What is a Project Sponsor? Roles and Responsibilities

Ever found yourself navigating a high-stakes project without the essential support and direction from senior leadership? This scenario underscores the question “What is a Project Sponsor” and highlights the importance of a Project Sponsor. The Project Sponsor are the key figures who provide guidance, resolve conflicts, and maintain transparent communication among stakeholders. Without their involvement, projects can easily derail, leading to wasted resources and missed deadlines.

Still wondering What is a Project Sponsor and why are they indispensable for project success? In this blog, we will explore the roles and responsibilities of a Project Sponsor, highlighting how their active participation can make or break a project. Read to know more!

Table of Contents  

1) Overview of a Project Sponsor

2) Role of Project Sponsor

3) Responsibilities of a Project Sponsor

4) Project Sponsor vs Project Stakeholder

5) Project Sponsor vs Project Owner

6) Project Sponsor vs Project Manager

7) Five Tips for Working With a Project Sponsor

8) Conclusion 

Overview of a Project Sponsor

A Project Sponsor is the leader who oversees the project at a higher level in Project Management. They rank higher than the Project Manager. These Project Sponsors are responsible for getting a project done to ultimately be able to realise the values and benefits associated with its completion. 

Thus, they are primarily included at the early stage of the project, since the Sponsor initiates or supports the idea and only after that does the project get started.

Role of Project Sponsor

To enhance your comprehension of the Project Sponsor’s role and their organisational contributions, consider the following elucidated points:

Setting Goals and Estimating the Project Benefits

a) Ensuring the business case is valid and directly aligned with the company’s business proposition.

This aligns with setting clear goals and ensuring that the project's objectives are in line with the overall business strategy.

b) Determining a project’s feasibility.

Assessing feasibility is essential in estimating the benefits and potential outcomes of the project.

c) Helping the organisation understand the criteria for the success of a project and how it fits with the organisation's objectives.

This involves setting clear expectations for project success and aligning them with broader organisational goals.

d) Approving the resource plan drafted by the Project Manager.

Resource Planning is crucial for estimating project benefits and ensuring that the necessary resources are allocated effectively.

e) Overseeing the value of the project before the delivery.

This involves assessing the anticipated benefits and ensuring that they align with the project's goals and objectives.

Establishing Project Governance Guidelines

a) Helping align all the projects with the company’s business strategy, objectives, and goals.

This involves establishing governance guidelines to ensure that projects are aligned with the broader organisational strategy.

b) Maintaining the organisation’s priorities throughout the project lifecycle.

This is essential for ensuring that the project remains aligned with organisational goals and priorities.

c) Helping the organisation understand the roles of the project and reporting structure.

Establishing clear roles and reporting structures is a key aspect of Project Governance.

d) Acting as the next escalation point when Project Managers cannot fix the issues.

This involves setting up mechanisms for issue resolution and escalation within the project governance framework.

Establishing the Project Vision

a) Providing support for the project.

Supporting the project and its team members is essential for realising the project vision.

b) Be the decision-maker for the progress and phases of the project.

Making key decisions regarding the project's progress and direction is central to establishing and maintaining the project vision.

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Responsibilities of a Project Sponsor

Now, let us learn some of the responsibilities of a Project Sponsor during the different phases of a project lifecycle:

1) Initiation 

During the initiation phase, the project sponsor is responsible for defining the project’s objectives and ensuring they align with the organisation’s strategic goals. They provide the necessary resources and support to kick-start the project, including securing funding and approving the Project Charter. 

The sponsor also plays a crucial role in choosing the Project Manager and key team members, setting the stage for a successful project.

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2) Planning

In the planning phase, the Project Sponsor collaborates with the Project Manager to develop a comprehensive project plan. This includes setting clear milestones, defining the scope, and establishing a realistic timeline. 

The sponsor ensures that all stakeholders are engaged and that their expectations are managed. They also approve the project budget and ensure that risk management strategies are in place to address potential challenges.

3) Implementation

During the implementation phase, the project sponsor provides ongoing support and oversight to ensure the project stays on track. They facilitate communication between the project team and senior management, helping to resolve any issues that arise. 

The sponsor monitors progress against the project plan, ensuring that deliverables are met on time and within budget. They also play a key role in Change Management, ensuring that any adjustments align with the overall objectives.

4) Closing

In the closing phase, the project sponsor ensures that all project deliverables have been completed to the required standard. They oversee the final project review and ensure that all documentation is finalised. 

The sponsor also facilitates the handover of the project’s outcomes to the relevant operational teams. Finally, they conduct a post-project evaluation to capture lessons learned and identify improvement areas in future projects.

Project Sponsor vs. Project Stakeholder

Here are some differences between Project Sponsor and Project Stakeholder:

Project Sponsor vs. Project Owner

Here are some differences between Project Sponsor vs Project Owner:

Project Sponsor vs. Project Manager

Now, let’s have a look at the differences between Project Sponsor and Project Manager:

Five Tips for Working With a Project Sponsor

As part of the Project Management team, it is crucial to work closely with Project Sponsors to ensure tasks are completed smoothly and communication is efficient. To avoid wasting time or resources on a project, here are a few tips for working with a Project Sponsor:

1) Focus on Internal Communication

Effective communication between different teams involved in a project is vital for its success. It is important to select the right communication tools and channels for your team, such as Project Management software. 

These tools will enable project members to stay updated on tasks in the pipeline, keep everyone on the same timeline, and encourage regular communication between different teams while also keeping Project Managers and sponsors informed.

2) Stay Transparent

Since a Project Sponsor is not involved in the day-to-day tasks of a project, they might fall out of the loop. Therefore, it is important to maintain transparency with the Project Sponsor by regularly providing updates. Including them in your Work OS or Project Management tool is a good start, but it is also ideal to create regular check-in meetings to update them on current progress or roadblocks. 

This should be done by a Project Manager or owner to build and maintain trust between the two parties, ensuring collaboration and communication remain open.

3) Remain Flexible

Changes in scope or direction are sometimes inevitable in Project Management, so it is important to stay flexible when a change arises. It is essential to remember that a Project Sponsor likely has a specific vision in mind that encompasses the company’s finances, strategy, and goals, so any changes made to a project should align with those.

4) Request Input on Charges

While Project Sponsors should not be the go-to person for minor changes, it is important to involve them when large-scale changes need to be made to a project due to reasons such as staffing, available technology, or a timeline crunch. 

This way, you can maintain a positive relationship with the Project Sponsor by keeping them informed while also seeking their insight into what should be done to ensure the project’s success.

5) Rely on Collaboration Tools

To make everything from communicating to juggling task expectations and checking in on milestones easier, it is ideal to use a collaboration tool to keep everything organised and in one place. 

Using a collaboration tool will allow team members to keep track of their tasks while Project Managers verify the timeline of deliverables and Project Sponsors oversee all progress in one cohesive place.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, understanding What is a Project Sponsor is crucial for any project’s success. Their role spans from initiation to closing, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. By effectively fulfilling these responsibilities, Project Sponsors pave the way for seamless project execution and successful outcomes.

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