Sponsor Projects like a PRO
Dear Executive – how to sponsor a project like a PRO
Key tips no one ever gives you (it is assumed you know)
If you are like most executives,
you have achieved much success and have risen to executive level through your
excellence in a specific operational area. And if you work in an organisation
like most, your organisation is implementing or planning to implement a large
number of projects in order to achieve the strategic goals stated in your
strategic, corporate or business plan. Consequently you may be sought after to
“sponsor” projects because, as everyone by now knows (or should know),
“executive sponsorship” is one of the key ingredients to the success
of a project.
There is a big problem,
however – those asking you to sponsor a
project, either your boss or even a project manager generally always assumes
you know what to do as project sponsor
(the
reality is that they do not want to undermine your intelligence by spelling out to you what they think is
obvious). In this article I will provide you with some practical insights
into what is required of you in a role of project sponsor
(all projects need great sponsorship in order to succeed and you need a
healthy track record of projects successfully delivered) and I will also
share some of the key things to look for in a project that you will agree to
sponsor.
Let us start with the formal
definition of the role of project sponsor. The Project Management Institute
defines the role in the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBoK) as follows:
A sponsor is the person who provides
resources and support for the project and is accountable for enabling success. From initial
conception through project closure, the sponsor promotes the project. This
includes serving as spokesperson to higher levels of management to gather
support throughout the organisation and promoting the benefits the project
brings. The sponsor leads the project through initiating processes until
formally authorized, and plays a key significant role in the development of the
initial scope and charter. For issues that are beyond the control of the
project manager, the sponsor serves as an escalation path. The sponsor may also
be involved in other important issues such as authorising changes in scope,
phase-end reviews, and go/no-go decisions when risks are particularly high. The
sponsor also ensures a smooth transfer of the project’s deliverables into the
business of the requesting organisation after project closure.
There is quite a lot here and as
you can see, sponsoring is much more than making funds or budget available as
the word “sponsor” might suggest. But at this point, just by knowing this
definition, I can assure you that you are better positioned than most
“sponsors” I have come across.
Key Things to do
You will want to make sure that
every project you sponsor has the maximum chance of success. I suggest the
following key things to do (not exhaustive, but a good start):
- Get
involved as early as possible – do not
wait until the project is in trouble – get involved in conception
- Ensure
there is clear strategic alignment – each project must demonstrably contribute
to one or more strategic objectives – if not, you may be sponsoring a pet
project of no ultimate use for the organisation
- Ensure
that the project has a clear Priority level agreed at organisational level –
this is important when it comes to resource allocation – sometimes you may have
to give in to higher priority projects being given available resources;
sometimes you may have to hog resources demanded by lower priority projects
- Insist
on clearly stated business benefits – that
are realistically achievable with an accompanying plan as to how they will be
achieved
- Maintain
a strict sense of realism – can the project team at your disposal realistically
deliver on the project’s purpose and objectives in terms of skills and
availability? Are the benefits realistic and do they remain so during the life
of the project? And how about the risk profile- is it acceptable?
- Do
not skip on the Planning phase no matter how urgent the job to be done is –
this I cannot over-emphasise
- Maintain a healthy relationship with your
Project Manager – have clear mutually agreed expectations of each other (be careful here – the project manager is
usually more junior than you – please exercise some personal respect and trust
their experience in helping get projects done)
- When
not sure about what is required of you, do openly ask your project manager what
s/he expects – for example should an escalation arise, the issue being
escalated will almost always be documented including what the issue is, what
the impact is, what timeframe is being requested to resolve the issue and
almost always who needs to resolve the issue – when in doubt, feel free to
consult your peers or the project management office manager – there is
something endearing about executives that are committed and are not afraid to
ask when they need to (“Mr Know-it-all is
so 1980’s)
- Attend
progress meetings regularly – this is a sure sign that the project is important
and has executive support
- Insist
on frequent risk assessments by the team led by the project manager – risks
sometime change on a daily basis, impacting on the viability of the project
- Insist
on high quality, complete and timely project
documentation- do not allow
- Benefit
realisation plan – it is amazing the number of projects that deliver systems /
technology solutions with no clear plan as to how that will translate into real
business benefits.
- Familiarise
yourself with the project methodology in use and insist that it is followed
including all required (but reasonable) governance
- Do
not bite off more than you can chew – do not commit to sponsor project(s) that
you will not have time for.
- Do
not beat a “dead horse” – things change – sometimes the environment changes so
much that the project you are sponsoring does not make strategic sense anymore
– in this case, do not be afraid to be the first to suggest that it be killed.
Please look out for future
articles that will provide deeper details on many of the aspects discussed
here.
About
Xolani
Xolani is a Project Success
Specialist. He works with organisations to ensure successful delivery of
projects by focussing on
- Setting up projects for success
- Rescuing troubled projects
- Accelerating project delivery
Xolani
can be reached at xolani@xolani.net /
www.xolani.net / 083 435 7469
In this
“Dear Executive” series of articles I hope to bring to you, the
executive whose work involves sponsoring and championing projects, practical
insights from my experience with strategy-making and project implementation
that will contribute to your project’s success and ultimately your
organisation’s success.
