Project management has become a recognized profession over the past half-century.  It’s well understood that project managers help design and monitor the work being done towards the completion of a project.  They break down tasks and work with others on the assignment of those tasks to individuals.

Project managers are also responsible for tracking risks and issues that may prevent project success.  Along with the change manager, they identify risk mitigation strategies and attempt to minimize the barriers and risks to project success.

Project managers are critical allies in ensuring that the work gets done.  While change managers may be more focused on buy-in, sentiment, and engagement, project managers are working with resources to get the underlying activities and tasks done so the change can be effectively implemented.

In smaller change initiatives, one person may need to fulfil the roles of the change manager and the project manager, but this should be avoided where possible, since the skillset and ideal temperament is very different between the two roles.