Exploring the Role of the Executive Sponsor
 

Professor Lynn Crawford, Bond University, Australia
Dr Ping Chen, Tsinghua University, China
Dr Terry Cooke-Davies, Human Systems International Limited, UK
Professor Brian Hobbs, University of Quebec at Montreal, Canada
Professor Les Labuschagne, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Dr Kaye Remington, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Completion Date: 2008
 

Project Summary

Top management support, provided through sponsorship of projects and programs has emerged as a key factor in their success. Another factor that has drawn attention to the sponsorship role is increased focus on corporate governance, resulting from numerous high profile corporate collapses, which have highlighted the need for accountability, transparency and ability to implement strategy. The sponsorship role provides the critical link between corporate and project governance and is important in ensuring that governance requirements are met and that support is provided to projects and programs.

This research project, conducted with financial support from the Project Management Institute, was designed to address both formal and informal aspects of the sponsorship role and to provide guidance to organisations and professional organisations in:
 

• Defining the role and responsibilities of the sponsor within corporate and project governance frameworks
• Identifying the characteristics of effective performance of the sponsor role

The research methodology was specifically designed to take a holistic view of the sponsorship role, by examining the role in its project / program and organisational context and ensuring inclusion of views and experiences of sponsors as well as those of project managers, team members and other stakeholders. A qualitative approach was adopted, focusing on a small number of case study organisations and projects/programs enabling researchers to gain a rich understanding of the environment in which the role of the sponsor is realised. Over 108 interviews, relating to 36 projects / programs in 9 organisations from 5 geographic regions namely Australia, China, Europe, North America and South Africa were recorded, transcribed and then coded by the 5 researchers involved in the study.

Analysis of the literature and the extensive qualitative data lead to development of a conceptual model for making sense of the sponsor’s role. This model reflects the differing perspectives that may exist at the interface of the act of governing the project which requires that the project be looked at from the perspective of the parent organisation (governance) and the act of providing top management support which requires looking at the parent organisation from the perspective of the project (support). Under differing circumstances, the sponsor may need to emphasise the provision of governance, or support, or both. The conceptual model has significant potential to provide organisations and sponsors with guidance in understanding, definition and effective contextual conduct of the role.

Selected Publications
Crawford, L. H., Cooke-Davies, T. J., Hobbs, J. B., Labuschagne, L., Remington, K., & Chen, P. (2008). Governance and support in the sponsoring of projects and programs. Project Management Journal, 39, S43-S55.
Crawford, L. H., Cooke-Davies, T. J., Hobbs, J. B., Labuschagne, L., Remington, K., & Chen, P. (2008). Situational sponsorship of projects and programs: an empirical review. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.