Working in project management comes with its own set of buzzwords you need to get familiar with if you want to stay relevant. At Planview AdaptiveWork, we’re here to make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest terminology, so you can “walk the walk” and “talk the talk,” so to say. One of the terms you might have heard thrown around is “Project Champion.”
If you’re interested in learning more about this position and the role it plays in the project management process, we’ve answered some of your most common questions here:
What is a 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 expected of a project champion?
A lot of responsibilities fall on the shoulders of the project manager, including:
- Identifying the overarching objectives of the project
- Translating those objectives to the team to ensure a cohesive process and solution
- Tracking the process of the project from inception to completion
- Analyzing the methodologies used and suggesting any necessary improvements
- Keeping an eye on possible bottlenecks to prevent delays or disfunction
- Maintaining an accurate and reasonable timeline
- Prioritizing the project according to budget, and phases of the project to value
- Communicating clearly with team members, executives, clients, and any associated stakeholders
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.
A project champion is attentive to detail and an excellent communicator. They must keep an eye on the ups and downs of the project lifeline and report them to everyone involved.
Project champions should have several years of experience under their belt, so they can bring their expertise to the completion of the project. Years in the field equip them with the know-how to predict how long certain tasks will take and how much prioritization they’ll require.
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. A Six Sigma project champion leads a project from initiation to execution, often relying on outside resources for successful completion of the project.
Some of the added responsibilities of a specifically Six Sigma project champion include:
- Establishing data-based benchmarks for ongoing review of the project’s success
- Creating an agile process, so the course of the project can be rerouted, based on time or scope changes
- Consulting outside resources for the successful completion of the project
- Keeping the project’s path clear of obstacles by conducting risk assessments
- Working with a large team and delegating the work based on past performance data
- Achieving successful completion of the project, with no or minimal errors throughout the project’s execution
Having a designated project champion or Six Sigma project champion at the front of your projects is a great way to ensure successful completion. This person leads the course while motivating the team and navigating around potential roadblocks.
Clarizen’s scalable project management software makes it easier for your project champion to capture data and track the team’s progress along the way. Combining a project champion with an enterprise software, like Planview AdaptiveWork, is a smart way to ensure projects are completed timely and effectively. Contact us for a live demo if you’d like to learn more about our enterprise project management solution.
