Database Administration and Project Management

Database Administration and Project Management

The roles of a Database Administrator (DBA) and project manager are very comparable as both manage resources to attain goals and objectives that require an intensive degree of collaboration. Project managers must work continually to manage people, processes and resources to align with critical path timelines, often also relying on DBAs to ensure information workflows stay available over the life of a project (Smith, Smarkusky, Corrigall, 2008). Project managers must also create a strong communication climate between their teams and the DBAs supporting them, including them in all cross-functional teams so the DBAs understand the stresses and requirements put on their systems and databases as well (Goles, Hawk, Kaiser, 2008). Both of these positions require a high degree of technical skills, each specific to their unique areas of expertise. Yet more important than these technical skills is the ability to understand and appreciate how critical it is to teach others to collaborate with one another (Smith, Smarkusky, Corrigall, 2008). The ability to DBAs and project managers to coordinate and share responsibility for project management attainment of objectives is a very critical skill set (Goles, Hawk, Kaiser, 2008). What essentially is required of the DBAs and project managers involved with any project together is the need for sharing accountability, responsibility, and above all, transparency of how their own activities will impact each others' ability to attain departmental and corporate goals. It is essential that both of these professional teams establish a clear definition of how each can assist in attaining shared objectives. As project managers are taught to manage resources, people and tasks to ensure their attainment, it is critical for them to develop a database use map that provides DBAs a definition of what is required across the entire duration of the project. By coordinating and collaborating with one another, DBAs and project managers can actually accomplish more than their own departments could produce on their own.