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The Framework of the Project Sponsor Role - Introduction

May 2, 2008 | Author: admin | Filed under: Risk Management, Project Stakeholder Mgmt, PRINCE2

The Framework of the Project Sponsor Role - Introduction
(#2 in the series Looking for Your Sponsor? The PRINCE2™ Project Board Approach to Senior Management Engagement)
By Jay Siegelaub - MBA, PMP, PRINCE2

We can see a number of deficiencies in the traditional Project Sponsor role. These shortcoming include: absence of specificity in what the responsibilities are (or need to be), responsibilities and skills beyond the capability of one individual to accomplish, important project needs that are not addressed, and a lack of clarity on the division of work. Instead of enumerating what we do not see, let us use PRINCE2™ to help focus on what the project does need from senior management to increase the prospects for project success.

The dimensions listed below (discussed in details in later articles) – what PRINCE2™ identifies that we need from our Sponsor – are generated in response to major risks that the project faces. These risks include: projects suspended in limbo due to a lack of serious commitment by management towards their execution, unavailable or unreliable resources, project goals not being aligned with the organizational goals and strategies, decisions made solely from the narrow perspective of the development of the technical products. These are not minor inconveniences – they are the major causes of project failure. An approach is needed to address these risks in a mode fundamental to the project’s structure and organization. PRINCE2™ uses this list of risks to shape what is needed from the project Sponsor, giving the identified role a clear, rational base:

  • What the Project Needs from the Project Sponsor Role
  • What the Sponsors Need From the Project to Fulfill those Responsibilities
  • The Balancing Act

Jay Siegelaub has over 30 years of professional experience delivering and supporting projects in information technology, insurance systems, banking, and nonprofit strategic planning, as well as in the pharmaceutical, financial service, consulting, and consumer products industries. As a recognized educator he has trained thousands of project managers over the past 23 years, including 13 years as the Project Management tutorial instructor for the Drug Information Association.

Jay’s recent responsibilities included leading the North American Change Management and Training practices for a UK-based management consulting firm, training corporate consulting professionals in project and program management, and supporting clients in managing the “people” issues of their business change initiatives. He has authored articles on training, project management and information technology for various publications, and often presents at conferences, including the PMI North American Congress (1999, and 2004 – 2007), ProjectWorld and ProjectSummit.

In addition to his PMP® certification, Jay has his MBA in Organization Management from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and is an accredited PRINCE2™ Practitioner, Instructor and Examiner. He has taught and consulted in PRINCE2™ in North America for 10 years (the first US-accredited PRINCE2™ instructor), and worked for the company (and with the authors) that wrote the PRINCE2™ Manual for the UK government.

He has provided Change Management and Project Management consulting and training (including PRINCE2) to companies such as Sun Microsystems, NATO, the United Nations Development Programme, Bechtel, IBM, Philip Morris, Credit Suisse, JPMorganChase and Diageo.

Jay also consults in Organizational and Professional Development.

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