Sponsor, 1 VERSION REPRO OP SUBS
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ART PRODUCTION CLIENT
HOW TO BE A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SPONSOR
Drawing on recent executive education programmes with companies to improve sponsorship of their projects, Carl Gavin and Stuart Forsyth share their practical tips on how to get this critical role right
he latest edition of the APM Body of Knowledge defines a sponsor as the role that is “accountable for ensuring that the work is governed effectively and delivers the objectives that meet identified needs”. They champion the work and own both the business case and the realisation of the benefits and value resulting from the project, programme or portfolio. Ultimately, they are the person with executive oversight for the work. Depending on the organisation, the role of the sponsor may correspond with line management responsibilities or be an appointed role. The APM Body of Knowledge describes the role of sponsor as ‘critical’ and ‘crucial’ in equal measure, and this is supported by regular surveys and reports by professional project management bodies that conclude that active and supportive sponsorship is a significant factor in delivering successful projects, programmes and portfolios – with the sponsor providing the leadership and political influence to ensure that the work delivers on its promises. From our experience in delivering executive education programmes focused on improving project, programme and portfolio leadership, we have seen a plethora of sponsorship challenges. These include not only a lack of definition in what is expected
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