Sponsorship: how to enhance the role within the project profession Thursday 9 July 2020 This is part 1 in the 4 part Enhancing sponsorship within the project profession webinar series Presented by Martin Samphire, Katherine Williams and Richard Zavitz The link to the write up page and resources of this webinar: https://www.apm.org.uk/news/sponsorship-how-to-enhance-the-role-within-the-project-profession/

1. Enhancing Sponsorship within the project
profession – webinar series
APM Governance SIG
9 July 2020

2. Introductions
3pmxl Ltd
Martin Samphire
Owner and MD –
Fellow APM
APM Governance SIG Chair
Lead on Portfolio Management for P3M Data Club (BIG)
Sectors – Central Civil Government, Health, Police, Defence, Rail, Energy,
Financial Services, Construction, Oil & Gas, Outsourcing, Water
msamphire@3pmxl.com

3. Introductions
Katherine Williams
Managing consultant at RSM UK
APM Governance SIG committee member nominee
works with organisations across multiple sectors to build
and assure project and programme management
capability.

4. Introductions
Richard Zavitz
Principal Sponsor at Transport for London
APM Governance SIG committee member
experienced project professional working in the
sponsorship of major capital investment projects

5. Webinar 1 – Outcome of sponsor survey
Role in the project profession
Challenges and opportunities
Sponsor survey

6. The sponsor role is the critical role for
project success as it is outcome focused
APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition –
“accountable for ensuring that the work
is governed effectively and delivers the
objectives that meet identified needs”
• Leader and decision maker
• Credible influencer with delegated
authority
• Enthusiastic advocate
• Commits sufficient time
• Sufficiently aware of PM practices
Sponsoring Change 2nd Edition –
“accountable for the realisation of
desired outcomes and benefits”
• Understanding – role, context
• Competence in role
• Credibility
• Commitment
• Engagement – personal
ownership

7. 7
Permanent
Organisation -
BAU
“run the business”
Temporary Organisation
– Project
“change the business”
Sponsor straddles both and has the pivotal role.
Provides leadership in dynamic and ambiguous
environment.
The
Business
The
Project
Courtesy of 3pmxl Ltd
Sponsor as pivotal link

8. Sponsorship: business focus
Sponsor
functions for
the business
– Provides
Leadership
B1 Links
projects to
corporate
strategy
B2 Owns
the Vision &
Business
Case
B3
Accountable
for benefits
B4 Reflects
the
corporate
risk appetite
B5
Collaborates
with other
projects
B6 Applies
corporate
governance
B7
Represents
the
investment
From Sponsoring change 2nd Ed.
Sponsoring Change explains each
element in detail

9. From Sponsoring change 2nd Ed.
Sponsor
functions for
the project
manager
P1 Provides
Leadership
P2 Clarifies
priorities
P3 Owns
requirements
P4 Escalates
issues and
approves
changes
P5 Makes
timely
decisionsP6 Provides
resources
P7 Manages
relationships
P8 Provides
authorisation
P9 Receives
reporting
P10
Champions
the project
Sponsorship: project focus
Sponsoring Change explains each
element in detail

10. Background to sponsor study
▪ Sponsoring Change first published in 2009
▪ 2013 benchmarking study assessed the adoption of the
guidance provided in Directing Change 2ed., including the
uptake of the sponsor role - Lack of consistency in applying and
developing sponsors
▪ APM Factors for Project Success study 2015
▪ Sponsoring Change 2 ed. published in 2018
▪ Sponsor Survey launched in 2019 – results analysed in 2020 with
more than 100 role results

11. Sponsor survey
Approach
Results

12. Approach
▪ Online survey of senior executives in a sponsor role, board directors and other project
professionals involved in governance of change.
▪ The survey gathered their views on:
– The type of sponsor role available in their organisation
– How the governance of change contributes to successful project outcomes
– Holding sponsors to account for successful outcomes of change
– Availability of sponsor training
– Personal and organisational competencies
– Areas to improve in sponsorship
– Interest in engaging with the APM about sponsorship

13. Role(s) personally undertaken
▪ 56 surveys were filled out
with responses from all
roles
▪ 50% carry out a sponsor
related role
▪ +70% of board directors and
sponsors also reported
having a delivery role (more
than 100 roles identified)

14. Role titles identified
BOARD DIRECTOR HEAD OF SPONSORSHIP
EXECUTIVE SPONSOR DELEGATED SPONSOR

15. Governance of change leading to success
▪ Accountable parties respond with more positive impression
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Board Director
2. Head of Sponsorship
3. Executive Sponsor
4. Delegated Sponsor
/ Sponsor Agent
5. Non-sponsor delivery
Poorly
Not so well
Averagely
Very well
Extremely well

16. Board holding sponsors to account
▪ Board more positive of their ability to hold executive sponsors to account
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Board Director
2. Head of Sponsorship
3. Executive Sponsor
4. Delegated Sponsor
/ Sponsor Agent
5. Non-sponsor delivery
Poorly
Not so well
Averagely
Very well
Extremely well

17. Specific performance criteria
▪ Sponsors reported having specific performance criteria for the
changes they sponsor, but not all:
– 31% in all cases
– 60% in some cases
– 9% not at all
▪ Rarely explicitly incorporated into personal objectives or
reviewed on a regular basis

