The person assigned by the performing organization to lead the project team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives. Project managers perform a variety of functions, such as facilitating the project team work to achieve the outcomes and managing the processes to deliver intended outcomes.

People drive project delivery. They do so by fulfilling functions necessary for the project to run effectively and efficiently. Functions related to the project can be fulfilled by one person, by a group of people, or combined into defined roles. Coordinating a collective work effort is extremely important to the success of any project. There are different types of coordination suitable for different contexts. Some projects benefit from decentralized coordination in which project team members self-organize and self-manage. Other projects benefit from centralized coordination with the leadership and guidance of a designated project manager or similar role. Some projects with centralized coordination can also benefit from including self-organized project teams for portions of the work. Regardless of how coordination takes place, supportive leadership models and meaningful, continuous engagements between project teams and other stakeholders underpin successful outcomes.

Regardless of how projects are coordinated, the collective effort of the project team delivers the outcomes, benefits, and value. The project team may be supported by additional functions depending on the deliverables, industry, organization, and other variables.

The Standard For Project Management And A Guide To The Project Management Body Of Knowledge (Pmbok® Guide) Seventh Edition