The main differences between the Project Sponsor and the Project Champion are:
- The Project Sponsor is considered to be the Project Owner, while the Project Champion is considered be to the Project Advocate.
- The Project Sponsor has a formal role in an organization, while the Project Champion has an informal role.
- A Project can have many Project Champions, but can only have one Project Sponsor.
What are the responsibilities of a project sponsor?
The responsibilities of the Project Sponsor include:
- Provide direction and guidance for strategies and initiatives to the Project Manager as directed by the Board
- Works with the Project Manager to develop the Project Brief
- Checks that business benefits are identified and being achieved
- Makes go/no-go decisions
- Evaluates the project's success upon completion
- Negotiates funding for the project
Who is the project champion?
The Responsibilities of a Project Champion
- Project Champion Roles and Responsibilities. A project champion is not the project manager, project sponsor or project coordinator. ...
- Getting All Stakeholders On Board. ...
- Motivating Project Team Members. ...
- Eliminating Obstacles within the Company. ...
- Ensuring Successful Completion. ...
Who is project sponsor?
Smooth Radio North West, sponsor of the Leisure and Tourism category in this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, welcomed the development. Plans were approved to build the £125m Eden Project North on Morecambe’s seafront, with the chief executive of ...
What is the role of the project sponsor?
The project sponsor generally has the following roles:
- Promotion. They are the project champion that attempts to keep the project at the highest priority within the organization.
- Authorization. They authorize the project and assign the project manager.
- Funding. ...
- Approving. ...
- Scoping. ...
- Project Charter. ...
- Informing. ...
- Receiving. ...
What is project Champion?
A project champion is the team member at the helm of a project management project. This is the person who makes sure everyone is on board and on track to complete the project successfully and on time.
What is not a project sponsor champion?
Project Champion Roles and Responsibilities A project champion is not the project manager, project sponsor or project coordinator. Their role is to help those project members complete the project. Often, the project champion liaises between the project team members and senior management.
What is project sponsor?
The project sponsor is the person responsible for the overall success of the project, including appointing the project manager and team, defining success criteria, and ensuring the successful delivery of the project.
What is the difference between a project champion and a project manager?
Yes, they may have similar traits, but whilst the project manager has a formal role to lead the project, the champion doesn't always have a formal role. It is the project manager's job to see the project through and formally plan and manage it.
What is the difference between a sponsor and a champion?
A project sponsor is a formal role that provides resources and guidance to team members. By contrast, a project champion is an informal role that provides team members with inspirational and motivational support, as well as serves as an advocate for the project to ensure stakeholders are satisfied.
Can a project sponsor also be a project champion?
The PMBOK guide doesn't describes the role of a project champion very clearly. The project champion and the project sponsor are usually considered the same roles. In my personal view, a project champion is supposed to have comprehensive knowledge of the project and hence can act as a mentor to the project manager.
What is the role of a sponsor?
Sponsors are business leaders who play a key role in promoting, advocating and shaping projectwork. They oversee the project and programme management functions and remains accountable for ensuring the realisation of the specified benefits over time.
What does a sponsor do?
Sponsors help you navigate membership, answer questions, work on the 12-steps, and offer accountability. A sponsor is also a confidant who understand where you have been. You can confide in your sponsor what you may not be comfortable sharing at meetings.
What are the responsibilities of a sponsor?
What are the sponsor's responsibilities?Ensure the business needs are valid, correctly prioritized, and documented in the business case (if applicable)Ensure the project/program delivers the agreed sustainable business benefits, goals and objectives.Ensure the project/program is properly launched.More items...
What is the role of a champion?
Change champions assist in instituting a change, they advocate for and promote the change from within, and are instrumental in implementation of the change (Warrick, 2009). The champion believes in the change, is driven by the vision, and is energized by the passion for change.
What is a project champion Six Sigma?
Project Champions (Sponsors) are the managers of the business, function, or value stream which has been identified as high priority for a Six Sigma team. They play a pivotal role in that they own the processes of the business and, therefore, must ensure process improvements are captured and sustained.
Is project lead higher than project manager?
Project leaders think while project managers execute Project managers manage the budget, staffing and responsibilities of team members to ensure deadlines are met. While project leaders also manage the team's effectiveness, their strategy is to motivate and help generate new ideas to achieve goals.
What is the difference between a project sponsor and a project owner?
