Background
Having completed a review of their project management competencies, International Nuclear Services (INS) identified the need to establish a clear understanding of the role of project sponsors in order to make their input into key projects more effective and value adding.
Solution
INS worked in collaboration with Underscore Training to identify the training requirements for sponsors and the wider project management community. Using this input, Underscore Training developed a one-day programme examining the role of project sponsors within the organisation using a bespoke case study to demonstrate key points. The programme covered a range of topics including understanding roles and responsibilities of everyone on the team, defining project sponsors duties and delivering successful outcomes.
Challenges
The programme was to be delivered to project sponsors as well as to the entire project management team at INS. With an audience ranging from professional project managers to first time project sponsors, the sessions were designed to cover the topic from all angles.
Our project sponsorship programme is available as an off-the-shelf training course, or we can design a bespoke programme like the one we created for INS.
Feedback and Outcomes
Feedback from the sessions was overwhelmingly positive. Alex Hunter-Brodie, Project Manager and leading the sponsor capability improvements at INS spoke about her experience working with Underscore Training:
‘We had quite a bit of input: we spoke to the trainers in advance and told them about the shape of the training we wanted and what we wanted them to focus on’.
‘During the sponsor training a number of sponsors said they hadn’t realised what their responsibilities were. It was re-assuring as a Project Manager that our sponsors were receiving clear and consistent guidance. Since the session our sponsors have been better engaged in driving our projects’.
Delegate comments about the training were also very positive:
‘I would recommend the course to others as an initiation to project sponsorship. The trainer was very well-informed and was not fazed by any of the discussions the material teased out. The course content was an introduction to sponsorship as there were some complete beginners in the group. I found the structure plain and simple and the explanations easy to follow. The content sent out the right messages about responsibility and accountability which was the main focus for our company. Overall the session was very useful’.
‘Very interesting and thought provoking. Sponsors are probably doing many of the activities without recognising that they are carrying out sponsorship activities. However, I think there was a realisation that the sponsors are actually responsible for delivering the benefits of the project’.