Governance and project roles
What governance does
Governance is the framework of authority, accountability, decision rights and reporting that surrounds a project. It answers: who can approve, who is accountable, what tolerances apply and how assurance is obtained. Governance is not day-to-day management; it sets the boundaries within which management operates.
Roles
The sponsor is accountable for the project's success and business case, chairs the project board or steering group, and secures resources. The senior user represents those who will use the output, specifies needs and often owns benefits. The senior supplier represents the delivery side and is accountable for technical integrity and resource capability. The project manager runs the project within agreed tolerances. Team managers lead work packages. The PMO provides standards, templates and reporting; it does not own delivery. Assurance provides independent scrutiny.
Decision-making
The board makes stage and gate decisions, approves changes beyond the project manager's tolerance, and reviews exceptions. Terms of reference define membership and quorum. A RACI chart clarifies who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed; only one person should be accountable for a given activity.
Traps
Frequent traps: saying the project manager is accountable for the business case (the sponsor is); confusing senior user with senior supplier; assuming the PMO makes decisions; and treating governance as bureaucracy rather than risk control. Also watch 'the board manages the project'; it governs, while the project manager manages.
Worked example
A change request adds £40k and three weeks. The project manager's tolerance is £20k and two weeks, so it must be escalated to the board with an impact assessment. Rule of thumb: match every decision to the lowest level with authority to make it, and record the decision.