A project sponsor is different from a project owner in that they’re a person, while the owner is an organization. However, in most cases the project sponsor is employed by the project owner. The project stakeholder can be confused with the project sponsor because of the similar titles.
What is a project sponsor?
The project sponsor is a person or group who owns the project and provides resources and support for the project, program or portfolio in order to enable its success. Every project has at least one project sponsor. They are the reason for the project. While they don’t manage the day-to-day operations of a project, ...
What is the purpose of the project sponsor in the planning phase?
For the planning phase, the project sponsor is checking to make sure the project plan is realistic and feasible. This accounts for time restrictions and whether or not the team is tasked with expectations they cannot meet.
What does a project sponsor do during the project initiation?
Also, during the project initiation, the project sponsor makes sure the project is appropriate for the organization, offering input on the project charter and participates in the kick-off meeting. The sponsor helps with the decision making during this phase.
Why do sponsors help project managers?
Sponsors also help the project manager and team work more autonomously to solve issues as they arise, while making sure that processes are being followed. They identify underlying factors that might cause problems and celebrate completion of milestones.
Why are project sponsors important?
They are especially important as they have the power to approve or disapprove changes in order to keep projects aligned with business strategy. Therefore, you want to keep them well-informed.
Why do project sponsors need transparency?
Project sponsors need this sort of transparency: they feel a part of the process and can provide the guidance they’re tasked to deliver to keep the project aligned with the organization’s business objectives.
What is the difference between a project sponsor and a project manager?
The project sponsor is the point of connection between the organization’s executive team and the project manager; the project manager is the point of connection between the project sponsor and the project team.
What is a project sponsor?
The project sponsor, or executive sponsor, is a person or a group of people at the senior management level. They are responsible for the success of a project and provide necessary guidance and resources to the project team and manager. Ideally, project sponsors provide high project sustainability, strategic planning, and successful implementation of the project’s objectives.
What is the role of Observe and Adjust Project Plans?
Observe and adjust project plans to ensure realistic delivery dates.
Who sits above the project manager?
The project sponsor sits above the project manager. In most cases, the project sponsor is the one who advocated for the project and has been on board since day one.
Who is a stakeholder in a project?
A project stakeholder can be anyone who is affected by the project—from members of the project team to people who aren’t actively involved in the project’s process. Stakeholders can be investors, peers, customers, or superiors.
How often should senior leaders update project status reports?
These reports also need to be updated on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on the nature of the project).
What is a project champion?
Project Champion is an informal role whose main goal is to make the project succeed by addressing different obstacles while making sure that the stakeholders are always satisfied with the project. A project manager is the person responsible for leading a project from its inception to execution. This includes planning, execution and managing ...
What is the primary objective of a project champion?
Specifically, the Project Champion has a primary objective to make the project successful by addressal of different hurdles concurrently ensuring that the stakeholders have a continued satisfaction with the project.
What is the role of executive sponsor?
Project Champion – “The role of Executive sponsor is a role in project management, usually the senior member of the project board and often the chair. The project sponsor will be a senior executive in a corporation who is responsible to the business for the success ...
How many project champions can a project have?
A Project can have many Project Champions, but can only have one Project Manager. project manager is an executive position. Project Champion - a senior manager or executive who gains support and resources for the project. This person is usually higher in an organization hierarchy than the project manager.
What is the responsibility of a project manager?
Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution and closing of any project, typically relating to construction, industry, architecture, aerospace and defense, computer networking, telecommunications or software.”. Upvote (5)
What is a project manager?
Project Manager. A project manager is the bridging gap between the production team and client. So he/she must have a fair knowledge of the industry they are in so that they are capable of understanding and discussing the problems with either party; he/she is a professional in the field of project management.
Who is eligible to be a project champion?
Anyone from middle or upper management is eligible to become the Project Champion, provided he has the following traits:
What is the difference between a project manager and a project sponsor?
Project managers handle the day-to-day management of a project, while project sponsors provide the resources needed to complete a project. Here are other key differences between a project sponsor and a project manager:
How much does a project sponsor make?
For example, in an IT project, the sponsor might be the chief information officer. They earn an average salary of $126,313 per year.
What does a project sponsor do during the planning phase?
During the planning phase, the project sponsor reviews the plan to make sure it's realistic and feasible. They also help resolve issues that may be beyond the project manager's role. Once the sponsor review and approves the project plan, the project manager then creates a schedule of tasks, deadlines and resources needed to complete and deliver the project on time.
