Who is responsible for managing stakeholder expectations during a project?

The project manager holds the primary responsibility for managing stakeholder expectations throughout the lifecycle of a project. This role involves constant communication and engagement with all stakeholders to ensure that their interests and needs are understood and addressed. The project manager must be adept at balancing conflicting priorities and negotiating compromises to keep the project on track and stakeholders satisfied.

This includes setting realistic expectations about project deliverables, timelines, and potential challenges. By maintaining transparent communication, the project manager can mitigate misunderstandings and foster a collaborative environment among stakeholders. Effective stakeholder management is critical to project success, as it helps to build trust and ensures that all parties are aligned with the project's objectives.

While other roles such as team members, clients, and product owners play important parts in the project and may contribute to managing expectations, ultimately, it is the project manager who leads these efforts and holds the accountability for overall stakeholder satisfaction.