Failing projects

Defining failure

September 17, 2007

This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Failing projects

This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Failing projectsIt’s easy to find examples of high-profile projects that fail. The ones that hit the papers are often public sector projects because their audits and budgets are more open to scrutiny. Here are some: Following an internal review, Multiplex, the Australian development company responsible [...]

Taking the guess out of success

September 24, 2007

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Failing projects

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Failing projectsOrganisations don’t define failure. We don’t document how we will know if a project has failed – what failure looks like – because thinking about failing is not a good way to motivate the project team when the work has only just started. The [...]

Success criteria: how do you define success?

October 1, 2007

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Failing projects

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Failing projectsSuccess criteria are the standards by which the project will be judged to have been successful in the eyes of the stakeholders. It is these that must be tracked to be able to answer the question of whether your project has delivered any benefits. [...]

Why do projects fail?

October 15, 2007

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series Failing projects

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series Failing projectsThere must be a good reason why all these projects fail. There is; in fact, there are many factors that contribute to project failure. The UK Office of Government Commerce did a study that shows the main reasons that projects fail are: lack of [...]

Project governance for Parliament

October 22, 2007

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series Failing projects

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series Failing projectsThe construction of the new Scottish Parliament building is a good example of how things can go so wrong on a project. The innovative design was in its early stages when the procurement process started. Architects were bidding to deliver something within a specification [...]

Changing the perception of ‘failed’ projects

October 29, 2007

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series Failing projects

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series Failing projectsI have written before about the fact that some projects are stopped for good reasons. Businesses need to be very transparent when that happens to ensure all relevant parties understand why and, crucially, agree that it is the right thing to do. Communication within [...]