The use of a "czar" is the designation of a single person to take responsibility for a critical element of the design or implementation. The person needs to be knowledgeable, dependable and sensitive to the needs of the stakeholders. The czar will usually make reports to higher levels of management. The use of czars tends to reduce a lot of bureaucracy and committee meetings. --Ray Schneider
"I Have That Pattern." On AT&T Personalink Services (a project I remember fondly), we used "-meister" instead of "czar".
For example, we didn't have Professional Project Managers; we had Schedule Meisters, team members who were taking a turn dealing with the schedule
as well as actually doing the work being managed.
(The "as well as actually doing the work being managed" was the key phrase in all "-meister" titles. The meister never handed stone tablets down the mountain; he or she was a member of the greater effort.) I'm afraid the name came from the Wayne's World skits on Saturday Night Live (this was before the movies).
(*sigh*) The project was a glorious failure by any measure, but I miss it. -- Paul Chisholm
See original on c2.com 