Senior Responsible Owner

A Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) is ultimately accountable for a programme or project meeting its objectives, delivering the projected outcomes and realising the required benefits.

They own the business case and are accountable for all aspects of governance including:

• defining and communicating the vision and business objectives in line with policy and user-centred design principles
• ensuring a real business need is being addressed
• assuring ongoing viability, and taking the decision to stop the project if necessary
• engaging key stakeholders
• providing the team with leadership, decisions and direction
• ensuring the right expertise throughout the lifecycle of the project
• securing budget against the business case
• ensuring the delivered solution meets the needs of the business

The SRO must also ensure a project is:

• subject to independent assurance at appropriate stages 
• governed responsibly, reported honestly and issues are escalated appropriately

Selecting an SRO

An SRO should hold a leadership position in the organisation, with the ability to influence and manage relationships with key stakeholders.

Typically, they will have have control or influence over the business area which the project outcomes will be delivered into, giving them a business interest in the outputs and benefits of the project.

SRO workload

Being an SRO is a substantial time commitment. It may be a full time or part time role, depending on the scope, scale and complexity of the project.

It’s important to set out an expectation of time to be spent at different phases of the project as this can provide an early warning indicator of when the time commitment cannot be met.

The project board

The SRO is responsible for appointing the project board. This should include:

• a senior representative for the supplier
• a senior representative for the user
• a small number of experts to provide advice, experience and assurance

The project board tracks progress, works to remove any blockers and can support the SRO in making major decisions, although ultimate responsibility for delivery remains with the SRO.

Formal appointment letter

All SROs must sign a formal appointment letter. The letter should set out:

• the point at which the SRO becomes accountable for the project
• the time they are expected to commit to the project
• the tenure of the role, linked to key milestones on the project
• the extent and limit of their accountability
• a clear statement of the status of the project, identifying material issues and constraints
• the SRO’s objectives and performance criteria, covering delivery of the project, specifically stating any desired delivery approaches and leadership objectives (which should also be integrated into the SROs more general performance management cycle) 
• projected outcomes and required benefits
• decision powers, controls and delegated authority
• key interfaces and relationships, particularly with the business owner of the delivered project
• any expected development or other requirements of the SRO

Duration of role

The SRO is responsible for the successful transition to a live service, and for transferring accountability to appropriate business ownership. e.g. through a senior business owner, to ensure that benefits are realised after the project has closed.

There may be times where different phases of a programme or project require a different set of leadership and delivery skills. However, SROs should generally be appointed for the life of the project. Any planned succession should be agreed with the Accountable Officer (AO).

The AO is accountable to Parliament for high standards of integrity in the management of public funds. In government, the relevant Director General (DG) is the Accountable Officer. In public bodies, they will typically be the Chief Executive. Outside government, the AO may be referred to as the Investment Decision Maker (IDM).

Other responsibilities

SROs may have responsibility for several linked projects or programmes within an overall portfolio. It’s important to ensure the SRO can devote enough time to all the projects they are accountable for.

Where this is not considered feasible, think about recruiting a Programme or Project Director from the project delivery profession to support the SRO in their duties, although this does not remove responsibility for delivery which stays with the SRO.

Support and development for SROs

You should contact the Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise to discuss the appropriate level of SRO training and development for your role. This could include attending the SRO/Project Leadership Development Programme.

You should also familiarise yourself with:

• the relevant sections of the Scottish Public Finance Manual including guidance on the management of major investment projects 
• the Scottish Government’s Principles for Programme and Project Management
• information on giving evidence to select committees and appearing before a Scottish Parliament committee

You can contact the Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise for more information on the role and additional support available.