How do project managers work?
Project managers typically work in an office setting , though they may occasionally need to be present at the physical worksite of a project. They spend most of their time standing or sitting at a computer station, using project management software, typing correspondence and making business calls. They often work a regular full-time schedule, though they may need to work irregular hours or overtime depending on project deadlines.
What is the role of the project manager in the implementation phase?
During the implementation phase, the project manager puts the project plan into action and assigns tasks to team members. The team members then make deliverables and implement the plan created during the previous phase. The project sponsor assesses the project's actual progress and provides feedback to the project manager as necessary.
What is the initiation phase of a project?
During the initiation phase, the project sponsor selects the project manager. They provide the project manager with explicit instructions and context for the project. They also help with the decision-making during this phase. The project manager then creates the main goals and timelines.
What is a project manager?
A project manager oversees all aspects of a project. They manage a project team, create a timeline and budget and make sure that the project progresses accordingly. They work in various industries, including technology, healthcare, law, engineering and construction.
What does "sponsor" mean in a project?
When most people say ‘sponsor’, they probably mean the executive. It’s worth asking people what they mean when they say ‘project owner’, because it really can mean anything! So just use the same terminology as everyone in your organisation. Doing so will avoid a lot of confusion.
What is project owner in APM?
In one APM report, the project owner is “a team including the sponsor, project champion and owner’s project manager”. Bear in mind the term ‘project owner’ is used informally and, as a result, has taken on different meanings.
Is the sponsor the owner of the project?
This idea asserts that the sponsor is one executive, while the project owner is the entire organisation. That makes sense when you think of a project as a ‘temporary organisation’, found within a parent organisation.
Can senior user and executive be combined?
Both of these roles – the executive and senior user – could potentially be combined on smaller projects.
Is project sponsor the same as project owner?
The terms ‘Project owner’ and ‘project sponsor’ aren’t consistently applied. Because of that, there isn’t a generally agreed upon difference between the two. Here are the three most popular answers, finishing with PRINCE2’s answer at the end.
Is a project owner a sponsor?
One paper by the Norwegian Centre of Project Management says the project owner generally follows the Project Management Institute’s definition of a sponsor. However, they broaden the project owner’s role “to cover many tasks beyond providing financial support for the project.” So by this definition, a project owner is a highly engaged sponsor. Effectively, there is little if any difference between the two. But not everyone shares this view.
What is expected of a project champion?
A lot of responsibilities fall on the shoulders of the project manager, including:
What qualities or characteristics does a project champion need to succeed?
Project champions must be born leaders. It is up to them to “champion” the project, so they must also be equally motivating. They don’t hear “no.” They find solutions.
What is the role of project champion in Six Sigma methodology?
Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to perfecting products or processes. When a company leads its project management processes via Six Sigma methodology, it creates even higher demands for its project champion.

Responsibilities of A Project Sponsor
Project Sponsor Duties Throughout The Project Lifecycle
- The project sponsor is involved in a project from start to finish which means that they have a variety of tasks, responsibilities, and duties through the project lifecycle. Both the project manager and sponsor should be aware of the responsibilities the sponsor holds so everyone stays within their lines and delivers what’s asked of them.
Project Sponsor vs. Project Stakeholder
- While the two terms sound very similar, project sponsors and stakeholders hold two very different roles. A project stakeholdercan be anyone who is affected by the project—from members of the project team to people who aren’t actively involved in the project’s process. Stakeholders can be investors, peers, customers, or superiors. A project sponsor on the other hand is generally not o…
Project Sponsor vs. Project Manager
- Both the project sponsor and project manager are highly involved in the project and responsible for the outcome and success. The project sponsor is the point of connection between the organization’s executive team and the project manager; the project manager is the point of connection between the project sponsor and the project team. The role of th...
Collaboration Between Project Sponsor and Project Manager
- The relationship between the project sponsor and the project manager can determine the outcome of the project. Clearly set expectations, frequent communication, and mutual trust are necessary to ensure a successful project. Depending on the complexity of the project and the experience of the project manager, the project sponsor can choose a more hands-off approach …
Collaborate in Real Time For Project Success
- Project managers and project sponsors rely on each other to successfully execute projects. To help both parties keep track of their responsibilities, tasks, and goals, reliable collaboration software is key. Asanais a work management tool designed to help teams manage work and hit their goals. With Asana, you can keep each other updated in real time and never let anything slip …