Dear Project Sponsor!
How are you doing in this role? Are your projects on track and delivering the desired added value?
Are you always aware of the current status, challenges and opportunities of all or individual projects? Do you feel comfortable in the role of the Project Sponsor?
Unfortunately, there is little specific documentation, training and support for the role of the Project Sponsor. The terms Project Owner and Project Sponsor are also used differently.
Project management training for Project Sponsors is good and important, but the role of the Project Sponsors itself is usually only marginally covered.
Perhaps it is assumed that the role of a leader is simply a given, which is rarely the case.
Are the responsibilities of a client known and are they being fulfilled?
- Purpose and benefits of the project, coordination with stakeholders
- Setting up the project and integration into the organizational environment
- Cooperation and division of tasks with the project manager
- Leading the project
- Completion of the project and takeover
=> Below you will find a checklist with the responsibilities for the Project Sponsor
If not everything is clear, action is required!
If Project Sponsors are not capable of fulfilling their role, this places a considerable burden on project management and therefore the entire project.
The Project Manager is then often forced to take on some of the Project Sponsor’s tasks but is often overburdened for time and/or technical reasons.
In addition, there is potential for conflict because competencies are exceeded and the four-eyes principle no longer works.
There is great potential for the success of a project in the role of the Project Sponsor!
With a focus on the essentials, I can support you as a client very well, be it in consultation, training or coaching, personally and individually tailored to you, your environment and your needs. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested.
More on this topic and my services at ADVISE & COACH
Checklist with the responsibilities for the Project Sponsor
Purpose and benefits of the project, alignment with stakeholders
Is it clear, …
- ...whether the idea is also understood and supported by other interest groups or whether there are doubts and resistance?
- ...what added value will the project generate for whom?
- ...what the expectations are, where the journey is going and what benefits are to be generated for whom?
- ...what part of the organizational/corporate strategy the project supports/is responsible for? Is everyone aware of how important the project and therefore all project participants and their commitment are?
- ...what technical and social dependencies and interfaces with other projects/organizations exist and are managed?
- ...what the governance for the project looks like and therefore who decides what?
Setting up the project and integrating it into the organizational environment
Is it clear, …
- ...how best to set up a project?
- ...what the conditions for the project are and how they are ensured?
- ...whether the project objectives are comprehensible, concrete and measurable?
- ...how the necessary financial resources are provided?
- ...which resources with which skills are to be made available, when and to what extent?
- ...whether the project organization and approach fit in with the existing organization?
- ...what rules should be used to set priorities?
- ...whether the purpose and benefits of the project have been clearly and consistently understood by everyone in the project?
Cooperation and division of tasks with the project manager
Is it clear, …
- ...how the tasks, competencies and responsibilities between the client and the project manager are delineated?
- ...what the project requires from the Project Sponsor and when, what the Project Sponsor needs from the project and when?
Leading the project
Is it clear, …
- ...how to manage and control one or more projects efficiently and effectively?
- ...how to enter requirements into the project and how to check and accept delivery results from the project?
- ...how much transparency is needed from the project?
- ...how the project reaches decisions efficiently?
- ...how the Project Sponsor knows the status of the project at all times and is informed about problems and risks as well as successes and opportunities at an early stage?
- ...who communicates what, to whom, how, when, how often, to what extent and via which channel?
- ...how to achieve a pleasant working atmosphere where everyone feels safe and valued?
- ...how escalations from the project are handled?
- ...how the Project Sponsor deals with changes to the project?
- ...how successes are celebrated?
Completion of the project and takeover
Is it clear, …
- ...what are the conditions for project completion?
- ...what will be done with the existing assets on completion, what needs to be archived or decommissioned?
- ...how to ensure that what has been learned from the project is used within the organization?
- ...how cooperation with suppliers and consultants is concluded or continued and adapted?
- ...how project team members are thanked, rewarded and retained?
You can also download and use this: Checklist (pdf, 130 kb)
