No Sponsor no Project!

This simple rule should be everywhere, because even if you get a steering committee the fact is that if everybody is responsible nobody is responsible!

The rule is the acid test if anyone even bother to back you and your project up. If no one in management is ready to stand up for you it will be uphill - and you should back off.

The rule is in itself a good argument for not starting up projects: "If no one will pull the lead jersey we better not choose this project."