Project Owner Management

“Good project ownership management is like conducting a symphony orchestra. It brings together all the different participants, steers them towards a common goal and helps them achieve success as a team.”

The most common definition used in the project management literature is: “Project governance is the management framework within which project decisions are made.” In Norwegian, we can say that project ownership management is the management system for project decisions. We can simplify this definition further by saying that project ownership management should ensure that we execute the right projects in the right way and realize the right gains.

All businesses have organization charts that show who is responsible for operational tasks and results in the various organizational units. Businesses have also linked an authority matrix to the same map, which describes the decision-making authority of managers in different roles and at different levels. The same managers also have an appointment and job description as a mandate for their position. Clear roles, responsibilities, authority and decision-making paths are the basis of good operations.

Project owner management means that we introduce a similar framework for projects. Similar to operational tasks, projects need unambiguous and repeatable processes with clear roles, responsibilities, authorities and decision-making paths. Projects are important for most businesses, either in the form of deliveries to customers, or to change and develop internally. It is therefore crucial that we have control over the project portfolio, that projects succeed and that we are able to realize the desired gains, every time.

After completing the course, you have learned about the following key topics as a basis for good project ownership management in your business:

• Projects, project management and project ownership
• Project organization and interaction with line organization
• Roles, responsibilities and authority in the line and in the project
• The project mandate: the agreement between the project manager and the project owner
• The project model with phases, activities, decision points as well as roles and responsibilities
• Success criteria for successful projects

If, after completing the course, you see shortcomings in your own business, it is important that you inform the manager/management about your findings. Inadequate project ownership management is one of the major pitfalls of modern project management and can be a resource-intensive threat to development and growth.