Successful Project Sponsorship: A Time-Saver for the Busy Executive

Written by Michiel van der Molen

Narrated by Paul Heitsch

The project sponsor/executive/director is essential for any project, as this person is in charge and ultimately accountable for its success (or lack thereof).  However, he or she is rarely trained in project management; rather they are likely to be a general manager or senior executive.  Michiel van der Molen seeks to help these accidental project overseers understand their role and responsibilities, guiding them to proactively take control of the project.  The book is written in line with the PMI's Lexicon of Project Management Terms, and van der Molen includes tips for people working in Prince2 and Agile environments specifically, but predominantly concentrates on universal principles, making the book applicable to any operating environment.

Translated from a best-selling Dutch text, Successful Project Sponsorship begins by setting out four key principles: sharing, organization, focus, and empowerment. The book then goes on to provide answers to situations including:

• How to create a successful strategy
• How to keep a project under control when the requirements are changing
• What to do to keep a project on budget
• How to recognize a good project manager - and how to deal with an out-of-control one
• How to judge the quality of a business case/plan/progress report

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jun 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781721388004

Michiel van der Molen

Michiel van der Molen is a consultant and trainer in project governance, change management, and benefits management. Currently co-owner of Molen & Molen, he helps organizations achieve professional project governance.

Reviews for Successful Project Sponsorship

[hjvanderklis_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Many books on project management are written from a project manager's perspective. The same goes for the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK), the framework endorsed by PMI. While PRINCE2 devotes explicit attention to the role of the project board, executive sponsor, directing a project, a continuous business justification and management by exception, fellow Dutch Michiel van der Molen discovered a hiatus in the theoretical and practical support the project sponsor.Successful Project Sponsorship: A Time-Saver for the Busy Executive is the English version of Van der Molen's Dutch best selling paperback Projectmanagement voor opdrachtgevers. De vier principes van succesvol opdrachtgeverschap (5th edition since 2003 out in 2013). The Dutch version evolved with the emergence of PRINCE2 project method and agile ways of conducting projects. For the U.S. market alignment with PMBOK was a logical next step to embed in the English version.The book's divided in 3 main parts. In the first series of chapters the 4 core principles of project sponsorship are covered: share the business case, organize ownership, focus on deliverables, and empower the project manager. In the second part the author continues a little deeper providing answers to challenges like the creation of a strategy, changing requirements, budget restrictions and engaging with a project manager. The third part contains many practical advices on a learning programme or improvement strategy to take project sponsorship and directing a project to the next level in your organization.The book ends with a set of appendices explaining project management terms, describing the highlights of both PRINCE2, PMBOK and agile. Project management professionals on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean can benefit from Van der Molen's book. It's accessible, practical and time-saving.