Project Management

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What is a Project Champion?

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George Lewis Program/Project Manager| DXC Technology Company Heredia, Costa Rica
What is a Project Champion?

Is this concept defined in any of the PMI standards?
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George Lewis Program/Project Manager| DXC Technology Company Heredia, Costa Rica
I agree with Pinto, J. K. & Slevin, D. P. (1989). The project champion: key to implementation success. Project Management Journal, 20(4), 15–20.

identifies with a new development (whether or not he made it), using all the weapons at his command, against the funded resistance of the organization. He functions as an entrepreneur within the organization, and since he does not have official authority to take unnecessary risks … he puts his job in the organization (and often his standing…) on the line… He (has)great energy and capacity to invite and withstand disapproval.” [1]
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Aaron Porter
Community Champion
IT Director| Blade HQ Payson, UT, United States
Feb 27, 2018 4:22 PM
Replying to George Lewis
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Interesting comments, I would understand champion someone totally different that a sponsor (which at some point could be the same person but not by definition)
While I can envision situations where the project sponsor is not formally labeled as project champion, I would question why the person was the sponsor if the person did not have a vested interest in the success of the project. Of course, this ignores the reality that some projects are allowed to continue long after they should be cancelled. It's hard to be a champion for something that you know is failing but have to continue.
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George Lewis Program/Project Manager| DXC Technology Company Heredia, Costa Rica
Anyway, the post is not looking for differences between a sponsor and a Champion :))

Let me just state that a champion's role is key in any project, they are always present, even if their names and status are not clearly stated.
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George Lewis Program/Project Manager| DXC Technology Company Heredia, Costa Rica
Feb 27, 2018 4:08 PM
Replying to Ezara Penning
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The article gives a great overview of what a project champion is. I found the article to be quite interesting and have added it to my PM toolkit as it will be useful on at least one of my upcoming projects. Empowering one's team never hurts!
Ezara - thanks for sharing, I did read the entire article. Very good!
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Sisca Yuliharyani Sr. PM Consultant | Chief Strategy Officer| Indonesia Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
In some organizations the sponsor is called the project champion
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