New research examines the project manager role, capacity and development practices that shape project delivery

RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FMI Corporation, a leading provider of consulting and investment banking services to the built environment, today released Part 3 of its 2026 Project Management Study, "How the Role of Project Manager Is Evolving." The report completes FMI's three-part research series on the practices that support more reliable project performance.

Based on responses from 243 construction executives and 84 project managers, the report examines how contractors define the project manager role, assign project loads and build the capabilities managers need to lead people, projects and profits. It follows Part 1, which focused on project manager involvement and planning before mobilization, and Part 2, which examined execution discipline, change order management and forecasting.

Part 3 finds that project managers carry a broad range of project-level responsibilities. Eighty-five percent of executives identify the project manager as the primary customer contact. The research frames the role through three connected responsibilities: planner, communicator and businessperson.

"Project managers are expected to connect the work happening in the field with the customer, schedule, forecast and financial outcome," said Gregg Schoppman, partner at FMI. "Companies need a shared definition of what the role owns, then they need to provide the capacity and development that definition requires."

The study also finds a relationship between workload and schedule performance. Project managers with one to three active projects report on-time or ahead-of-schedule performance 76% of the time. For managers with six or more active projects, that figure is 64%. The report emphasizes that project count alone does not define capacity. Project complexity, administrative work, support structure and process friction also affect how much a project manager can carry.

Training and development remain a substantial opportunity for contractors. Forty-seven percent of firms identify in-house structured programs as their primary training method, while only 7% rate their project manager training highly effective. The study examines how firms can match development to talent backgrounds and create consistent standards across internal promotion paths.

When asked about the capabilities project managers will need over the next five to 10 years, executives most often identified communication, client relationships, financial and cost management, and technology or AI fluency. FMI's research advises leaders to translate those capabilities into clear role expectations, development paths and measures that support project performance.

"The work of project management continues to evolve, but the core of the role remains grounded in proactive leadership," said Tyler Paré, partner and leader of FMI's Performance practice. "Technology should be a force multiplier that enables project managers spend more time on the things that matter – planning the work, supporting the field, communicating with stakeholders and making sound business decisions for the project and the customer."

Download the 2026 Project Management Study Part 3 here.

About FMI
FMI is a leading provider of consulting and investment banking services to the built environment. We provide services in the areas of strategy, leadership and organizational development, training, operational performance, mergers and acquisitions, financial advisory and private equity.

Katie DeRee, Katie.DeRee@fmicorp.com

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SOURCE FMI Corporation