Confusing quartering and project management can have disastrous consequences in practice. This is due to the specific characteristics of a quartermaster’s job, which requires a different approach.

Approach of the project manager

A project manager usually works from an organisation in which a certain framework for the project has already been set up. There is a clear assignment or task and an intended result. There are clear guidelines for personnel, finances and planning. There are clear guidelines for personnel, finances and planning, although these can always be deviated from during implementation. The work takes place at an existing location. There are facilities that can be used and there is a support staff (secretariat, administration, human resources). Thanks to these circumstances, it works well in project management to make a plan of action in advance and to follow it. Project managers often have a specific structure or method they use that makes the project successful.

Quartermaster’s approach

Quartermasters work in situations with much more uncertainty and lack of clarity than project managers. The necessary frameworks for project management are still lacking and are drawn up precisely in this phase. The context of the project can still change a lot, making quartermanning a dynamic process. This is why the quartermaster’s approach is different from that of the project manager. New developments have to be anticipated more. In this sense, quartering can be compared to a backpacker who travels without planning and ‘sees where the ship will end up’, whereas a project manager is a holidaymaker who books an all-inclusive and has a clear destination and activities in advance and has bought the tickets for museums or performances online. Every development can therefore mean a shift in the quartermaster project. This makes the relationship with the client much more important than in project management, and quartermasters must constantly be able to weigh up the various options. Because quartermasters do not work from an official hierarchical position in the organisation, they must have good contact with the various stakeholders and use inspirational leadership.

Main differences

The main differences between quartermaking and project management are:

• There is more uncertainty in quartermaking.
• A quartermaster’s assignment requires more flexibility than project management.
• The relationship with the client and other parties involved is more important in quartermaking.
• Inspiring leadership is needed instead of a hierarchical position.

More background information?

Nanja Flikweert has used her master’s thesis to compare specific aspects of these two fields. You can download her master’s thesis for free.

Are you a project manager and do you want to learn more about quartering?

We have developed a training course on quartering. This course teaches you everything you need to know about the quartermaster profession. Do you prefer a book? Then we have the book quartering for you.