Development Cooperation Handbook/Guidelines/Required characteristics of the project manager

Required characteristics of the project manager


It is the responsibility of the project manager to:

  1. Ensure the project team is well-organised, adequately staffed, and working well together, i.e. that team members understand and accept their responsibilities.
  2. Keeps team resources focused on developing and executing the plan.
  3. Is responsible for the control over the project and makes timely adjustments to the plan.
  4. Report meaningful metrics for cost, schedule, quality, and risk;
  5. Conduct regular status and design reviews;
  6. Ensure the adequacy of project documentation and testing;
  7. Maintain meaningful communications among project stakeholders;
  8. Manage the project to attain the project goals and achieve stakeholder satisfaction.
  9. Arbitrates and resolves conflicts in the team.


The best project managers are:

  • Good motivators and leaders, coaching, and teaching others on the team.
  • “Big picture-oriented.”
  • Effective communicators.
  • Good organizers.
  • Goal-oriented.
  • Knowledgeable about and committed to the use of project management procedures.


In particular, the project manager is responsible for seeing that the project management process, is effectively executed.

The project manager should be officially announced in writing, with a complete description of the particular role and responsibilities involved. For instance, the announcement from senior management should indicate whether or not the project manager has the authority to make decisions if there is a dispute between team members, or to declare a “breakdown” that invokes assistance from others with authority.


Tools edit

Templates edit

  Applicant employee evaluation form
  Staff Activity Forecast and Report
  Interpersonal skill assessment
  Employee Performance Review – Peer Review
  Performance appraisal forms

Guidelines edit

  Key Questions for Establishing the Team Organization
  How to reach an agreement on the Employee Performance Objectives
  How to manage motivated and effective teams
  How to recognize if Team Building is successful
  How to check the level of togetherness in a team
  Measures to make teams more performing
  The 5 steps of team creation
  Checklist for Identifying Performance Problems

  Why do organisations need to plan and manage their communication?
  How team members can improve overall project communication
  Measures to make teams more performing
  The 10 Project Management Guiding Principles

See also edit

In other sections of this handbook
  The employee empowering organization
  Manage the Performance of Project Team Members
  Team Conflict Management
  Decision Making in Groups
  Leading and Managing
  Team Conflict Management
  Decision Making in Groups
  Project Managers and programme Managers
  Determining the project manager

 The boss is never happy (especially if it is a project manager)