Why Do Projects Fail ?

Reasons and Recommendations for Success

Reasons For Project Failure

Every year large amount of expenditure is incurred on projects, and many projects fail to attain
the desired objectives, and are termed as failure. There are several instances of poor
performance, or dissatisfaction with the project results due to inefficient project management.
During the conduct of numerous project management trainings, including PMP and Prince 2,
information was obtained from the project managers who were attending these trainings,
regarding why do projects fail, and the common responses were as follows:

• imprecise goals and aims.

• stakeholders nonalignment to project objectives.

• abstaining sponsors, stakeholders, or client.

• weak communication of goals and objectives across the project team.

• unauthorized scope creep.

• Inefficient internal and external communication on project performance.

• Improper assignment of project tasks across the project team.

• poor resource and quality plans.

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Why Do Projects Fail ? Reasons and Recommendations for Success

• weak supplier management.

• lack of team building strategies.

• non-existence  of ownership.

• partial affiliation and information by main project team members of the project goals.

• limited devotion and consciousness of significant project aims.

• incomplete appreciation of the project risks, and inefficient risk .response plans.

• employing poor techniques to describe and deliberate projects.

• pending issues or gaps in the organization, especially the assignment of responsibilities.

Recommendations

It is striking to note that in spite of investment in current era in better project management skills
and methodologies, the results have continued to be the same.  Thus, it may be beneficial to
consider the following:

•  Investing in methodologies believing that the project management teams have the ability to
employ them may be optimistic, and needs further evaluation.

•  The application of numerous contemporary project management techniques needs to be

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Why Do Projects Fail ? Reasons and Recommendations for Success

thoroughly examined to assess as to why do projects fail

•  Many organizations and individuals are still not fully capable to implement modern project
management skills that may be considered as best practice. Further training on project
management skills, like PMP and Prince 2 need to be obtained to ensure best execution of
projects.

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