Part 3: Roles, Responsibilities, and Attributes of Key Stakeholders in Project Management

The Sponsor

The sponsor is the most senior member of the project management team. Sponsors have crucial responsibilities necessary for the competition of a venture. However, some of the sponsorsu2019 responsibilities are often ignored, ironically, due to their seniority (Zein, 2010). The sponsor’s first responsibility is to authorize the project based on its and the business situation (Zein, 2010). In some cases, the sponsor may appoint a senior responsible owner (SRO) to represent their interest. Sponsors also approve and authorize funding for the program. Their executive roles also include resolving cross-program issues and strategic issues with the senior stakeholders and approving the programu2019s progress against predetermined goals and objectives. Being in a visible position, the sponsor should possess strong leadership skills and attributes. These include having a strong and clear vision, high credibility in the organization, and in-depth knowledge of the business discipline.

Senior Responsible Owneru00a0

The SROO can be a sponsor or a member of the sponsoring group. In the latter case, the SRO is delegated by the owner to represent them and is ultimately responsible for foreseeing that the project aligns with its objectives (Zein, 2010). Accordingly, the SRO is responsible for guarding the viability of the businessu2019 vision, obtaining funds from the sponsors, leading the project course, managing key strategic issues, maintaining the program’s alignment with the organizational needs, and interfacing with senior stakeholders. In brief, the SROu2019s overarching role is brokering the sponsors with the project management team. The SROs possess skills and attributes similar to those of the sponsors, as outlined above.

The Program Manageru00a0

The project managers play the most critical role throughout the lifecycle of the program. Zeiher observes that the project managers have a unique perspective into the organization that other stakeholders do not have (Zeiher, 2015). The facilitators are accountable for the entire project scope, the project management team, resources, and the program outcomes. Project managers work with cross-functional teams with subject matter experts daily (Zeiher, 2015). Besides, they cross the organization to gather perceptions unnoticed by the organization. Other responsibilities of the project managers include defining the program governance, planning the overall program and assessing progress, managing the projectu2019s budget, managing risks and issues, taking appropriate interventions, coordinating projects and their interdependencies, and managing stakeholderu2019s communication. With the business change manager’s aid, the project manager also aligns the deliverables to the programu2019s goals (Zein, 2010). Also crucial in the scope of the project manageru2019s roles objectives managing the main program documentation such as the charter and the statement of work.

Given the complexity and the wide range of project manageru2019s responsibilities, strong, practical leadership and technical skills are pertinent to the manager to ensure the program’s effective management to achieve the desired outcome. First, a good project manager should possess substantive knowledge in handling the project and the project management techniques (Zein, 2010). Besides, the manager should also have a good comprehension of the program objectives. Thirdly, good knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures is necessary. Lastly, effective management requires innovative problem-solving skills.

To this end, we can have already seen the project manageru2019s role in strategic alignment of resources and activities to navigate numerous challenges in the program course to the ultimate success. Strategic alignment has become an important topic among business professionals globally, as it is directly related to business financial performance (Zein, 2010). However, the strategic alignments are only beneficial upon effective implementation. A survey by The Economist Intelligence Limited on 587 senior executives globally on how C-level executives implement strategy and maneuver barriers impeding the strategic initiatives integration revealed that 88 percent of the surveyed executives considered successfully executing the initiatives to deliver better outcomes (Zein, 2010). Besides, the managers also regard the strategies as instrumental to the competitiveness of the organizations in the global market. The following diagram illustrates the correlation between strategic alignment implementation and the firmu2019s financial health.

Figure 3

Strategic Initiatives and the organization performance.

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Emmanuel Addo
Founder
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Emmanuel Addo is the founder of the Young Global Leaders Network, an international non-governmental organization registered in six (6) countries namely, Ghana, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan and has a membership strength of over 15,000 young black professionals, students, graduates, and aspiring leaders.

The organization also operates in 25 other African countries. Emmanuel also doubles as the chief convener and founder of the Young African Leaders Summit, one of the largest continental youth summits in Africa.  

Currently works at Kingston University as a Business Engagement Team Member in their Partnerships and Engagement Department. 

He characterizes energy, integrity, result-oriented, and ground-breaking service in each detail of strategic management, change management, stakeholder management, and leadership acquaintances.
Emmanuel owns a core background in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Ghana.

Leveraging his experience as a youth activist and a dynamic young man, Emmanuel founded the Young Global Leaders Network, a youth organization that comprises young diplomats, young politicians, and aspiring politicians, business/entrepreneurial business leaders with the aim of championing a mutual agenda for the African youth and promoting youth participation in governance as well as promoting entrepreneurial culture.
Emmanuel nurtures an environment of teamwork and has expertise in data collection and analysis as well as both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Emmanuel worked as an Associate Lecturer at the London College of Advanced Management where he delivered a wide range of business management courses that involved principles of marketing, leadership, operation management, and research methods. Emmanuel has always maintained high teaching and learning standards to ensure that his students’ stand out in academic achievements and successful progression. As a stout believer and passionate key player in volunteering; Emmanuel creates quality time to giving back gladly to his community what he has learned and to educate individuals with free consultancy on career development. He is a leader anyone would love to look up to and with great integrity, commitment, and passion to make the world a better place.
Emmanuel worked as Qualifications Manager at the Open University in the UK.

Emmanuel is also the founder of Kickstart Innovation Hub Ltd, the entrepreneurial hub of Young Global Leaders Network.