Welcome to the latest “Ask a project manager” blog. This week\u2019s question is about how to rescue a project that\u2019s in trouble.<\/p>\n
Our questioner asks: “I\u2019ve got a bit of a dilemma. My boss has asked me to take on a project that\u2019s in real trouble and I don\u2019t quite know where to start. I\u2019m worried that I\u2019ll make the situation worse and end up harming my own career in the process. Help.”<\/em><\/p>\n Thanks for getting in touch. Firstly, congratulations \u2013 you must be a really good project manager as, in my experience, only the good ones are asked to fix projects that have gone wrong.<\/p>\n Projects get into trouble all the time. In fact, the PMI\u2019s 2018 Pulse of the Profession<\/a> showed that more projects are failing than in the previous year. It\u2019s normally a combination of problems that have come together and created a perfect storm.<\/p>\n So, you\u2019ve been given the project \u2013 where do you start? There are a number of steps you should take to resolve the situation.<\/p>\n Before you even start trying to plan the recovery you need to know what the current status of the project is. The best way to do this is to audit the project. If you can, it\u2019s worth getting an expert in to do this bit of work as they\u2019ll know exactly what to look for. If you can\u2019t, here\u2019s a process you can use:<\/p>\n The document review will give you a lot of critical information. You should be able to understand exactly what the project was supposed to deliver, when and how it was to deliver it. Documents you need to review include:<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve finished the document review you should have a good idea where the project\u2019s at. It\u2019s time to move on to the next phase of the audit.<\/p>\n Never underestimate the power of a face-to-face interview. This is often the point where you\u2019ll get to the real root cause of the project\u2019s problems. You\u2019re looking to get insights into why those parties think the project is in trouble and if they have any ideas on how to get the project back on track. This can be a useful source of information you may not otherwise get access to. During the interviews, make sure it\u2019s clear that anything said is confidential and that you\u2019re looking for a full and frank discussion.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve finished the audit, now it\u2019s time to document the findings. You\u2019ll be making a recommendation at this point as to whether you think the project is worth saving or not. You need to make sure you present all of the reasons the project is failing and include any remedial actions you could take to bring everything back on track. You presented your findings to the steering committee and they have given you the go ahead to recover the project. Before you can begin, you need to develop the recovery plan. Once you\u2019ve got the recovery plan documented you need to present it to the steering committee. Don\u2019t start work without the formal approval of the steering committee! They need to formally sign off on the plan first.<\/p>\n In some respects, this is the easiest part of the recovery process. You\u2019ve got a plan and now you follow it. If you\u2019re looking for a tool to help you recover projects that are in trouble, or to make sure they don\u2019t get there in the first instance, then look no further than Psoda. With our interactive dashboards you can monitor, track and report on portfolio, programme and projects in real time. Helping you make quick, efficient decisions. Sign up for a free personalised demo today<\/a>!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why do projects get into trouble?<\/span><\/h2>\n
\nThey get into trouble for all sorts of reasons, but some of the more common ones are:<\/p>\n\n
Recovering the project<\/span><\/h2>\n
Current state assessment<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Document review<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
When you\u2019re reviewing the documents there are a number of red flags you should be looking for:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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2. Interviews with the key stakeholders<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nYou should aim to sit down with the following people:<\/p>\n\n
\nQuestions I tend to ask are:<\/p>\n\n
3. Document your findings<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nI\u2019ll be very clear here – if you think the project cannot be saved, you need to document that here. You will be presenting your findings to the project steering committee and they should sign off on any recommendations. This will be your formal record.
\nThis point is worth reiterating. This is your only realistic chance to tell the steering committee that the project is not worth saving. Do not commit to salvaging the project if you do not believe it is salvageable. The damage to your reputation is not worth it!
\nIn reality, some projects just cannot be saved and as the project manager you need to be able to make a judgement call as to whether it is worth the time, effort and expense of trying to recover a project \u2013 or if it would be better to simply close the project down and start from scratch.<\/p>\nRecovery plan<\/span><\/h2>\n
\nBear in mind that this plan is not the same as a standard project plan. You\u2019re going into a very tricky situation where team morale is likely to be low and you\u2019re going to face resistance. Once this project has been re-baselined it cannot, under any circumstances, slip again. So any plan you do develop needs to be realistic and achievable.
\nYour project is going to be under extraordinary scrutiny by a number of different people so you must be ready to defend any actions and decisions you make.
\nYour recovery plan needs to include:<\/p>\n\n
Work the plan and report the progress.<\/span><\/h2>\n
\nAll work should have formal work packages that are agreed with the people who will be doing the work. These should contain tolerances and reporting requirements as well as the details about the actual work to be done.
\nBe prepared to be a micromanager. This is not a recommended management style under normal circumstances. However, in the case of a troubled project it is unfortunately the only one that\u2019s likely to work. You need to be all over everything. At the slightest hint of a problem, you need to have it resolved and bring the project back on track.
\nYou will need to track the project schedule meticulously, record reasons for any deviations, recalibrate the plan regularly \u2013 normally fortnightly and under no circumstances commit to a new baseline unless it is achievable. You will also need to make sure you are actively managing your risks so that they don\u2019t turn into issues. During a recovery project, issues can be fatal.
\nReport on progress religiously. By letting the client, steering committee and other relevant parties know how you are tracking with the recovery plan, you will build confidence in your ability. Don\u2019t be tempted to hide anything that\u2019s going wrong. If you need help, ask. Remember \u2013 everyone will be invested in this project succeeding!
\nI hope this has helped and has given you a process you can use to recover your project. Please let me know how you get on!<\/p>\nPsoda plug<\/span><\/h2>\n