Joining Sponsors Anonymous?

Here's the 10-point programme you're going to need!

Spare a thought for the executive level of project leadership — those of us who may be designated project executives, project sponsors, senior owners, and the like. These people are generally senior members of staff, and therefore (by common agreement) instantly competent and capable in all things.

However, while we have experience leading teams, and making sure those teams are accomplishing what is required of them, just taking on the role does not mean we have the knowledge of the mechanics of project delivery as well.

If you are, or are becoming, an executive level project leader… then welcome to our club — we call it Sponsors Anonymous. It’s the global support network for the only project management professionals who never get to go on training courses, and at its heart, is a 10-point plan.

As a project sponsor I promise to:

1. Understand what we are doing

   Has your project been defined to address root causes, and does it clearly set out a documented scope of what will (and will not) be addressed?

2. Build the team we need

   Is your project team competent and appropriately structured to interact with the organisation, external suppliers, customers, and other key stakeholders?

3. Spend the money like it was our own

   Is the business case created by your team, balanced, realistic, and trackable throughout the full delivery lifecycle?

4. Insist on seeing the plan

   Is the project plan holistic, understandable (by all key stakeholders), firmly estimated, and presented in such a way that you will be able to hold your team to account for its delivery?

5. Fix the future

   Have the project’s risks been explored, and actions planned or taken to eliminate, reduce, and/or budget for, the predicted impacts of events that might happen?

6. See the bigger picture

   Is project progress monitored and controlled at the ‘right’ level of detail, with formal gov