Roles and responsibilities

Understand the key roles and responsibilities within a typical governance structure based on a project’s size and complexity. Where government funding is sought through the budget process, and both internal and external (e.g. from central agencies) approvals received, you should clearly define project roles and responsibilities to avoid duplication of outputs as the project progresses. This will ensure that approvals are obtained from the appropriate person, decision-making body or organisation. Roles and responsibilities will depend partly on the TAFE’s constitution and its internal processes and structure.

Before defining roles and responsibilities, it is important to develop the project’s governance structure based on its size and complexity. Similarly, it is advisable to understand the key points across its lifecycle that are likely to require specific approval or endorsement, both internally and externally (from government departments and other potential third-party project participants).

While most roles and responsibilities identified within the project’s governance structure are expected to remain relatively constant across its lifecycle, it is likely that personnel for key delivery roles, such as the project manager, project director and specialist advisors, may change over time.

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Business-as-usual projects

Depending on the TAFE’s internal processes and the associated governance structure for a business-as-usual (BAU) project, the following key roles and responsibilities may be relevant:

Project manager: Responsible for managing the daily tasks of the project across the project lifecycle. For a BAU project, this is expected to be an internal staff member within the assets and facilities team, noting that some highly technical or specialised elements may require the engagement of a specialist consultant/independent contractor.
Director of assets and facilities (or equivalent): Responsible for overseeing the project with the potential to provide approval for minor scope and budget variations throughout the project lifecycle, in accordance with the TAFE’s agreed delegations. It is anticipated that the director of assets and facilities will be responsible for overseeing a range of BAU and low complexity projects simultaneously.
Executive management: May be represented by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) or an appropriate officer typically responsible for providing a range of approvals across the project lifecycle, with delegated authority for all key BAU project decisions other than exception-based reporting noted below.
Board (or board sub-committee): During the project definition, funding and approvals phase, the TAFE board and/or relevant sub-committee may provide approval that the project is part of its priority program of works. Reporting may also occur on an aggregated (monthly, quarterly) or exceptions basis to the TAFE’s board or relevant board sub-committee, with the board to monitor projects across the project lifecycle for general compliance and risk management. Please refer to the TAFE’s constitution to understand the role of the board or relevant sub-committee in the project. In addition to the above key roles within the project’s governance arrangements, you may also require the following entities to play a key role providing project input and advice:
Facilities team: May be responsible for ensuring that the project is planned to meet desired outcomes, as well as ensuring it is capable of meeting the facilities team’s operational and maintenance requirements following final commissioning and handover.
Specialist advisors: May be responsible for providing technical advisory services, if required, for some technical BAU projects.

Low complexity projects

Depending on the TAFE’s internal processes and the associated governance structure for a low complexity project, the following key roles and responsibilities may be relevant:

Project manager: Responsible for managing the daily tasks of the project across the project lifecycle. For a low complexity project, this may be an internal staff member within the assets and facilities team, noting that some highly technical or specialised elements may require the engagement of specialised consultants.
Project director: Responsible for overseeing decisions made by the project manager and providing specialist skills and resources. For low complexity projects, the project director may be the director of assets and facilities, in accordance with the TAFE’s agreed delegations. However, some highly technical or specialised elements may require the engagement of specialised consultants to fulfil the role of a project director. It is anticipated that the project director will be responsible for overseeing a range of BAU and low complexity projects simultaneously.
Project control group (PCG): The PCG is likely to be established once the project has been approved and received funding. The PCG may provide endorsement and guidance to resolve key project issues throughout the project lifecycle, in accordance with key agreed parameters directed from the TAFE’s executive management and/or board. The PCG may also endorse/recommend (but not approve) changes to scope, program and budget, as well as the appointment of specialised consultants, to the executive management and/or TAFE board.
Executive management: May include senior executives, including the Chief Operating Officer (COO) or appropriate officer, typically responsible for providing a range of approvals across the project lifecycle, in particular setting the key project parameters for the project (typically relating to scope, budget and program) in accordance with the appropriate TAFE board delegations.
Board (or board sub-committee): Depending on the TAFE’s delegation of authority matrix and internal structures, the board, or relevant board sub-committee, will likely act as an approval body for a range of decisions across the project lifecycle. Approvals may include the initial specifics of the project (as part of the initial project funding and approvals process), and any subsequent proposed changes to those agreed project parameters (particularly relating to project scope, program and budget). Reporting may also occur on an aggregated (monthly, quarterly) or exceptions basis to the TAFE’s board or relevant board sub-committee, with the board to monitor projects across the project lifecycle for general compliance and the TAFE’s risk management. Please refer to the Commercial g uidelines –TAFE institutes and the TAFE’s constitution to further understand the role of the TAFE board in the project. In addition to the above key roles within the project’s governance arrangements, you may also require the following entities to play a key role providing project input and advice:
Facilities team: May be responsible for ensuring that the project is planned to meet desired outcomes, as well as ensuring the project is capable of meeting the facilities team’s operational and maintenance requirements following final commissioning and handover.
Specialist advisors: May be responsible for providing technical advisory services, if required, for some technical low complexity projects.

