A steering committee is not just something you are in. It is something you work in. Unfortunately, there are doubts in many steering committees about what their actual role and responsibility is – and this affects the success of the project. Therefore, organizations have to invest in their steering committees in the same way they do their project management.
Project managers handle the daily operation of a project. But it is the steering committee that charts the frameworks and is responsible for the success of the project. Still, steering committee training is not on the agenda at very many Danish organizations. And this is despite the fact that being in a steering committee requires both time, teamwork and decision-making competencies. At Peak, we help steering committee members define their roles and responsibilities, work as a management team and realize the benefits of the project. But we also help project managers prepare their steering committees properly for making the necessary decisions on the right bases.
Why is it important to have competent steering committees?
Studies show that teams who take the time to get to know each other and create trust at the beginning of the project, despite deadlines and a tightly packed schedule, achieve better results than those who do not prioritize it. Results such as:
- Faster efforts against deviations from the project-plan.
- Greater trust between steering committee and project-organization.
- Greater benefits realization on projects.
- Better progress in the execution of the project.
