1

If Only My Sponsor Were Smarter,I’d Be a More Successful Project Manager

Pikes Peak Regional Chapter Pikes Peak Regional Chapter Pikes Peak Regional Chapter Pikes Peak Regional Chapter

April 13, 2017April 13, 2017April 13, 2017April 13, 2017

Jim Furfari, PMP

2

My Background

My StakeholdersFighter Pilot, US Air ForceProject Manager, MCIPMO Manager, CSU

3

Agenda

• A Flying Story

• Sponsor and Stakeholder Management

• Key Sponsor Roles

• Build a Sponsor Curriculum

4

Is Project Management a Science?

• The intellectual and practical activity

encompassing the systematic study of the

structure and behavior of the physical and

natural world through observation and

experiment, such as physics, chemistry,

and astronomy.

• A systematically organized body of

knowledge on a particular subject.

5

If Only My Sponsor Were If Only My Sponsor Were If Only My Sponsor Were If Only My Sponsor Were Smarter,Smarter,Smarter,Smarter,

I’d Be a More Successful I’d Be a More Successful I’d Be a More Successful I’d Be a More Successful ProjectProjectProjectProject ManagerManagerManagerManager

6

An Aviation Project….

�Exceeded

Expectations

�Met

Expectations

�Partially Met

Expectations

�Did Not Meet

Expectations

7

The Miracle on the Hudson January 15, 2009

8

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III

�Exceeded

Expectations

�Met

Expectations

�Partially Met

Expectations

�Did Not Meet

Expectations

PilotPMP

9

Doug Parker, CEO US AirwaysSponsor, Flight 1549

“I am extremely proud of Captain Sullenberger his quick thinking and courageous actions on January 15, 2009.”

10

PMBok on Sponsorship

“A sponsor is the person who

provides resources and support

for the project and is accountable

for enabling success.”

PMBoK Guide 5th Edition

11

PMI on Sponsorship

“Our own research underscores the impact

sponsors can have… sponsors play a critical

role in effectively integrating project

management and a disciplined approach to

change management that dramatically

improves the odds of a successful project

implementation.”

“For the second year in a row, PMI research shows that having actively engaged sponsors is the top driver of project success.”

Pulse of the Profession® In-Depth Report: Executive Sponsor Engagement—

Top Driver of Project and Program Success October 2014

12

PMI on Sponsorship

“Effective executive sponsorship is critical to

the success of an organization’s strategic

initiatives—an executive sponsor’s active

engagement is actually the top driver of

project and program success.”

Pulse of the Profession® In-Depth Report: The High Cost of Low Performance

October 2016

13

The Sponsor is our most

important Stakeholder.

14

Stakeholder Management “201” PMBoK 5th EditionProcess Group Process Name Process Description

Initiating Identify

Stakeholders

Identifies people or groups, that could impact

or be impacted by an activity or outcome of

the project. Analyzes and documents their

interests in and influence on the project.

Planning Plan

Stakeholder

Management

Develops appropriate management

strategies to effectively engage stakeholders

throughout the project.

Executing Manage

Stakeholder

Engagement

Communicates and works with stakeholders

to meet their needs/expectations, address

issues as they occur, and support

stakeholder engagement.

Monitoring & Controlling

Control

Stakeholder

Engagement

Monitors overall project stakeholder

relationships, adjusts strategies and plans for

engaging stakeholders.

15

Stakeholder Register

• Stakeholder name, title, role, contact information

• Their requirements from the project

• Communication’s preferences: method, frequency

• Their expectations from the project

• How they can influence the project

• Their level of interest in the project

• Classification information (internal, external, positive

supporter, resistor or a neutral stakeholder)

16

Stakeholder Management “401”

• Stakeholder Register

– Stakeholder analysis stuff

– What do they need from me

– What do I need from them

– What do they need to know

– How will I educate them

17

Sponsor Significance

• It’s Their Project

• Initial Resources

• Priority

• Risk Management

• Change Control

• Advocacy

18

Roles Sponsors Need to Know

1. Project Owner

2. Resource Provider

3. Plan Approver

4. Risk Manager

5. Change Manager

6. Stakeholder Manager

19

1. Sponsor as Project Owner

• Sponsor is the primary project advocate

• Sponsor secures project’s priority

• Sponsor determines scope

• Sponsorship is

not a spectator sport

20

2. Sponsor as Resource Provider

• Sponsor provides resources

– Money

– Time

– People

21

3. Sponsor as Plan Approver

• Approving plan approves the estimates

• May not correspond with initial targets

• Must understand the assumptions

and constraints

22

4. Sponsor as Risk Manager

• Owns the risks

• Contingency provider

• May be needed for mitigation actions

23

5. Sponsor as Change Manager

• Needs to understand variance

• Must understand relationship between

scope, schedule and budget

• Analyze options

• Needs to be able

to say ‘no’

24

6. Sponsor as Governor

• “Project governance is the management framework within which project decisions are made.”

• Next to PM, should be primary Stakeholder Manager

25

Familiar stuff?

We need the Sponsor to understand the

science of project management and

fulfill their roles and responsibilities.

26

Teaching the Science

• Formal Sponsorship training

• PMO assistance

• PM provided training

27

Course Syllabus

Course Development

28

Course Syllabus: Outcomes

What do you need your

Sponsor to do for you?

(What I need from my Sponsor)

29

Course Syllabus: Objectives

What do you need your

Sponsor to know?

(What I want my Sponsor to learn)

30

Training Tools

1. Charter

2. Project Planning

3. Communication Plan

4. Change Management Process

5. Risk Management Process

31

Sponsor Syllabus

Lesson Planning

32

1. Charter Lesson Plan

• PM should:

– Add a section to your charter:

X.X Sponsor Roles and Responsibilities

• Sponsor must:

– Understand and agree to assumptions and constraints

– Establish scope, schedule, budget precedence

– Confirm project priority

– Provide PM sufficient authority

33

2. Planning Process Lesson Plan

• PM should:

– Clarify basis of estimates

– Establish contingency requirements

• Sponsor must:

– Understand and agree to estimates

– Identify contingency sources

– Abandon the Business Case guesses

34

3. Communications Lesson Plan

• PM should:

– Establish what happens when I say “Mayday”

– Add a section to Communications Plan:X.X Sponsor Communications Responsibilities

– Assign specific communications to the Sponsor

• Sponsor must

– Manage stakeholder communications

35

4. Change Management Lesson Plan• PM should:

– Present options

• Sponsor must:

– Know when the change management process is needed

– Understand impact of change on scope, schedule and budget

– Understand the implications and risks of their chosen option

36

5. Risk Management Lesson Plan• PM should:

– Keep the Sponsor engaged in risk

– Assign Sponsor as a risk owner

• Sponsor must:

– Understand Risk Management concepts

– Provide resources required for mitigation

– Manage their assigned risk

37

Instructor (Your) Responsibilities

• Actively manage your relationship with your Sponsor

• Help the Sponsor to understand project realities

• Look at the world from the sponsor’s point of view

• Define the relationship: service provider to customer,

not subordinate to superior

• Set expectations in advance--manage upwards

• Provide them with reliable facts--always tell the truth

• Document everything

38

Homework

• Evaluate your PM tools-are they working for you

• Encourage your sponsor to get trained

• Complete your sponsor syllabus

39

40

Sponsor Cliff Notes

SPONSOR QUESTIONSWhat can I do to help?What do we need to be successful?What is the plan?What is the status compared to the plan?What is the top risk and mitigation strategy?What are our options?What is the basis?How do you know?

41

Training my Stakeholder

42

Questions?