Efficient project management is an integral process for NGOs to realize their vision. Project managers are therefore essential to the work of NGOs. In whatever area NGOs are working on, be it sexual reproductive health and rights, sanitation, menstrual health, women’s rights, access to justice or advocacy to mention but a few, a project manager can make or break the ability of an organization in achieving its goals and objectives and facilitating or hindering its long-term success.
01 STRONG LEADERSHIP
A successful project manager should be able to lead a team from the commencement to the completion of a project. They need to understand their team member’s strengths and weaknesses and how best to allocate them responsibilities to achieve maximum results. Each team member should be informed of what is expected of them. Being a good project manager involves motivating your team members and fostering team spirit throughout the entire course of the project. When team members feel like they are supported, they’re likely to be more productive and innovative. They are also likely to stay employed with the organization thereby contributing to overall success.
02 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Relationship building is a fundamental aspect of successful project management. This entails building relationships with team members and safeguarding their wellbeing, and with different stakeholders. Stakeholders can include community leaders, project beneficiaries, other NGOs or Community-Based Organizations, and donors. Relationship building can provide an opportunity for acquiring new ideas, exploring partnerships and collaborations, and perhaps getting new or additional funding. Project managers can use networking opportunities such as conferences, events and keep a database of relevant stakeholders.
03 GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Strong written and oral communication skills are essential in project management. A good project manager needs to clearly communicate the expected outcomes of a project, competencies, and responsibilities of team members. Good communication skills enable project managers to give feedback to their team members, allowing room for team members to improve their performance. Equally, good communication skills come in handy when briefing senior management, stakeholders, donors, and relevant staff on a project’s progress. Duties such as drafting work plans, schedules, and objectives, documenting project activities and managing project files require impeccable communication.
04 GREAT PROBLEM SOLVER
A great project manager needs to possess the ability to provide solutions to problems that arise in the course of executing a project. This also involves addressing conflict that may arise among team members and stakeholders. Problems need to be addressed as soon as they arise in order to realize project outputs without many bottlenecks.
05 DELEGATION
As a good leader, a project manager should understand the competencies that the project team members possess and how to best put these into use. It is important to assign each team member tasks based on their strengths. Delegation also shows team members that a project manager trusts them. This increases ownership of the project and delivers timely results. Good project managers also avoid micromanaging team members and trust them to deliver quality work.
06 GOOD AT BUDGETING, MOBILIZING, AND MANAGING RESOURCES
Managing financial resources is a key skill for a project manager to possess. Financial resources are normally scarce, and now more than ever, there’s a need to operate under a tight budget. A good project manager should therefore be able to work within the set budget and financial regulations. Managing human resources also involves knowing where your team members will be most productive and placing them there. In addition to mobilizing the right team for the project, it is a bonus if a project manager can be able to secure new or additional funding to ensure that NGOs can run most of their projects with ease.
07 TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
It goes without saying that a project manager should be competent and experienced in managing projects and display skill and authority while doing so. The knowledge of how to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control, and close a project, including leading a project team, is essential to the success of a project. Additionally, a project manager should know the project management tools to use in order to manage tasks efficiently. All these competencies are vital and will ensure that a project manager leads a team to ensure efficient and timely completion of projects thereby achieving an organization’s objectives.
