A prominent CEO of a major multi-million dollar company was courageous enough to admit that, although he had been a Project Sponsor on many occasions, he still did not know what it involved, what he was truly accountable for (apart from everything!), and how to perform the role effectively.

While this CEO was honest enough to admit his discomfort in the role, many if not most executives are unsure as to the Sponsor’s roles, accountabilities and critical success factors. They mainly guess and hope.

They’re not often helped by their organizations whose lists of roles and accountabilities are often poor and too often wrong!

This Guide takes the mystery and any confusion out of Project Sponsorship.

It provides comprehensive guidance as to

1. the Sponsor’s roles — and how these changes as the project progresses
2. the Sponsor’s accountabilities
3. why take on the Sponsor role
4. where the Sponsor fits in the overall governance and project structures
5. the attributes of an excellent Sponsor.

It is an excellent, indeed essential primer for all Project Sponsors.

Benefits

This Guide will

1. focus Project Sponsors on their key tasks and roles
2. enable them to take action faster as they understand what they’re accountable for and how to approach problems and other issues
3. enable them to ‘own’ the project with the confidence they know what to do
4. equip them to understand their role vis-à-vis all other project roles, and the important roles they perform
5. provide them with the areas they need to focus on and how to spend their time on the project
6. enable them to know how to be successful every time.
   
   

Who should read

This Guide is designed for

1. Project Sponsors
2. Project Investment Committees who should appoint or approve Sponsors
3. PMOs and other accountable for their organization’s project governance structures
4. Consultants
5. Project practitioners who need to know what their Sponsor is accountable for.
   
   

Contents

1. Understanding the Project Governance Guides
2. Understanding where the project governance fits in the project delivery process
3. Understanding your roles as ‘project sponsor’
4. Understanding your accountabilities as ‘project sponsor’
5. Understanding why be a ‘project sponsor’
6. Understanding the attributes of an excellent ‘project sponsor’
7. Understanding how the different project stakeholders interact
8. Understanding how to be a successful ‘project sponsor’
9. Understanding how to protect the project’s value
10. Understanding the leading indicator’s of failure
11. Frequently asked Project Sponsorship questions
12. How to learn about Project Sponsorship
13. The Sponsor’s continuous checklist
14. The Sponsor’s perpetual timetable
    
    

Bonus

The Project Sponsor Charter
A quick reference guide to the principal role and accountabilities of a Project Sponsor PLUS the Sponsor’s Continuous Checklist in a handy format you can take to your project and steering committee meetings

The Sponsor Quick Reference Guide
A quick reference guide as to the perspectives and questions to be asked at the four principal stages of a project. What you should be expecting, looking at and asking. In a handy format you can take to any meeting.