A thing which cannot be accomplished should never be undertaken”
Anonymous African (Yoruba) Proverb
Why do projects fail? and How big is the problem?
Lets look at some data:
39% of projects fail due to lack of resources or planning (Spikes Cavell)
57% of projects fail due to a breakdown in communication (Spikes Cavell)
80% of project management executives don’t know how their projects align with their company’s business strategy (
75% of business IT executives believe their projects are “doomed from the start” (Geneca)
Project Success:
Successful project delivery contributed £820.5 billion to the turnover of UK businesses in 2017 or 21% of the total output of £3,861 and yet 31% of those projects were at risk of failure at a cost of £254.3 billion to the sponsoring companies. (Source: Business Matters 3 July 2017)
These numbers are “sizeable” and, clearly, even modest improvements in the way in which UK Plc conducts projects could provide a massive economic boost to both the companies involved and the wider
Evidence suggests that project failures are less due to external factors and are more to do with the underlying processes that are either flawed or insufficiently robust
A corollary to this would seem to be that the individuals involved may lack the requisite
Specific reasons for project failure
- Changes to brief
- Unrealistic time-frames
- Incomplete understanding of the risk involved
- Projects not resourced with the “right people”
- Lack of a clear business case
- Budget over-runs
In delivering our projects we must clearly distinguish between our success criteria (which should be absolute) and success factors (which are the “levers” we can use to increase the likelihood of success)
We also need to recognise that different interested parties (formerly known as ’stakeholders’) will seek to realise their value / benefit from the project at different times in its life-cycle
