Category Management Toolkit

Roles and Responsibilities

 Roles and Responsibilities Summary

What are Roles and Responsibilities?

Having the right people involved is the key to success for any project or programme.
However, in order to engage the correct individuals and to manage ongoing performance
and expectations, it is important to have clarity on the specific roles they are to play and
the responsibilities which these roles bring. This may range from full accountability for
project delivery, the provision of support and guidance or just expert knowledge and
advice.

Detailed roles and responsibilities can also be developed and agreed within the team
through process such as RACI, where individuals jointly agree on their respective
“Responsibilities”, to whom they are “Accountable”, with whom they have to “Consult” and
whom they must keep “Informed” (See Stakeholder Management).

Typically there are five key roles involved, and these can be summarised as:

Stakeholders – person or committee responsible for giving approval to the category

plan/ strategy
Sponsor – Actively supports the team from the outside i.e. secures resources, agrees
the objectives, reviews progress, clears pathways and resolves barriers
Project / Process Lead – leads the project team (e.g. strategy creation and
implementation teams)
Team Members – carry out projects and implement improvements
Facilitator – provides guidance and support to the sponsor, process leader and team
members on how to operate effectively
The responsibilities which are attached to these roles will vary, but they must be linked to
the final delivery of the project objectives / vision.

Collaborative Procurement Model roles are available in the ‘enablers’ section of VPMO

Where does it fit in with Category Management?

Mobilisation and Launch of Team

What is included in this guide?

Team Roles
Attributes of successful teams

Which processes does the tool apply to?

Demand Management, SRM and Strategic Sourcing

Which other tools link to this guide?

Team Working
Stakeholder Management
Communications Planning
Roles and Responsibilities

Team roles
There are five key roles involved in the delivery of any project:

Stakeholders – person or committee responsible for giving approval to the category

plan/ strategy
Sponsor – Actively supports the team from the outside i.e. secures resources, agrees
the objectives, reviews progress clears pathways and resolves barriers
Project / Process Lead – leads the project team through the process and key steps
e.g. through strategy creation and implementation teams. Note: this role may change
throughout the different stages
Facilitator – provides guidance and support to the sponsor leader and tem members
on how to operate effectively
Team Members – carry out projects and implement improvements
The central role which coordinates these different roles is the project or process leader, as
final accountability for delivery falls with this individual.

Team Interactions

Sponsor

Stakeholder Process Lead Facilitator

Team members

Stakeholder role
In general terms a stakeholder is a person or group who will affect, or be affected by the
group’s work, and may be internal or external to the organisation or both. It is important
that the team knows who the stakeholders are and understands their needs and
expectations.
4

Characteristics
• Has a key interest in the project task, and is
the immediate customer of the project team
• Has clear expectations of the team’s task
• Has sufficient influence and authority to
approve team recommendations and plans
Responsibilities
• Liaises with the project sponsor to authorise
the setting up of the project
• Provides input into the preliminary brief
• Provides input into the team’s terms of
reference
• Eventually approves the team’s
recommendations & implementation plans

Team sponsor role

The team sponsor actively supports the team from ‘outside’ and helps give the project
‘legitimacy’. They typically have a key interest in the project and are a member of the
management or senior management team. The key role of the sponsor is to ensure that
the project team has the support of other senior management and acts as a liaison
between the team and such management. Additionally the sponsor helps secure
resources, clears the pathway and ensures the team is ‘hooked’ into the organisation.
Further, leadership must be seen throughout the project life cycle, not only at the launch:

Characteristics
• Has a key interest in the project and
demonstrates an ongoing and active interest
in the project
• Must want the change and be seen to want
the change
• Is the internal ‘customer’ for the team
• Commands sufficient influence and authority
to act as a liaison between the team and
senior management
• Supports and empowers individual team
members
• Is committed to project goals
• Is resilient and committed to overcoming
organisational resistance to project
goals/implementation plans
Responsibilities
• Liaises with project stakeholders to
authorise the setting up of the project
• Provides input into the preliminary brief
• Challenges team to deliver breakthrough
solutions
• Approves (but not dictates) the contract for
the team
• Provides a link to senior management and
organisation wide activity
• Helps secure the necessary resources for
the team
• Supports (but does not lead) the project
• Provides guidance on the approval process
for implementing solutions

• Communicates effectively within all levels of • May not play a day-to-day part but must be
the organisation available to provide support and backing
when needed
 5

Sustaining sponsorship
Sponsorship must cascade throughout the organisation to avoid ‘black holes’ developing
where change momentum is lost:

Provide day-to-day management backing for specific activity

Must have clear, agreed and measurable targets
Must want the change and be seen to want the change

Project / Process Lead role

The project / process lead role is the person who manages the team, calling and
facilitating meetings, handling or assigning administrative details, orchestrating all team
activities, and overseeing preparations for reports and presentations. The process leader
should be interested in solving the problems that prompted this project and be reasonably
good at working with individuals and groups. Ultimately it is the leader’s responsibility to
create and maintain channels that enable team members to do their work.

