Successful Project sponsorship: A time-saver for the busy executive

1.      Title

Successful Project sponsorship: A time-saver for the busy executive

2.      The basics

This practical guide shows you how to take ownership of the role of project sponsor or project executive to ensure that your projects succeed in achieving tangible benefits for your organization and its stakeholders.

Written clearly and concisely for the busy executive, in line with the Project Management Institute’s Lexicon of Project Management Terms and with special tips for Prince2 environments and agile projects, this highly practical guide is the essential toolkit all business managers need to make a success of their project sponsor role.

3.      Summary

Project success is a business management responsibility and project management is more than the work of a project manager: the project sponsor plays a key role, whatever their job title. As the owner of the business case, the project sponsor or project executive has the responsibility for communicating the aims of the project, staying in touch with the changing environment and ultimately using their leadership skills to realize the benefits that the project has set out to achieve. The project sponsor gives strategic direction to the project manager and empowers them to deliver the agreed result. However, as a busy business manager, balancing the role of project executive with other management responsibilities, the project sponsor wants more control for less effort. The four proven principles in Successful Project sponsorship help them to achieve precisely that. Leading the reader to success, these powerful four principles of successful project sponsorship are focused on giving strategic direction to projects effectively and efficiently.

Successful Project sponsorship answers the practical questions project sponsors have to tackle and provides targeted solutions to real-life issues, such as: How do I create a successful strategy? How do I keep a project under control when the requirements are changing? What can I do to keep the project on budget? How do I recognize a good project manager – and how do I deal with an out-of-control one? The final part of the book gives tried-and-tested practical guidance on how to improve project sponsorship knowledge within your organization.

4.      Target audience

• Business executives
• Business managers involved in projects
• Project managers

5.      Scope

The book is relevant for the project sponsor (or project executive) role in all types of projects.

6.      Reviews

“Very helpful and inspiring. The book helps me focus on what is really relevant, leaving the rest to the project manager. I wish I had read it ten years ago.” (amazon.com)

“A refreshing approach! … Consistently focusing on achieving the business goals of projects without ever getting lost in the details of project management. The numerous quotes from project sponsors were recognizable and fun to read. An inspiring and useful book.” (amazon.com)

“… a great book, easy to read and really practical.” “If you are looking for a practical book on project sponsorship this is a must have.” (amazon.com)

“The author takes four key principles towards successful project sponsorship and uses them as effective tent pegs, building around them a range of practical, actionable examples and suggested good practice instead of purely dry, theoretical models, rules and strategies. This is a book for doing and getting things done. … an engaging read. It was not patronising but supportive; thought provoking and positively reactive … a little goldmine.” (autamme.com)

“GetAbstract recommends this semitechnical, highly detailed, comprehensive and professional primer as an excellent resource for anyone involved in project planning, management or sponsorship. Rating: Applicability 9, Innovation 8, Style 7.” (getabstract.com)

7.      Relevant reading

Successful Project Sponsorship: A time-saver for the busy executive, ISBN 9780749474249, author Michiel van der Molen (Buy online at amazon.com)

Don’t Blame the Project sponsor (article written by Michiel van der Molen, published by the Project Management Institute on its website projectmanagement.com)