Canadian Government Executive - Volume 21 - Issue 9

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26 / Canadian Government Executive // November 2015
The Government of Canada is increasingly driving large-
scale change through multi-million dollar transforma-
tion and modernization projects to improve internal ef-
ficiency/effectiveness and performance of government
programs. The considerable price tag, coupled with a mandate to
do more with less, has created pressure to demonstrate substan-
tial return on investment and improved performance through
achievement of project outcomes. In response, the federal gov-
ernment has invested significantly in project and performance
management and sponsorship.
Research shows that active and visible sponsorship is critical
to transformational success and the Sponsor needs to not only
“own” project delivery, but also “own” business transformation
with people at its core. However, organizations are typically more
comfortable focusing on project delivery (producing deliverables,
managing schedules, etc.) than transforming the business (in-
creasing adoption of new processes/technologies, shifting orga-
nizational behaviour, etc.).
Over the past four years, we reviewed over 20 major federal gov-
ernment transformation projects and identified a recurring theme
for poorly performing projects: a lack of effective sponsorship. We
observed that the federal government is struggling to navigate
the people side of change through effective sponsorship, and as a
result, the projects often experience low acceptance, low morale,
change fatigue and resistance. In our experience, sponsorship
struggles or fails to drive transformation due to three factors:
1. Poor understanding of the Sponsor role
and its value to the transformation
Sponsors do not always understand the full extent of their role and/
or its importance for change acceptance and uptake. There is also a
perception that thepeople-relatedaspects of sponsorshipare “touchy
feely” or unimportant, so Sponsors focus on the more tangible as-
pects of delivery such as resolving vendor issues, etc. To demonstrate
its importance, communicate the positive impact of people-related
sponsorship activities (town hall sessions, etc.) on performance; this
may include decreased staff-related project delays, increased adop-
tion of new processes and decreased HR issues.
It is often assumed that Sponsors — typically senior leaders
with some project experience — will understand all aspects of
their role and naturally lead people from unaware and resistant
to fully engaged and committed. Given the seniority of the typical
Sponsor, the project team is likely reluctant to define the Spon-
sor role. The ambiguity of the role can be further complicated
when vague “motherhood” statements are used to define respon-
sibilities (e.g. lead change). Instead, the project team should en-
gage sponsors through the development of a “Sponsor Roadmap”
Program evaluation
Deann Young and Heather Wallace
Effective Sponsorship Drives
Transformation Performance
which outlines tangible engagement activities (e.g. kick-off key
meetings, secure support across management) with associated
objectives and timing. Incorporating Sponsorship responsibili-
ties in performance accords is also an effective approach to in-
creasing its perceived value among senior leaders.
2. Lack of time to carry out the Sponsor
role
Sponsors with an appreciation of the importance of their role
may still not have adequate time to dedicate. Strong Sponsors
have a finger on the pulse likely because they are involved in
several projects in addition to operational duties.
To reduce the burden on individual Sponsors and increase the
probability of success, the project team should:
• Develop a fulsome Sponsorship Model that identifies individu-
als at all levels rather than assigning all sponsorship responsi-
bilities to one or two senior individuals. This not only reduces
the burden, but also enables a broader reach.
• Encourage and enable a cascade approach in which Sponsors
seek commitment from peers and direct reports to communi-
cate key messages and foster two-way communication.
• Make it easy for Sponsors to carry-out their role by providing
support such as coaching and tools (speaking points, elevator
pitches, etc.).
3. Lack of Sponsor experience and/or skills
Sponsors are often selected based on their position or title. Unfor-
tunately, this does not guarantee an appropriate fit in terms of ex-
perience and/or skillset. For instance, a senior executive may have
little or no relevant experience in large transformation initiatives.
Likewise, less senior staff may be overlooked for the role when
they actually have significant influence within the business.
To ensure an appropriate fit, Sponsors should be selected based
on past success with transformation initiatives and/or a proven
ability to communicate, connect with employees, recognize or
mitigate resistance, etc. In addition to selecting the right person,
the project team should bridge any skill gap through coaching
and support tools.
Establishing effective sponsorship that drives business trans-
formation and performance is no easy task and understanding
why sponsorship fails in this area, and how to mitigate those
risks, is critical to success.
Deann Young is a Senior Manager in the Transformation
and Change Practice at Interis Consulting (deann.young@
). H eather Wallace is a Senior Consultant at
Interis Consulting ).