Despite good intentions and best of efforts, some projects face challenges. A project may be in trouble due to ineffective project management, scope creep or excessive customization, organizational adoption inhibitors, or a failure to meet the original requirements for which it was initiated. The decision then needs to be made as to whether the project is recoverable or not.
Common Reasons Why Projects Fail
Over the years, we’ve found the key reasons why projects fail to be:
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Unclear requirements that may be ambiguous, contradictory, and imprecise
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The inability of stakeholders to agree on or prioritize features, functions, and schedules
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A lack of resources, the wrong resources, resource conflicts, or the turnover of critical resources
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An absence of—or ineffective—project governance with limited management involvement and ownership
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Poor budget and project planning based on insufficient data with unrealistic or overly optimistic release cycles
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A failure to assess and manage risks
Best Practices for Project Recovery
Following a detailed assessment based on a proven methodology, our team will both identify the reasons as to why the project is failing and—if applicable—provide an actionable recovery plan. While each project recovery is unique, our detailed project recovery plan generally includes the following elements:
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An assessment of the current state of the project, including:
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Structure
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Scope (expected vs completed)
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Schedule
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Governance
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Resources
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Risks
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Change management
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The identification of the obstacles or problems at issue
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The development of an appropriate plan for project recovery, including:
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Corrective actions required
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Preventative actions required
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Structured governance
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Schedule for recovery
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Budget for recovery
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Recovery KPIs
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Roles and responsibilities
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If needed, we’ll stay with you until the end of the recovery project, guiding you through each step of the recovery plan and ensuring the realization of the desired business outcomes.
