Everybody plays the role of Project Sponsor at some point, for example during a renovation project at home. At work this role also crops up more and more frequently. As director, you commission the development of a product, or as manager you want to have a new IT system developed.

You naturally expect certain results, and want to make favourable agreements with respect to schedule and budget. Often, however, this is not easy, which is logical enough, given that the role of project executive i...