Ordinarily process leaders are members of management within the project area. Their
closeness to the process or problems means they will be better able to guide team
members. It also means they must take extra precautions to avoid dominating the group
during team meetings.

Effective project ownership

Characteristics
• Works well with individuals and team:
- motivates other people
- communicates effectively
- presents information well
- resolves conflicts skilfully
- delegates responsibility
- plans well
- coaches people
- respected by other team members
- punctual
• Supported and empowered by
management
Responsibilities
• Leads and facilitates the team:
- clear goals and direction
- schedules and leads meetings
- takes care of administrative detail
- orchestrates team activities
- prepares reports and presentations
- communicates team progress
• Ensures involvement of everyone
• Understands relevant procurement and process
tools and methods and coaches the team on
how to use them

• Knows how to lead people • Creates & maintains channels for team
- enthusiastic members to communicate and work effectively
- sense of humour • Ensures team records and correspondence are
- risk taker maintained, resolves conflict within & outside the
- participate style team
- flexible
- resilient, disciplined • Keeps the team on schedule, knows the subject
- non-judgmental matter, creates an environment where ideas are
- accountable freely exchanged
- supportive
• Recognises contributions & participation
6

Facilitator role
One of their most important jobs is to observe the team’s progress, evaluating how the
team functions, and use these observations to help the team improve its process (how
members interact both inside and outside meetings).

A facilitator’s second major focus is instructing and coaching team members in certain
methods and tools and helping to guide the team’s effort when needed.

Effective facilitator

Characteristics Responsibilities
• Understands: • Coaches, facilitates and instructs the team
- interpersonal dynamics
- facilitation • Prepares, delivers or arranges training
- consulting modules on applying relevant procurement
- planning and organising and process concepts, tools, methods and
- project management techniques
- quality • Supports the team:
- statistics - interpersonal dynamics
• Works well with individuals and groups: - keeps the team focused and on track
- respected by the organisation - serves as a sounding board for team
- communicates effectively ideas
- presents information well - works with the team to make
improvements
• Skilled at - assesses the team’s progress
- listening - helps the team develop presentations
- team building - helps team members work in their
- resolving conflicts environments
- giving feedback - publicises success
- puts people in contact with each other
• Enjoys working through others to solve
problems and improve quality. Willing to let • Transfers knowledge and becomes a
the team take credit for a job well done resource
• Committed to continuous improvement • Improves the team’s group dynamics by
focusing on the process, rather than the
• Supported and empowered by management product
• Understands and receptive to change • Understands that new people may take
some time to become comfortable. Is
patient with people’s initial scepticism or
difference of opinion
 7

Team members
Team members are appointed by the sponsor(s) in consultation with the process leader.
The nature of the problem or process dictates who they are - usually people who work
closely with some aspect of the process under study, often representing different stages of
the process and groups likely to be affected by the project. They can be of various grades,
roles, ranks, professions, trades, classifications, shifts, or work areas. The rule of thumb
is; if the project cuts across boundaries of jobs, departments, areas, or business, so
should the membership of the team.

Effective team members

Characteristics Responsibilities
• Works well with teams • Shares knowledge and expertise with other
- listens team members
- motivates
- communicates effectively • Asks questions and probes for answers
- participates • Represents his or her organisation or
- enthusiastic stakeholder group
- co-operates
- perceives concerns • Understands group dynamics
- works hard
- customer oriented • Supports the process leader and provides
- sense of humour leadership when appropriate
- dedicates time (punctual) • Exchanges ideas and encourages others to
- resolves conflict do so
• Challenges the ‘status quo’ • Negotiates time spent on the improvement
• Committed to continuous improvement project with his or her manager

• Supported and empowered by management • Understands the subject matter and

• Understands and receptive to change
• Knowledgeable in relevant work areas
concepts and communicates internally with
his or her organisation or stakeholder group
• Learns and applies appropriate tools and
techniques
• Volunteers for assignments and completes
them on time:
- gathers and analyses data
- identifies and implements solutions
- takes turns writing meeting minutes
- makes presentations
- scribe/recorder
8

Attributes of successful teams – checklist

Necessities Signs Practices Characteristics
Establish urgency
Small number Theme, identity Shared leadership roles
and direction

Adequate Enthusiasm & Select members for Individual and mutual

complementary skills energy skills accountability

Meaningful purpose to Attention to early Specific team purpose, with

Event driven history
all actions team delivery

Personal
Specific goals, (team, Set clear rules for
commitment to one Collective work products
simple) behaviour
another

Open ended discussion

Clear working approach Results Get quick wins
and active problem solving

Measure performance by
Mutual accountability & Challenge with new
assessing collective work
measures information
products

Spend lots of time Discusses, decides, does

together real work together

Use positive
feedback,
recognition and
reward
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