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

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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 | edit source]

Templates[edit | edit source]

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

Guidelines[edit | edit source]

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 | edit source]

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)