Book Review

Project Sponsorship: Winning Strategies for Executive Leaders

Reviewed by Brad Hermanson, PE, PMP, MBA 

	Author	Terri Carbone
	Publication	CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (); paperback;  94 pages; ISBN  978-1494264567; December 2, 2013; List Price: $9.99
	Purpose	The role of the project sponsor is critical to the success of many projects, but the responsibilities and expectations are ill-defined. The book explains how the role should be conducted to improve project performance.
	Audience	Executive leaders serving as project sponsors, senior executives that have significant projects being performed in their organizations, and project managers working for or with a project sponsor.
	Availability	http://successfulprojectsponsorship.com/

I met Terri Carbone for the first time last fall. I had started attending PMI Roundtables at the Oregon Health Building.  A co-worker of Terri’s at the roundtable suggested that I meet Terri because of our common interest in risk management. I had coffee with Terri and she told me about her book. I was intrigued and jumped at the chance to review it. 

Overview

This slim and concise book is focused on one subject: how to be a good project sponsor. It is well-written, interesting, and can be read in a few hours. Although the book would work for any person serving as a project sponsor for any type of project, it does have a tilt for IT projects performed within an organization.

Who should read this book? Project sponsors, of course, but also project managers (PMs) reporting to project sponsors. The book describes the relationship between the PM and the sponsor.  It outlines the activities a PM should perform and how the sponsor should be involved. When read carefully by both the PM and project sponsor, the book would help jump-start an effective working relationship.

This book would also be invaluable for executives in organizations who are overseeing projects and want to improve the success rate of those projects. Understanding the need for project sponsors, their responsibilities, and how the sponsor role differs from and interacts with project managers would be useful for any organization interested in improving the odds of project success immediately.

Relevance

As a consultant working for clients, I rarely interact directly with my clients’ sponsors. This book revealed a key role within the client organizations for whom I work.  The overall project development approach that is described, how the sponsor should function as a guide and advocate for a project, and the interaction between PM and sponsor were all huge highlights in learning for me.

I realized that within the firms I worked for, I have painfully experienced the results of several major IT projects that didn’t go well. The concept of “operational readiness,” which Terri describes clearly, may have been an afterthought for some of the projects.  I wondered if the troubled IT projects I witnessed even had a project sponsor.  I am certain we would have experienced different outcomes had the planners incorporated the set of roles and clear project delivery process described here.

What I like about this book

The book is a fast read and is well-written. The chapters start with a continuing story about an IT project with a fictional sponsor, a PM and a few other characters. The story engages the reader and brings some reality to the discussion. It made the book vivid and alive for me; I could easily imagine the interaction and setting and meetings that are described.

The book clearly addresses a huge need in project delivery: it provides a clear description of the role of a sponsor and how the role interacts with a Project Manager and project team, combined with a clear project delivery process.

One thing I truly appreciate about this book is that a project manager could, with confidence, hand this book to a sponsor prior to the start of a project and say, “Let’s do this.” This book should be considered an essential part of the start-up/ramp-up process to ensure the success of a project. The small investment of time needed by a sponsor to read the book would literally save ten’s to hundreds or more times the effort it takes to read the book.

Shortcomings

I have only two criticisms of the book.  One is a niggly one: the book jumps into a discussion of the “cutover plan” assuming that the reader is relatively clear what that is. I hadn’t even heard the term before, and of course, have not been involved in development or implementation of one. I wish the term had been described briefly.

My second point is a personal soapbox – the use of Earned Value Management (EVM).  I think EVM is a really valuable PM technique.  I wish the book had mentioned EVM as something project teams should consider using in their project status reports and routine communication.

My criticisms are small though, and should not overshadow the quality and value of the book. 

Conclusions

This is a remarkable little book. It thoughtfully addresses an issue that I expect is a significant impediment to the success of many projects, and it does that with a light and entertaining touch. I couldn’t help but think that if more organizations used it for their internal IT projects there would be far greater success rates for the projects.  I applaud what Terri has done and strongly suggest people read the book.

About the Reviewer

Brad Hermanson, PE, PMP, MBA is a project manager at GEI Consultants.  Brad has over 30 years of experience in the consulting engineering industry. He has been an enterprise leader for project delivery and quality for several large consulting firms, and is a frequent speaker and trainer on a variety of topics on project management.  A summary of his work and experience can be found at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/brad-hermanson-pe-pmp/b/a05/846.