Free Successful Projects Critical Thinking Example

Introduction

The following paper will look at strategies that a sponsor and project manager uses to ensure that there is a tangible level of project success. In project development, a project sponsor is a person who has executive accountability for a specific project. The role of a project sponsor includes appointing and empowering the project manager by offering appropriate support from a qualified project team (Gray, 2008). A project manager is a highly trained profession who overlooks the overall project (Phillips, 2006). The project manager is responsible for determining and implementing the specific needs of the client based on the firm that they represent.
A project sponsor as the person who ensures and enables establishment of the project has to establish strategies to ensure project success. The three strategies that a sponsor can use and how they are applied include:

Securing project resources

The project requires several resources including adequate funds, qualified management and also equipment or resources relevant to the development of a project. The sponsor should be able to hire a project team that is qualified and who are competent enough to help in attaining the goals of the project. Further, the team should ensure the right people have enough time to spend on the project giving inputs and what the teams would require for a successful project implementation,(Gray, 2008). If a consultant is required during project development, the project manager should get one for the project to offer a certain services. The proper quality materials should also be provided for the team.
The sponsor can be able to secure the resources by developing an affordable scheme which has efficient benefits to attract and retain stakeholders.

Ensuring project is on time, on budget and on scope.

This highly requires the sponsor to be consulted by the project manager in the planning process. The sponsor should allocate time and appropriate resources which would hence be validly considered for an effective review and check on project progress. The sponsor should make sure that the processes that are set for project enhancement are being implemented by the project team. The budget should have enough funding to take the project up to the end of the project cycle. If additional spending is needed, the sponsor should do a research and tell whether it is necessary to give it out to the project manager.
However, for the purposes of achieving successful project completion especially in a situation leveled against an essential project consideration, terms and conditions for the current environment should be explained, and ideally approved by the sponsor. Changes to the project happen in a formal meeting and proper discussion has to be made before a decision is made.
Through getting time to follow up on the project the sponsor will be able to ensure that the project is on time, on scope and on budget.

Providing feedback on status reports and making sure they reach necessary stake holders.

The sponsor is supposed to give stakeholders feedback and occasional reports on the present status of a project. Communication will be a key pointer in helping to define the immediate needs and functionalities of a project. If the sponsor faces overwhelming challenges regarding the project then this can be forwarded to the next level for proper evaluation. This will give stakeholders a strong level of trust in the firm.
Giving feedback provide the stakeholders enough insight onto the product development (Aaron, 2000). A project manager as the executer of the project needs to come up with important strategies to ensure the success of a project. Strategies that a project manager needs and how they can be applied:

Planning

This involves developing project management frameworks. Planning involves looking at project overview. The project manager should determine the project benefits, what are the business drivers and the exchange migration that is taking place. The project should be established with full participation of users in the project. Users help the project manager understand their needs and hence specific customizations and adjustments would be initiated where appropriate to help fix additional requirements as per differentiated expectations. Involvement of users in cost and time estimation and risk management could be a helping factor. The project manager should be able to get executive management support. Sponsors must be actively participants because they help in defining deliverables and keeping the project moving.
A clear statement of requirements should be outlined. The requirements should be minimal and obtainable and must be established within the tenets of project variables. The requirements help to predict priorities of next phases in a project and articulate its needs. By observing the time allocated to complete the project and ensuring that you plan everything in a way the project will be done on time represent an important operational metrics for project development. According to James, (2000) the time scale should be realistic and valid. To achieve project development consideration, different perspectives reflecting highly modified considerations should be understood and implemented where appropriate. Use of a time tested proven life cycle, will help the manager get the standard model used in project planning. The best model should be used to help in the planning process.
The project management procedures should be carefully looked into to generate appropriate and immediate project demands. The procedures involve resources used to manage the project. This helps the team to know how to manage the project issues, changes in scope, risk, quality and communication. This ensures that the team and all stakeholders have a common understanding of how the project will be managed. Planning should be applied through giving it time and the appropriate people consulted in making sensitive decisions.

Training of staff

This involves training the team so they know how to apply project management tools. Considering the complexities involved in generating proportionally aligned tools, the staff should be taught how to use it and how to fully utilize its benefits. The team will also be given the set target time. The team should be motivated throughout the project, because this approach is a major tool that would shape the overall project establishment and enhancement. The team should also know what type of progress they are making and this would explain the support conceptualization of a project life cycle. Structuring thinking and overall positive reviews would be an important project element.

Implementation

In a situation where a project scope changes, an important request should be initiated in order to make a project recall or phase evaluation involving a sponsor and team members. Most change requests are made by stakeholders, but the sponsor is the one who should approve the changes so the project manager should ensure they get permission before deciding on the changes to be made.
Requirements and specifications should be followed to detail. According to Larson, (2008) this will ensure that the budget is planned and appropriately referred to hence avoiding spending too much money across a wider area initially not planned. Further, user needs will be followed up and equally managed. Testing and inspections should be carried out. In case the project is in trouble the problems will be managed at an earlier stage hence the project will be comprehensively monitored and cautiously programmed. Also checks should be made to ensure that the project completion is per requested plans.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the project sponsor and project manager are supposed to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the project. The project manager should not be over-involved in the project but should allow the project manager to do his work in peace. Constant communication should be kept between the project manager and sponsor to ensure the project is done according to plan. The sponsor should help the manager to manage problems that may occur during project development. Project success will allow the firm to be able to realize increased market share, productivity and share holder value.

REFERENCES

Phillips. J, 2006, Project management professional study guide. 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill Publishers
Gray, C. F. and Larson, E. W, 2008,Project Management : The managerial process. 4th Edition, McGraw–Hill Educations Inc.
Aaron, J. S. and James, J, 2000, Improving Project Management: Linking Success Criteria to Project Type. Center for the Development of Technological Leadership, University of Minnesota, Van