Got Sponsors?

  Stakeholder Management   Strategy   ProjectsAtWork  

Active engagement by executive sponsors remains the top driver of project and program success, according to a new research report from Project Management Institute. But sponsors are assigned to fewer than two-thirds of strategic initiatives, and overextension, communication gaps and lack of skills development often limit or inhibit their ability to be effective.

For the second year in a row, executive sponsorship is the top driver of project success, according to a new research report released by Project Management Institute with contributions from Boston Consulting Group. The 2014 Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: Executive Sponsor Engagement — Top Driver of Project & Program Success details the findings of a study undertaken to more fully understanding the role of executive sponsors and their impact on project and program outcomes.

It is imperative that organizations understand how to get the best from sponsors and how to enable their active engagement. “In their sponsorship roles, executives must become project ‘champions,’ working across stakeholder groups to deliver win-win solutions,” said PMI president and CEO Mark Langley. “Effective project sponsors use their influence within an organization to actively overcome challenges by communicating the project’s alignment to strategy, removing roadblocks, and driving …

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