Sponsorship… The Project Sponsor Roles and Responsibilities

Project Sponsor is defined as “a person or group who provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio and is accountable for enabling success”. (PMBOK5Ed.)

Project Sponsor is one of the key roles in the project management environment and is directly related to organizations business strategies.  While project managers are accountable for project success (deliver the right product, in the planned timescale and on budget), the project sponsor is the owner of the business case and consequently accountable to deliver the business benefits to the organization.  In other words, the responsibilities of the project sponsor include the identification and definition of the project and should not hesitate to recommend cancellation of the project if the business case no longer justifies the project whereas the project manager is concerned with delivering a project that is already defined.

A good sponsorship performance means that the project sponsor provides resources and support to the project.  He/she serves as spokesperson to higher levels of management to gather support throughout the organization and promoting the benefits the project brings. Leads the project through the initiating processes until formally authorized, and plays a significant role in the development of the initial scope and project charter.

This is list of Project Sponsor Roles and Responsibilities:

• Owns the Business Case and is accountable for delivery of the defined business benefits
• Ensure alignment of the project with business needs and priorities
• Ensure oversight of the project management function
• Visibly support and champion the project throughout its life
• Carry out senior stakeholder management
• Assists the Project Leader in identifying and securing key project resources
• Works closely with the Project Leader and visibly supports the project team on behalf of the organization
• Ongoing decisions to continue or to stop the project
• Authorizes changes in scope, phase-end reviews, and go/no-go decisions when risks are particularly high
• Ensuring key project risks that impact the business case are visible and properly managed
• Ensures a smooth transfer of the project’s deliverables into the business of the requesting organization after project closure
• Own or assure the processes for monitoring and reviewing project budgets
• Recognize and reward successes
• Ensure the project is reviewed and all lessons learned shared

Comments and/or questions are welcome.