Description

A trillion-dollar problem

About 40% of projects fail, according to research by the global projects peak body, the Project Management Institute, and consulting groups including Gartner, Boston Consulting Group and KPMG. About USD 13 trillion, or 25% of the world's economy, is spent on projects annually. Up to USD 5 trillion is wasted.

Approximately 80% of projects cite poor project sponsorship in their top six reasons for failure. Some of the underlying factors:
1. Understanding the role of the sponsor
2. "Too many projects" – competing priorities, change fatigue

These factors impact the speed and quality of decision-making, which affects project momentum and results. Educating and supporting sponsors in their roles reduces the failure rate, saving time, money and heartache for organisations and stakeholders.

Enter the Courageous Sponsor© Workshops

Created and facilitated by Annie Sheehan, author of "The Courageous Sponsor, How to overcome challenges to get your project done" these workshops follow a proven curriculum developed in collaboration with Project Sponsors.

The sessions address uplift in knowledge, sponsor role expectations, and a prioritisation tool for decision making.

Part 1 - Courageous Sponsorship Foundations - How to be an Effective Sponsor

This 4-hour live virtual interactive session covers the foundations of good governance:

• The value of effective Project Sponsors
• Project Sponsor duties and expectations
• The Sponsor's Journey and available help

Suitable for sponsors of all experience levels and their leadership teams, it includes a project simulation.

Part 2 - Courageous Governance

The 4-hour live or virtual interactive session covers:

• Governing board composition, roles and responsibilities
• Defining your Board's critical success factors
• Skills checklist
• The power of the question

 It includes a governance meeting simulation that is suitable for sponsors and steering committee members of all experience levels.

Course outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of a Project Sponsor - grasping key responsibilities and the sponsor’s impact on project success.
• Describe how engaged sponsorship reduces project failures and ensures benefits realization.
• Describe strategic leadership skills including effective decision-making and how to prioritize and evaluate projects to meet strategic business objectives.
• Understand how to build strong Sponsor-Project Manager relationships.
• Understand key concepts to lead advisory groups to maintain oversight.

What They are Saying

"I wish I'd known this at the beginning!" - General Manager, Financial Services.

"I love the sponsor MODES [personas] and the productivity ladder. It helps me to see where I am in terms of my sponsor capability" - Executive Manager, Technology, Financial Services.

"Annie presented the benefits of effective sponsorship in a way that was clear and not in project speak." - Executive, The Salvation Army.

"Liked having the exercises to solidify ideas and get us to think in a "Sponsor" mode." - General Manager, Technology, The Salvation Army.

"[Understanding and sharing] examples of good sponsorship vs poor sponsorship is key. What works well in other organisations and knowing their role and responsibilities is vital." - Executive Manager, EPMO.

"Well-paced. Excellent involvement. Good practical examples" - Project Manager.

What's included in the course

• Downloadable course material including more than 30 project management templates
• Digital workbooks and reference material
• Participant surveys
• Attendance certificate
• Morning & afternoon tea and lunch (in-person sessions only)

Why Train with Millpond

• We are a local company with over 10 years of experience in the Australia and New Zealand markets, offering tailored, region-specific training.
• Our trainers are based across Australia and New Zealand, hand-picked for their expertise and real-world project management experience.
• We offer flexible training schedules—spanning weeks or months—to suit learning capacities, avoiding the potential overload of "bootcamp" courses if required.
• Our leadership actively contributes to the project management community, partnering with PMI Chapters and presenting at industry events.
• We provide all-inclusive, transparent pricing with no hidden fees or unexpected costs.
• Our courses enhance globally recognized materials with our own resources for a superior learning experience.
• We support clients through the entire certification process, offering personalized guidance and re-sit advice if needed.
• Feedback is reviewed after every course to ensure continuous improvement in training quality and delivery.
• Our trainers collaborate regularly to align practices and uphold high standards in adult education.
• Unlike global competitors or small operators, we balance scale, expertise, and trust to deliver exceptional value and de-risk projects.
• As a 100% New Zealand-owned organization, we operate with honesty, transparency, and a people-first approach, keeping profits within the region

Read more about why our training stands out from other offerings in the marketplace in this blog.

Our courses are small and interactive, delegates get an opportunity to immerse themselves in the learning environment and to network at the same time.

Our highly skilled trainers will cover everything you need to know so that you have a better understanding of leadership in the Project, Portfolio and Programme Management context.

New Zealand Regional Business Partner Network Management Capability Development Funding

This course is registered with the Regional Business Partner Network Management Capability Development Funding programme. 

Your business may qualify for a voucher to help pay up to 50% for attendance at the course (excludes exam fees) of the owner(s) and key managers. For more information on whether your business is eligible speak to your local Regional Business Partner before registering for this course.

Your questions answered

Who is Annie Sheehan?

Annie Sheehan is an experienced executive coach and an internationally recognised project management expert, with 25 years' project delivery and ten years' Board Director experience. During the last ten years, Annie has focused on coaching executives in the process of becoming accountable as project sponsors to deliver business projects and achieve sustainable change.

She is the author of "The Courageous Sponsor, How to overcome challenges to get your project done", published June 2020 and a past president of the Project Management Institute, Melbourne Chapter. She is a former Region Mentor for the PMI Board Directors in Australia and New Zealand, coaching and advising on executive leadership and Director duties.

What will I get from a Live and Online course that I won't get from a (cheaper?) On-Demand course or YouTube?

Our Live and Online courses are an online classroom with a live instructor presenting slides, case studies, and facilitating discussion rather than a series of pre-recorded video lessons. That means that you get the benefit of being able to ask questions in real time of the instructor, and of hearing your classmates’ questions and their experiences etc.

Many people also find that being part of a group in this way provides extra energy and motivation to study and often talk about the pleasure they get from meeting other people in similar roles at other companies. Not to mention the networking opportunities that it provides.

Annie uses material that she has found helpful as a practitioner and will customise the material for your particular course. We also provide >30 project Management templates and several other resources that you will find useful in your study or in your career.

How Many PMI Professional Development Units (PDU’s) can I claim for attending this Training Course?

1 hour of formal training with Millpond is equivalent to 1 PDU.

When does the early bird discount end?

Millpond's Early Bird discount is applied automatically to all registrations made more than 60 calendar days before a course commences.

How far in advance should I register?

As above, Millpond's Early Bird discount is applied automatically to all registrations made more than 60 calendar days before a course commences. Some of our more popular courses do fill up as far as 4 weeks before the course begins, so it pays to register as early as possible to secure your space. If you are not sure about being able to attend, please read our full Terms and Conditions before doing so, however, as you will be required to accept them on the way through the checkout process.

How can I pay for my course?

We can accept credit card payments, or we can issue an invoice to you or your organisation.

Setting Millpond up as a supplier before you register

If you wish to pay on invoice and we have not yet been set up as a supplier to your organisation, please pay by credit card, or check with your Accounts Payable for the information they require to set us up before you register.

A note about Purchase Orders

If a Purchase order number is required for us to be paid by your organisation, please ensure you have that available to include on the way through the checkout.

If you require a quote to assist with generating a Purchase Order from your organisation, please contact us at [email protected] with the details required.