Global project management has become essential for quality, consistency, and clear communication in UX research. The UXalliance recognized early on that global research involves more than just researchers; it encompasses research operations, recruiting, facilities, and technology. A global project lead supports local research operations and coordinates with local teams to ensure consistency in recruiting, interpreters (simultaneous or post-session), facilities, technology, moderator guides, and screeners. They also ensure adherence to informed consent, GDPR, and confidentiality, which is crucial for successful global projects and for preventing legal issues for our clients.
The role of global UX project managers has evolved, especially with the rise of remote research. Before COVID, research teams commonly traveled to different countries to prepare local teams, conduct pilot sessions, and ensure quality. This involved being on the ground, taking notes, and ensuring consistent question delivery. Now that remote testing is more common, a global project lead is necessary to maintain touchpoints and coordinate research across multiple countries simultaneously. These project managers play a critical role in the success of global UX research projects.
Elevating UX research through specialization
As UX research has grown more complex, the need for specialized roles has become evident. Historically, UX leaders juggled multiple responsibilities, from research and design to project management and logistical coordination. This generalist approach stretched researchers thin, increasing costs and diluting research quality. ResearchOps has emerged as a solution by structuring research into specialized roles, ensuring each team member focuses on their area of expertise. Just as a surgeon specializing in their field delivers better outcomes than a generalist, dedicated project managers ensure research teams can focus on high-impact tasks rather than operational distractions. As an example, participants often do not show or request changes to their scheduled session. When participant changes happen, researchers might be collecting data and cannot multi-task rescheduling where ResearchOps can work in the background so data collection runs smoothly.
A skilled project manager plays a critical role in ResearchOps by acting as the bridge between clients and consultants. They manage logistics, communications, and strategic planning, ensuring research runs smoothly and efficiently. Those with global experience bring even greater value by anticipating cultural and regulatory challenges across different markets. This expertise helps maintain consistency and prevent issues before they arise.
Global PMs fill critical gaps
When managing research across 20+ markets for a global tech company, our global project management team became the go-to experts on navigating the complex maze of ICFs, GDPR, and regional privacy regulations. What began as standard project management highlighted a critical knowledge gap, with clients recognizing how these regulatory details—often overlooked by researchers focused on study design—required specialized attention. This led to our team creating a dedicated workshop on data protection practices for the client’s organization.
In another instance, our global project management expertise enabled us to quickly pivot and capture a critical moment in UX history: the rapid adoption of GenAI tools following ChatGPT’s late 2022 improvements. By tapping into our extensive network across markets, we documented how UX researchers worldwide were thinking about and integrating new AI capabilities into their workflows (or not), producing timely insights that would have been impossible without our established global connections.
What this means for your global user research
The evolution of global UX project managers signifies a crucial shift toward standardization, quality control, and efficiency in global research. By employing global project managers, organizations can ensure:
- Consistency across markets – Standardized processes and guidelines lead to more reliable and comparable data across different countries.
- Improved data quality – With a dedicated focus on quality control, global project managers help maintain high standards for data collection and analysis.
- Better risk management – Expertise in GDPR, informed consent, and local regulations minimizes the risk of legal and ethical issues.
- Cost-effectiveness – While it may seem like an added expense, global project management reduces costs by preventing errors, ensuring efficient resource allocation, adhering to timelines (possibly reducing them), and optimizing research processes.
- Effective communication – Clear and consistent communication between teams, stakeholders, and clients ensures smooth project execution.
Ultimately, the rise of global UX project managers reflects the increasing complexity and importance of global user research. Investing in this role leads to more actionable insights, better product design, and a stronger foundation for scaling globally.