Is a Project Sponsor really a Luxury in Today’s Environment?

A project sponsor, like the jam between two slices of bread, is the interface between project ownership and delivery. But what exactly does this mean and is a project sponsor really necessary?

Sometimes referred to as a project director, a project sponsor represents the client side within a project, particularly when there are a number of stakeholders, including banks and investment partners, who will want to ensure that things will be carried out with everyone's interest in mind.

So, it’s imperative that they have a clear understanding of the client's business and their requirements in order to make informed decisions. Their role should not be mistaken as an inactive one whereby, they put their name to the project, attend a few meetings and let it run. Quite the contrary!

The Project Sponsor is ultimately accountable for the success or failure of a project and is tasked with ensuring that benefits of a project are realised. Put simply, they need to engage with the different stakeholders, consider any problems, needs or opportunities and successfully incorporate them into the project as it develops. They will also be responsible for ensuring that the project doesn't deviate from the original project plan without sound reasoning it will improve the outcome and justify the investment.

In essence, they concentrate on the effectiveness of a project.

This is quite different to a project manager’s role which focuses on the mechanical delivery of a project and so concentrates on efficiency. The Project Sponsor acts as the main contact for the client and feeds information into the project manager. Their role is to buffer unnecessary communications from the project manager to allow them to focus on delivering the project within the required timescale, to the budgets agreed and to the quality standards expected.

Using an experienced project sponsor will benefit a project immensely as they will not only drive a project forward but will make the difference between a completed project and a successfully completed project.

 
By investing in a project sponsor you can not only make dramatic savings on budgeted costs you can also avoid delays, disputes and frustrations from all parties.

To find out more about how we can help you to deliver your projects more effectively and efficiently through our project management and project sponsor services, contact us now.