, so that you can plan your
budget accordingly.
In either scenario, it might be helpful to sketch out a table that outlines not only the various roles dis-
tributed throughout your team, but their responsibilities as well. In the following table, we’ve banged
out a rough sketch of what the average project team might look like. Even if you’re the sole resource
working on a project, this exercise can be quite helpful. Acting in multiple roles can be quite a juggling
act throughout the duration of a contract, and a table such as this can help you identify exactly what is
required of you, and with whom you’ll need to interact.
Role Responsibilities Deliverables
Project manager The overall traffic manager, Scope statement (co-author); timelines.
overseeing the project’s
progress from gathering
requirements to delivery.
Works with the client sponsor
to define the scope and
requirements of the project.
Project sponsor This primary point-of-contact Scope statement (co-author); creative
at the client company defines brief; any additional materials deemed
business requirements, and necessary for gathering of requirements.
provides sign-off at various
stages of the project.
Information architect Develops the site’s infrastruc- Site map; wireframes.
ture and establishes interface
guidelines that are both intuitive
and scalable.
Web designer Establishes the site’s visual Graphic mockups; static HTML
design, or “look-and-feel.” templates (as well as necessary
CSS/image assets); style guide.
Web developer Responsible for any server-side Functional specification; application
programming when building a server installation/configuration.
dynamic, database-driven Web site.
Database developer Builds the database that will Data model; database installation/
house the Web site’s content, configuration.
and drive other dynamic aspects
of the site.
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The Planning and Development of Your Site
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