Medium complexity projects

Depending on the TAFE’s internal processes and the associated governance structure for a medium complexity project, the following key roles and responsibilities may be relevant:

Project manager: Responsible for overseeing the daily tasks of the project across the project lifecycle. Depending on the TAFE’s in-house capabilities and capacity, it is likely that an external project manager may be engaged specifically for the project.
Project director: Responsible for overseeing decisions made by the project manager, providing specialist skills and resources and chairing the project control group if there is a project steering committee that is already chaired by the project sponsor. Depending on the TAFE’s in-house capabilities and capacity, it is likely that an external project director may be engaged specifically for the project.
Project sponsor: The project sponsor (or senior responsible owner) is usually accountable for the outcomes for the project while chairing the project steering committee (PSC) meetings, or the project control group (PCG) meetings in the absence of a PSC. Depending on the project’s size and complexity, the director of assets and facilities or a project director may satisfy the role of the project sponsor. Where the project is of high significance to the TAFE, this may instead be a member of executive management (such as the COO).
Project control group (PCG): The PCG is likely to be established once the project has been approved and funding committed. The PCG may provide endorsement and guidance to resolve key project issues throughout the project’s lifecycle, in accordance with key agreed parameters directed from the TAFE’s executive management and/or board. The PCG may also endorse/recommend (but not approve) changes to scope, program and budget, as well as the appointment of specialised consultants, to executive management and/or TAFE board committee.
Project steering committee (PSC): If the project has a requirement for additional stakeholders, such as central government agencies and industry partners, you may wish to have both a PSC and a PCG. In this instance, the PSC is a decision-making body that may be responsible for monitoring the project and providing strategic advice from a range of organisations. The PSC may endorse decisions and make recommendations, but will only have the authority to approve the appointment of project managers and project directors and to approve the scope and the expenditure of the contingency and risk-based budget, if appropriate.
Executive management: May include senior executives, such as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) or an appropriate delegate, typically responsible for providing a range of approvals across the project lifecycle. In particular, executive management will be responsible for setting the key project parameters for the project (typically relating to the scope, budget and program) in accordance with the appropriate delegations from the TAFE’s board. Executive management will likely make decisions based on the outcomes of PSC or PCG meetings, if applicable.
Board (or board sub-committee): Depending on the TAFE’s delegation of authority and internal structures, its board or relevant board sub-committee will likely act as an approval body for a range of decisions across the project lifecycle. Approvals may include the initial specifics of the project (as part of the initial project funding and approvals process) and any subsequent proposed changes to those agreed project parameters (particularly relating to project scope, program and budget). Reporting may also occur on an aggregated (monthly, quarterly) or exceptions basis to the TAFE’s board or relevant board sub-committee. The board will monitor projects across the project lifecycle for general compliance and the TAFE’s risk management. The board may also have the following roles:

ensuring a business case has been adequately prepared before ministerial approval to release funding and proceed with the project is provided
provide regular monitoring and oversight over the project lifecycle, and
provide approvals at key points during procurement and delivery, including any proposed change in key project parameters prior to these being considered by government. Please refer to the Commercial guidelines – TAFE institutes and the TAFE’s constitution to further understand the role of the board committee in the project.

Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery (OTCD): The OTCD will likely act as an intermediaryapproval body for externally funded, medium complexity projects (for example, recommending that the project be part of the TAFE program funding submission to government, and once approved, may require project updates through attendance at PSC or PCG meetings). These approvals include any proposed change in previously agreed key project parameters such as scope, program or budget. Any major changes to these key parameters may require further consideration by government more broadly.
Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF)/Treasurer: DTF and the Treasurer provide a critical role in relation to seeking approval of funding and to proceed with the project, based on its business case. This will generally apply on an aggregated OTCD TAFE program budget bid basis or on an exceptions basis for some medium complexity projects.
Cabinet committee: The appropriate cabinet committee will act as an approval body on an aggregated OTCD TAFE program budget bid basis and on an exceptions basis for some medium complexity projects. These approvals may include any key changes from agreed parameters or key issues of risk during procurement and delivery. In addition to the above key roles within the project’s governance arrangements, you may also require the following entities to provide input and advice:
Facilities team: Responsible for ensuring that the project is planned to meet desired outcomes, as well as ensuring it is capable of meeting the facilities team’s operational and maintenance requirements following final commissioning and handover.
Specialist advisors: Responsible for providing advisory services as required for medium complexity projects. This could include technical advisory services and other related services including financial, commercial, legal and probity advisory services across the project lifecycle.

