A PROJECT CHAMPION
A project champion (or project sponsor) is a person in a high position in the organization who strongly supports your project; advocates for your project in disputes, planning meetings, and review sessions; and takes whatever actions are necessary to help ensure the successful completion of your project.
As soon as you start planning, find out whether your project has a champion. If it doesn’t, try to recruit one. An effective project champion has the following characteristics:
Sufficient power and authority to resolve conflicts over resources, schedules, and technical issues
A keen interest in the results of your project
A willingness to have their name cited as a strong supporter of your project
Deciding when to involve your stakeholders
Projects pass through the following four phases as they progress from an idea to completion (see Chapter 1 for detailed explanations of these phases):
Starting the project
Organizing and preparing
Carrying out the work
Closing the project
Plan to involve drivers, supporters, and observers in each phase of your project’s life cycle. The following sections tell you how you can do so. See the later section “Assessing Your Stakeholders’ Power and Interest” for information on what to consider when deciding how to involve different stakeholders.
Drivers
Keeping drivers involved in your project from start to finish is critical because they define what your project should produce, and they evaluate your project’s success when it’s finished. Their desires and your assessment of feasibility can influence whether you should pursue the project. Check out Table 4-1 to see how to involve drivers during the four phases of your project.
Supporters
Involving supporters from start to finish is important since they perform and support the project work; supporters need to know about changing requirements so they can promptly identify and address problems. Keeping them actively involved also sustains their ongoing motivation and commitment to the project. Check out Table 4-2 to see how to involve supporters during your project’s four phases.
Observers
After you choose the observers with whom you want to actively share project information, involve them minimally throughout the project because they neither tell you what should be done nor help you do it. Table 4-3 shows how you may keep observers involved.
TABLE 4-1 Involving Drivers in the Different Project Phases
| Phase | Involvement Level | How to Involve |
|---|---|---|
| Starting the project | Heavy | Identify and speak with as many drivers as possible. If you uncover additional drivers later, explore with them the issues that led to the project; ask them to identify and assess any special expectations they may have. |
| Organizing and preparing | Moderate to heavy | Consult with drivers to ensure your project plan addresses their needs and expectations. Have them formally approve the plan before you start the actual project work. |
| Carrying out the work | Moderate | As the project gets underway, introduce the drivers to the project team. Have the drivers talk about their needs and interests to reinforce the importance of the project and help team members form a more accurate picture of project goals. In addition, have the team members talk to the drivers to increase the drivers’ confidence that the team members can successfully complete the project. While performing the project work, keep drivers apprised of project accomplishments and progress to sustain their ongoing interest and enthusiasm. Continually confirm that the results are meeting their needs. |
| Closing the project | Heavy | Have drivers assess the project’s results and determine whether their needs and expectations were met. Identify their recommendations for improving performance on similar projects in the future. |
TABLE 4-2 Involving Supporters in the Different Project Phases
| Phase | Involvement Level | How to Involve |
|---|---|---|
| Starting the project | Moderate | Wherever possible, have key supporters assess the feasibility of meeting driver expectations. If you identify key supporters later in the project, have them confirm the feasibility of previously set expectations. |
| Organizing and preparing | Heavy | Supporters are the major contributors to the project plan. Because they facilitate or do all the work, have them determine necessary technical approaches, schedules, and resources. Also have them formally commit to all aspects of the plan. |
| Carrying out the work | Heavy | Familiarize all supporters with the planned work. Clarify how the supporters will work together to achieve the results. Have supporters decide how they’ll communicate, resolve conflicts, and make decisions during the course of the project. Throughout the project, keep supporters informed of project progress, encourage them to identify performance problems they encounter or anticipate, and work with them to develop and implement solutions to these problems. |
| Closing the project | Heavy | Have supporters conclude their different tasks. Inform them of project accomplishments and recognize their roles in project achievements. Elicit their suggestions for handling similar projects more effectively in the future. |
TABLE 4-3 Involving Observers in the Different Project Phases
| Phase |
Involvement Level
|
|---|
