6.2.4 Project leader

Project leaders understand the consumer and market as well as the PD Process and the product; recognise and foster innovative, creative, problem-solving skills; and understand integration of people with different skills and philosophies. They need the abilities to:

     drive the project to a successful conclusion;

     identify the outcomes for each stage of the PD Process and
        important sections in the individual stages;

     relate the outcomes to the activities in the project;

     choose the techniques for the activities that relate to the knowledge
        and skills of the team, and the resources available.

They have the capacity to develop the business strategy for the new product as well as to define the technical/marketing development, and to build the organisational structure for the development. The project manager is leading a team of people who are skilled in different disciplines - consumer research, marketing, product design, processing development, production and finance.

Although the project manager may not have an in-depth knowledge in all areas, there is a need for basic knowledge in each area and the ability to see the interrelationships between them. The project leader is responsible for ensuring that the project progresses smoothly, meets all interim objectives and targets on time and within budget, and makes sure that the necessary resources are available when and where they are required. They also are the primary channel of communication between the project team, senior management and external organisations (Jones, 1997).