Sponsor’s Role inSponsor’s Role in
Organizational ChangeOrganizational Change
Management ProjectsManagement Projects
Radhia Benalia
November 05, 2014
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Biography
• Radhia Benalia, PhDc, PMP
• Certified Green Project Manager
• Doctoral Thesis: Success Factors for Executive Sponsorship
• Previously Deputy General Manager of Consultancy Firm
• Head of Engagement- Global University
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..

Agenda
• Project Sponsor’s Role and Importance
• Sponsorship: Expectations and Competencies
• Change Management
• Sponsorship in Change Management
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Food for Thought
• “An organization ability to learn, and translate that
learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive
advantage.”- J. Welch
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Introduction
“This is a major project of utmost importance, but it has no
budget, no guidelines, no support staff, and it’s due in 15 minutes.
At last, here’s your chance to really impress everyone!”
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How important?
• “The greatest correlation comes from an interesting
place; above. Those organizations that have active
project/program sponsors on at least 80% of their
projects have a success rate of 75%, eleven
percentage points higher than the average”. - PMI
Pulse of the Profession 2013
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What do Organizations need?
PMI,PMI, Navigating Complexity: A Practice GuideNavigating Complexity: A Practice Guide, 1st Edition, 2014, 1st Edition, 2014
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Where Projects are Born
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Translator of Strategy
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Dispelling Some Myths
• Myth 1: Any executive manager can be a
good project sponsor
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Myth 1: Any executive manager can be a good project sponsor
 The sponsor needs to have crystal-clear understanding of the
strategy of the business, and he/she needs to be able to clearly
convey it to the project manager and to the project team
 The sponsor needs to act as the proxy of the business: He/she
ensures that the project is aligned with the business strategy, and
that it will indeed bring value to the organization.
 The sponsor needs to be convinced of the value that this project
would drive. Otherwise, how can this person effectively champion
the project?
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• Myth 2: The Sponsor does not need to
know project management basics.
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Myth 2: The Sponsor does not need to know project management basics.
• The sponsor needs to be educated about basics of
project management, its value and challenges,
and its measurements of success.
• He/she also needs to be educated about
feasibility analysis, risk management and even
portfolio management.
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• Myth 3: Project Sponsor is an Executive
that does not need to make himself/herself
available for the project.
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Myth 3: Project Sponsor is an Executive that does not need to make himself/herself
available for the project.
• The project sponsor needs to:
• Make himself/herself available often enough to review
the status of the project.
• Check on the morale of the team
• Check that there are no major “noises” that would impact
the project in a way that it could lead to failure
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Expectations
• The sponsor is expected to champion the project at all phases,
unless it does not bring value to the business. In that case,
he/she needs to be ready to cancel the project if it is found that
the project’s outcomes will no longer bring added value to the
business.
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Competencies of a Project
Sponsor
BUCERO, 2012BUCERO, 2012 17

Sponsor’s Selection Criteria-Checklist
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Change!
• Define Change: Transition from current to future state
• Define Change Management: Change Management is
taking a planned and structured approach to align an
organization with the change.- Managing Change in
Organizations, PMI
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Current to Future
The Lewin Model
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The Prosci Model
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ADKAR- Prosci Model
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The PMI Change “Model”
Harrison & Nelson, The Sponsor as the Face of Organizational ChangeHarrison & Nelson, The Sponsor as the Face of Organizational Change, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2013., Project Management Institute, Inc., 2013.
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Inspiration
Scope the change
Create a vision
Drive commitment
Accelerate the transition
Sustain momentum
Adapted from American Express
Management Model

Project Management Institute, Managing Change in Organizations, Project Management
Institute, Inc., 2013.
Category of
Change
Recipient Difficulty Length of
Initiative
Reversibility
First-order
change
Procedures –
modifications in
how work is done
minor short Easily reversed
Second-order
change
Policies – doing
something
significantly
different
moderate medium irreversible
Third-order
change
Values – rethinking
the governing
values
very long irreversible
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Driving Change in Context
Project Management Institute, Managing Change in Organizations, Project Management
Institute, Inc., 2013.
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What would Good Sponsors of Change
be?
IMPORT-ANT
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Interpreters
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Interpreter
• Convey the vision clearly. Make it tangible and
accessible.
• Interpret the gaps in the current state and open a
dialogue on future state.
• Interpret to the executives the changes and progress
within the project.
• Urgency to change current state, invest effort, and be
ready to embrace.
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Example: Conveying the Vision
• Make it SERVE!
• Succinct
• Evocative
• Resonant
• With Values
• Excellence
• Adapted from West, D. 2010. Project sponsorship. Farnham, Surrey, England: Gower
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Motivators
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Motivate
• Convey a sense of urgency
• Survey for motivating factors
• Don’t just make assumptions!
• Identify change agents early; educate them and
empower them
• Reward Enablers
• At Closing, ensure to recognize those who adapted
change.
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Planners
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Recognize Planning Elements
• The sponsor doesn’t develop the plan, but he/she
needs to ensure the following:
• Does the plan support change objectives?
• Does the plan include OCM elements?
• Does the plan support transition to operations and
sustainability?
• Are there clear KPIs for measuring success?
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Observers and Reviewers
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Observing & Reviewing
Initiation Sponsor’s ability and availability
The Organization
Finding Gaps in Current State
Consult Historical Data
Potential Impacts
Planning Review Stakeholder Register and
Matrix
Identifying agents of change
Cultural Assessment (Reflected in Risk
Plan)
Review the WBS
Implementation Assessment +
Mitigation
Executing See Tracking
Monitoring & Controlling Status Reports
Adaptation Results
Training Results- Change Acceptance
Results
Closing Transition Plan 36

Trackers
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Tracking
• The sponsor should not micro-manage the PM, but
keep close tabs on the following:
• Change results as project moves
• Is communication effectiveness well measured?
• Are recipients receiving sufficient support?
• Is there synergy between Project Team and Ops for
transition?
• Is a sufficient sample taken?
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ANT-ICIPATORY
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The Role In Short?
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Case Study
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www.flickr.com/martindavis

Context
• Implementation of New University Management
Information System
• Tremendous resistance, especially from older
employees
• Recipients from different departments
• Admission period was close to begin
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Sponsor’s Role
• Is Motivated
• Got acquainted again with the organization and put
on a Sherlock Holmes attitude
• In addition to simple change surveys she promotes
change, walks around and collects reactions
• Verified and sometimes challenged assumptions
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Change Survey
• Have you previously complained about bugs in the
system?
• If you are given the training required would you agree
with the change?
• Who do you want to pair up with in the transition
period?
• Open ended questions to share concerns.
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What was done?
• Assessment of “Current” state was done thoroughly.
• Established an information station with tech support
that could be reached through Whatsapp.
• For the pilot, included recipients from all
departments, including student body.
• Trainers and Integrators were hand-picked. They had
to have great communication skills.
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• Frequent meetings were carried out with project team
and department heads.
• Transition or Launching ceremony was organized
• Helpdesk stayed in a station 3 months after transition
to operations
• Extensive communication and engagement
opportunities were given
• Continuous feedback was collected
• A Powerful mission statement for the change was
communicated throughout the organization
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Conclusion
• Communicate vision for change
• Influence and Motivate
• Assess organization and impacts thoroughly
• Find the gaps and set KPIs to fill the discrepancies
• Perform and Promote Extensive Communication
• Minimize depth and duration of disruption
• Contribute to solid planning of transfer to operations
• Sustain the Change
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To Contact me 
radhia.benalia@gmail.com
Le’ts connect on LinkedIn!
https://lb.linkedin.com/in/radhiabenalia
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