High-value-high-risk project

Depending on the TAFE’s internal processes and the associated governance structure for a high-value-high-risk (HVHR) project, the following key roles and responsibilities may be relevant. You can determine if the project is HVHR using DTF’s project profile model. For all HVHR projects, DTF and the Treasurer play a mandatory role, outlined in DTF’s High-Value-High-Risk Framework:

Project manager: Responsible for overseeing the daily tasks of the project across the project lifecycle. Depending on the TAFE’s in-house capabilities and capacity, it is likely that an external project manager may be engaged specifically for the project.
Project director: Responsible for overseeing decisions made by the project manager, providing specialist skills and resources and chairing the project control group (PCG) if there is a project steering committee (PSC) that is already chaired by the project sponsor. Depending on the TAFE’s in-house capabilities and capacity, it is likely that an external project director may be engaged specifically for the project.
Project sponsor: The project sponsor (or senior responsible owner) is usually accountable for the outcomes for the project while chairing the PSC meetings or the PCG meetings in the absence of a PSC. This will likely be a member of the executive management (such as the COO).
Project control group (PCG): The PCG is likely to be established once the project has been approved and received funding. The PCG may provide endorsement and guidance to resolve key project issues throughout the project’s lifecycle, in accordance with key agreed parameters directed from the TAFE’s executive management and/or board. The PCG may also endorse/recommend (but not approve) changes to scope, program and budget, as well as the appointment of specialised consultants, to the executive management and/or TAFE board.
Project steering committee (PSC): For an HVHR project, you may wish to have both a PSC and a PCG. In this instance, the PSC is a decision-making body that may be responsible for monitoring the project and providing strategic advice from a range of organisations. The PSC may endorse decisions and make recommendations, but will only have the authority to approve the appointment of project managers and project directors and to approve the scope and the expenditure of contingency and risk-based budget, if appropriate.
Executive management: The executive management is typically responsible for providing a range of approvals across the project lifecycle, in particular setting the key project parameters for the project (typically relating to the scope, budget and program) in accordance with the appropriate delegations from the TAFE board. The executive management will likely make decisions based on the outcomes of PSC or PCG meetings, if applicable.
Board (or board sub-committee): Depending on the TAFE’s delegation of authority matrix and internal structures, its board, or relevant sub-committee will likely act as an approval body for a range of decisions across the project lifecycle, in particular the initial specifics of the project, as part of the initial project funding and approvals process, and any subsequent proposed changes to those agreed project parameters (particularly relating to project scope, program and budget). Reporting may also occur on an aggregated (monthly, quarterly) or exceptions basis to the TAFE’s board or relevant board sub-committee. The board will monitor projects across the project lifecycle for general compliance and the TAFE’s risk management. The board may also have the following roles:

Ensuring a business case has been adequately prepared before ministerial approval to release funding and proceed with the project is provided
Provide regular monitoring and oversight over the project lifecycle, and
Provide approvals at key points during procurement and delivery, including any proposed change in key project parameters prior to these being considered by government. Please refer to the Commercial guidelines – TAFE institutes and the TAFE’s constitution to further understand the role of the board in the project.

Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery (OTCD): The OTCD will likely act as an intermediary approval body for externally funded HVHR projects (for example, recommending that the project be part of the TAFE program funding submission to government, and once approved, may require project updates through attendance at PSC or PCG meetings). These approvals include approval to gain funding and to proceed with the project, as well as any proposed change in previously agreed, key project parameters, such as scope, program or budget. Any major changes to these key parameters may require further consideration by government more broadly.
Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF)/Treasurer: DTF and the Treasurer provide a critical role in relation to seeking approval of funding and to proceed with the project, based on the business case. This will apply to specific HVHR projects. Further information about the approvals provided by DTF and the Treasurer for all HVHR projects is available.
Cabinet committee: The appropriate cabinet committee will act as an approval body for externally funded HVHR projects on an aggregated OTCD TAFE program budget bid basis and for particularly large and complex HVHR projects on an exceptions basis. These approvals may include any key changes from agreed parameters or key issues of risk during procurement and delivery. In addition to the above key roles within the project’s governance arrangements, you may also require the following entities to play a key role in providing project input and advice:
Facilities team: Responsible for ensuring that the project is planned to meet desired outcomes, as well as ensuring it is capable of meeting the facilities team’s operational and maintenance requirements following final commissioning and handover.
Specialist advisors: Responsible for providing advisory services as required for HVHR projects. This could include technical advisory services and other related services, including financial, commercial, legal and probity advisory services across the project lifecycle.

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