Coordinators are either useful or useless, and there are two types:
1. In business, the PROJECT
COORDINATOR is used by management to
patch over some type of failing that they encounter in their processes. It is easier for them to simply hire someone with "organizational skills" and charge them with the responsibility of "making sure things get done."
Usually their job devolves into mindless nagging and tedious task management. Their nagging also serves to lower worker morale over time, leading to higher employee
attrition and fighting in the workplace.
2. In event planning, EVENT COORDINATORS are often extremely necessary, and function as the "glue" that holds an event or project together. They are most necessary in events like concerts or mass protests, where a large number of guests must rely on some amount of structure to be in place for their activities.
Paradoxically, events that appear to be free-form or
anarchistic often require the most coordinating work behind the scenes, because the guests expect everything to "just work" for them when they get there. Behind every Burning Man or
Bonaroo, there is usually an army of unappreciated, frazzled coordinators working around the clock to make sure that the event goes off without a hitch.