Project Sponsor – The Project Manager's Closest Ally

Who is the Project Sponsor?

The 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.” Simply put, they are executive-level supporters, who ensures that the project has the necessary funding, resources, and strategic alignment to succeed.

Unlike the project manager, who focuses on execution, the sponsor plays a strategic role, ensuring that the project contributes to the organization’s long-term objectives. Without an engaged sponsor, even the best-managed projects can struggle to overcome lack of funding and resources, all because of a low priority set (sometimes involuntary) by the absent sponsor.

The Role of the Project Sponsor

The Project Sponsor’s responsibilities span across the entire project life cycle. Their key accountabilities include:

·??????? Owning the Business Case – The sponsor is responsible for developing and maintaining the business case, ensuring that the project remains viable and delivers the expected benefits.

·??????? Authorizing the Project – The sponsor either develops or approves the project charter, the document that formally authorizes the project’s existence and grants the project manager the authority to allocate organizational resources. More or less, he is the “godfather” of the project.

• Securing Funding & Resources – The sponsor usually operates at a level where they can procure the necessary funding and commit resources, ensuring that the project team has what they need to execute effectively.
• Ensuring Strategic Alignment – Throughout the project’s lifecycle, the sponsor works with the project manager to align the project charter, project management plan, and benefits management plan with the organization’s strategy.
• Managing Political & Strategic Challenges – Many projects face internal political or strategic obstacles that can impact team morale and project viability. The project sponsor helps the project to overcome these challenges, acting as an escalation point when high-level intervention is required.
• Approving Major Changes – Every significant change request must be evaluated and either approved, deferred, or rejected by the appropriate authority—often the sponsor, customer, or project manager.
• Providing Feedback in Agile Projects – In adaptive or agile environments, the sponsor and customer representatives remain actively engaged, providing continuous feedback and ensuring that the evolving deliverables meet current business priorities.
• Validating Deliverables – The sponsor or customer formally signs off on deliverables that meet the project’s acceptance criteria, ensuring they provide the intended business value.

How the Sponsor Supports the Project Manager

A strong project sponsor doesn’t just authorize a project and then disappear. They remain present in the project and partner with the project manager, helping to work through the challenges that arise during the project lifecycle. This partnership is particularly important when the project encounters risks, setbacks, or crises.

During a Project Crisis:

• If the project is at risk due to budget constraints, the sponsor can advocate for additional funding or adjust expectations.
• If resistance from stakeholders is blocking progress, the sponsor can use their influence to resolve conflicts and align stakeholders.
• If scope creep threatens project, the sponsor can help enforce discipline (even among project’s customer organization), in prioritizing deliverables and protecting the project from unnecessary changes.
• If unexpected risks emerge, the sponsor can provide executive-level decision-making, ensuring that risk responses align with business priorities.

The sponsor should not be in the project to micromanage, but to empower the Project Management Team and removing obstacles that the project manager may not have the authority to address.

Project Sponsor vs. Product Owner

In agile and hybrid approaches, there is sometimes confusion between the roles of Project Sponsor and Product Owner. While both roles focus on delivering business value, they serve distinct functions:

• The Product Owner ensures that the product backlog reflects business needs and continuously refines deliverables, based on feedback.
• The Project Sponsor takes a broader organizational view, ensuring that the project remains strategically aligned and advocates for its success at the leadership level.

Conclusion

A project without an engaged sponsor is like a car without a functional engine. The Project Manager is the driver, steering, going around obstacles, and ensuring the car stays on the road. But without a Project Sponsor—the engine that provides power and momentum—the project won’t move forward, no matter how skilled the driver is.

The sponsor ensures that the project has the fuel it needs resources, strategic alignment, and executive support. When roadblocks appear, the sponsor helps clear the path, ensuring that the project doesn’t stall.