Who can help resolve disagreement between Project Manager and Functional Manager

Submitted by sirikhum on Fri, 12/31/2010 - 13:50

I've been running Exam Simulation with both IIL PMIQ and Crosswind. They disagree on who often help resolve disagreement on resource assignment and project scope between Project Manager and Line Manager.


PMIQ thinks that the conflict/disagreement are often resolved by the Sponsor, while Crosswind says that it is Senior Management.


In PMP Exam, in the question, if there are both options, Sponsor, and Senior Management, which one is the correct answer to PMI?


Yours,
NS

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findvikas

Fri, 12/31/2010 - 23:03

Taken from the defination of the Sponsor

"For issues that are beyond the control of the project manager, the sponsor serves as an escalation path. The sponsor may also be involved in other important issues such as authoring changes in scope, phase-end reviews, and go/no-go decisions when risks are particularly high."

 

From Glossary

Issue. A point or matter in question or in dispute, or a point or matter that is not settled and is under discussion or over which there are opposing views or disagreements.

 

I would go with Sponsor

What were the other options along with Sr. Management? If there were no clear indication of sponsor from other options then one could assume that Sr. Mgmt is the Sponsor... no?

sirikhum

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 07:02

 Both PMIQ and Crosswind have both Senior Management and Sponsor as options, and the other two options are noises. 

 

Crosswind's definitions or Sen.Management and Sponsor are:

Senior Management is responsible for supporting the project and resolve resource conflicts as they occur

Sponsor's responsibility is to pay for the project and own it when it complete

Kerzner' (which PMIQ is refered to) says that Sponsor can be either from Senior or Low/Middle project depending on the $ize/importancy of the project.

 

I understand that there is no definitive line to firmly justify which is right or wrong. I only want to know to PMI, for PMP in particular, which one is the right option in their opinion.

 

Thank you very much,
NS

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admin

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 09:05

 Sponsor would be the right answer since Sr. management may not have authority over Functional manager and PM both. Again it would depend on the context. If both managers report to same Sr. manager then he can resolve the conflct as first point of contact.

ashgoel

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 16:55

sponser may not be an authority to manage functional manager. With senior management, it ensures that the sponser and FM and PM all from seller side(sponser is from seller side, one of the thing we get wrong)

Sandy10001

Wed, 08/20/2014 - 18:27

When the project is internal, then of course going up the chain of command from PM to Sponsor to whomever the Sponsor should report to given the situation.

Ashgoel,
Thanks for the comment regarding the sponsor from the seller's side. When there is a contract and we are the seller, the Sponsor should be clearly stated in the project charter.

cuongpt

Tue, 01/04/2011 - 08:25

1. Project Charter would be the first place PM consult where PM's authorization and responsibilities were defined.

2. Orgnizational Process Asset: where PM could find the procedures for prioritizing, approving, and issuing work authorization that organization has been following.

3. Sponsor: Non of those things can help, Sponsor would be the final best choice.

 

Neel

Tue, 01/04/2011 - 21:48

If its beyond Project manager's scope. Project Manager escalates it to project Sponsor.( Who in turn can contact senior management or suggest change in project) Refer to 2 Portion of PMBOK for this. Page 24 Diagram of Project Stakeholders( Showing Sponsor as Top line of Project) and Definition of 'Sponsor'.

I hope this clears some doubts.

Frances Tessler

Thu, 08/21/2014 - 02:21

I believe the difficulty is in how they refer to the sponsor. Sponsor is correct here however some institutions refer to the sponsor as part of senior management. Don't confuse the two here. It is sponsor on the exam.