Project Sponsors. The Key to Project Success
Project sponsors are vital for project success. As a project and change manager over the last 20 years, I know that the engagement (or lack thereof) from project sponsors can have a direct impact on the successful completion of your project. In fact, the latest ‘Pulse of the Profession’ report by the Project Management Institute (PMI) states that organizations with engaged sponsors report 40% more successful projects. Also, participants have listed active and visible sponsorship as the top contributor of success in Prosci’s (Change Management Research) benchmarking reports since 1998!
As a project/change manager, your role is to focus on the tactical details, while the project sponsor typically has a higher level, strategic role and is truly invested in the project’s success. They provide essential support, resources and guidance to keep the project on-track and aligned with strategic priorities. An actively engaged project sponsor should be supportive and available to remove barriers, and drive alignment among stakeholders. They are your biggest advocate and passionate champion. Ultimately, an effective project sponsor is someone who is accountable and takes responsibility for ensuring the success of the project.
I’ve found that success with projects and project sponsors begins with a meeting prior to the project kick-off. Your initial engagement with the project sponsor is an opportunity to understand the problem as well as their vision and expectations.
I like to start by asking the project sponsor three questions:
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What do you hope to achieve with this project, and what concerns or uncertainties do you have?
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What do you believe the project can deliver to the institution?
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Who are your key stakeholders?
In order for the project sponsor and the project/change manager to be effective and successful, it’s important that they have a strong understanding and agreement on each other’s roles as well as clear expectations of each other.
Here are four things to keep in mind in this stage of project planning:
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Build Relationships and Set Expectations: Start by setting expectations about what your working relationship might look like with respect to information sharing, communication style, escalation paths, and decision-making. Suggest monthly check-in meetings and project phase gate reviews (an opportunity for project managers to review the status of the project’s progress and milestones) aligned to your organization's specific Project Management methodology. Be direct and ask your sponsor what they expect from you.
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Ask and Listen: Ask, “With this project, what problem are we trying to solve?” to set the stage for the problem statement in the project charter. Understand the Business Case: Ask the sponsor about the project context, rationale, timeline, future benefits, expected challenges, and any risks associated with not doing the project.
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Prepare Next Steps: Document the results of this initial meeting in a Project Charter for review and revision in a timely manner (best practice within 7-10 business days).
The initial sponsor engagement is your first opportunity to build a trusting, positive, and sustainable relationship that will benefit all stakeholders, and your working relationship will endure far beyond this first meeting. You’ll have lots more opportunities to discuss challenges and make decisions to bring the project from concept to reality.
I highly encourage you to come to this first meeting with an open mind and be prepared to adapt. Being clear, concise and structured will help ensure the best possible outcome. And finally, don't forget to remain flexible – it'll be your greatest ally during the discussion! With this in mind, I'm confident you'll have a successful meeting and project.
For help with setting up and facilitating the first meeting with your Project Sponsor, check out our guide ‘Conduct Project Sponsor Meeting’ in our BPM Playbook.
Mike Cook
Director, Business Process Management Office
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration
University of California, Berkeley