Managing the Ferl Practitioners' Programme

It is essential to have the support of a senior member of the college management. This person would become the Sponsor or Champion of the FPP, lending weight, influence and political clout to the FPP Guide in their efforts to implement the training programme.

This is not to say that the Sponsor will necessarily be a hands-on person, spending lots of time devoted to the project, but should be seen to be sponsoring and supporting the aims of the FPP as organised by the FPP Guide on a day-to-day basis.

The Sponsor should chair the Steering Group overseeing the project - or in a smaller college, may solely act in a Management Board role. This would involve meeting with the FPP Guide (as Project Manager) to keep in touch with progress and lend support where needed and to help the FPP Guide prioritise FPP alongside the many other activities and projects the college is involved with. This is a vital support role for any Project Sponsor to help Project Managers exert influence where they do not have any line-management authority. From feedback and comments at JISC infoNet's Project Management Workshops, it appears to be a common source of frustration for Project Managers and a contributing cause of project failure where this support is not forthcoming.

By 'Steering Group' we are using the Project Management definition of a group not involved in the day-to-day management of the project. Likely members are: the Project Sponsor, Curriculum Manager/Director, the Quality Manager and possibly a member of the Corporation.