18. Competency assessment
Areas used to ask about individual and organisational competence:
▪ Business case development
▪ Securing funding
▪ Developing and communicating the project vision
▪ Stakeholder engagement
▪ Holding the delivery team to account
▪ Identifying measurable benefits
▪ Approving issues, risks and changes
▪ Realising actual benefits

19. Competency of senior roles
▪ Senior roles identified a higher ability in a smaller number of competencies

20. Competency of delegated sponsors
▪ Delegated sponsors identified abilities across all the competencies

21. Interest in sponsor training
Very interested
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Board Director
2. Head of Sponsorship
3. Executive Sponsor
4. Delegated Sponsor / Sponsor Agent
5. Non-sponsor delivery
Level of interest in learning more about sponsorship good practice through the APM
Not at all interested

22. Availability of sponsor training
▪ 55% of respondents indicated that sponsor training is available in their
organisations
Training identified for competency development
Most Least
1. Business case development
2. Holding delivery teams to account
3. Reviewing issues/risks/ changes and
realising benefits
1. Communicating vision
2. Secure funds
3. Stakeholder engagement

23. Benefits of training
Difference in views between the expert/trained and the untrained
▪ Training correlated to holding a more positive view on governance of change
contributing to successful project outcomes:
– In particular: business case and realising benefits
▪ Training correlated to holding a more negative view on how well the board
holds sponsors to account for successful outcomes of change:
– In particular: secure funds and business case

24. How to enhance the sponsor role
Clarity of role within governance of change
Holding sponsors to account
Competency framework
Benefits of training

25. #1 Distinguish between roles
▪ Use of prefixes to distinguish
between authority levels
▪ Clarifies the relationship with
both the business and the
project
▪ Will aid in recruitment and
performance development

26. 1st point of
contact
Agree division
of actions with
Delegated
Sponsor
Warm up key
stakeholders
Analyse & assure
reports
Confirm change meets
business case & delivers
benefits
Support change
throughout
governance process
Chairs Steering
Group / Sits on
Board approving
change
Executive sponsor
Courtesy of See Change International

27. Accepts
action
Seeks impact
of change
Runs impacts
on benefits &
business case
Reviews
consequences,
corporate risk
profile
Commences change
process, preparing
papers for Exec
Supports change
throughout
governance process
Proposes change at
Steering Group /
Board
Delegated sponsor
Courtesy of See Change International

28. #2 Engage, feedback and support
▪ The board should engage
sponsors for feedback on
governance processes to
identify and implement
improvements
▪ Formal sponsorship roles and
accountability lines need to
be acknowledged, valued and
supported across the
organisation
Senior leaders see
the wider picture
Working level often
feel they are able to
see better ways of
doing things

29. #3 Agree clear expectations
▪ The board should agree with
their sponsors clear
expectations for both
performance that is linked to
project outcomes and
competency
▪ Both should be implemented
in a clear and consistent way
with regular opportunities for
feedback
Directing Change
outlines principles of
effective governance for
board and sponsors
Also includes role-based
checklists

30. #4 Develop competency model
▪ Differences between roles
need to be reflected in a
standard competency model
▪ The model can inform job
descriptions and the
approach to recruitment and
performance development
Senior roles identified a
higher ability in a smaller
number of competencies
Delegated sponsors identified
abilities across all the
competencies

31. #5 Focus training
▪ Training should focus on
business case development
and realising actual benefits
▪ Organisations should consider
their processes, behaviours,
and structures to enhance
competence in holding
delivery teams to account and
in engaging with stakeholders.
more positive view on
governance of change
contributing to success

32. #6 Board development
▪ Boards should therefore
consider their own
development in holding
sponsors to account alongside
the development of sponsors
more negative view on how
well the board holds sponsors
to account

33. #7 Training programmes
▪ A varied training programme
is encouraged to cover the
identified sponsor
competencies rather than a
one-off course

34. Recap recommendations
1. Distinguish between roles
2. Engage, feedback and support
3. Agree clear expectations
4. Develop competency model
5. Focus training
6. Board development
7. Training programmes

35. Further engagement
Webinar series
Publications
Blog and webinars

36. Webinar series
Sponsorship in the project profession
Thursday 23 July
17:00 to 18:00
▪ The Executive Sponsor role – panel debate
with senior leaders
Thursday 30 July
17:00 to 18:00
▪ The Delegated Sponsor role – panel debate
with senior practitioners
Early autumn,
to be confirmed
▪ Sponsorship: competency, training and
accreditation

37. Directing Change
3rd Edition - 2018
Governance of Co-
owned Projects
- 2017
Sponsoring Change
2nd Edition - 2018
Free to APM members at www.apm.org.uk/memberdownloads
Gov SIG Publications
Directing Agile
Change - 2016
APM Learning module –
Working with project sponsors
Free to APM members at Associate
level and above at
www.apm.org.uk/apm-learning

38. Related blogs and webinars
▪ Sponsorship: how to enhance the role within the project profession
▪ Who makes the ideal sponsor and does it matter?
▪ The sponsor role and sponsorship - the way forward webinar
▪ Sponsoring the Thameslink Programme
▪ Who and what is a sponsor in project management?
▪ Effective sponsorship is key to success

39. Thank you!