Without a steering group, a project lacks direction and will struggle to stay on track and meet objectives.

A Project Steering Group (PSG) serves as the senior advisory team which is established at the beginning of the project to make decisions about the fundamentals of the project. It acts as a committee for discussing larger issues that require more oversight than day to day issues which would be handled by the project manager.

Responsibilities

The PSG takes ownership of multiple aspects of the project including:

  • Budget Control
  • Development Plan
  • Evaluation Process

Day to day decision making on these areas will still be delegated to the project manager but would be reported up to the team to ensure that progress is on track and budgets are being met.

Managing Outcomes

At the outset of the project, the PSG takes ownership of how the business requirements will be met.

During the delivery phase, it is incumbent on the PSG to control the direction of travel to prioritise the achievement of the objectives.

To ensure that the focus of activity is on the primary project goals rather than allowing them to be de-prioritised.

The resource allocated to the development of any project is finite. By focusing on the end goals, the PSG can ensure that appropriate levels of resource are available to meet core objectives. Likewise, if the steering group identifies a shortfall in specific areas, they can direct

Identifying possible risks to the project is a key responsibility of the PSG. The group will identify risks during their meetings and should bring these to the attention of the PM to ensure that action is taken.

Membership of the Project Steering Group

An effective project steering group should consist of key stakeholders.

Decision makers in departments affected by the project goals should be part of the group to ensure that information and feedback are shared.

It is important to ensure that the group remains small enough to make decisions effectively. Not all stakeholders will need to be included in the steering group, however they should still be part of the communication. The recommended number of members on a PSG is 5 with seniority applied to the sponsor of the project, as they then take responsibility of delivery in partnership with the Project Manager.

For more information about project governance, please contact a member of the Harness Consulting Team.