BUS605: Strategic Project Management

According to Gopal Kapur, president of the Center for Project Management, "Sponsorship is not a spectator sport". A project sponsor should be an executive or manager with financial authority, political clout, and a personal commitment to the project. An effective sponsor is critical to the success of an IT project. Although no formal job description exists for a project sponsor, most agree that the project sponsor must provide leadership and direction, as well as political protection and problem-resolution skills. The project sponsor "champions" by:

• Empowering the project manager
• Ensuring sustained "buy in" from other project stakeholders
• Clearing political and organizational roadblocks
• Ensuring the availability of resources
• Reviewing the project's progress
• Approving plans, schedules, budgets, and deliverables
• Ensuring that the project's goal is realized

However, as Gopal Kapur explains, "Of all the items that can go wrong on a project, the one the project manager has the least control over is the sponsorship". Often when an IT project experiences problems, there's a good chance the sponsor is to blame.

1. Why is a good project sponsor or champion so important to the success of an IT project?
2. How could a project manager or team handle a situation where the project sponsor leaves the organization to take a job with another company?
3. How should a project manager handle a project sponsor who is either incompetent or loses interest in the project and withdraws?