I came across an article about IT project failures in the public sector, sparking a debate on how to avoid costly mistakes in the future. The article and the author's perspective provide us with food for thought.
As the author notes, part of the problem lies in the language used to describe IT projects. "There are difficulties with the vocabulary, and there is inconsistency in the words used and the meanings ascribed to them. Consider something as simple as a database. We now have data lakes, data warehouses, data sets, and more. That causes confusion. Why are we using so many different labels? We talk about platforms, but what is a platform?"
The author continues, "This means that boards need to work with advisers and leadership teams to create a shared mental model of what the project is all about from the very outset."
Another important aspect is the reporting and verification mechanism.
The author discusses, "In the case of IT projects, the reports presented to the board are often coloured by misplaced optimism. Traffic light systems tend to be used to describe processes with lots of greens, very few oranges, and almost no red at all in evidence. That is not necessarily an attempt to mislead, rather a natural bias towards positivity."
What challenges do you encounter when managing technology projects? How do you identify and mitigate them?
One of the biggest challenges in tech projects is misalignment between leadership expectations, technical teams, and users. We often underestimate complexity due to overconfidence or unclear scope. To mitigate this, we invest in shared language early, promote honest reporting, and revisit assumptions regularly.
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Maria Hrabikova This is an excellent reflection.
Joe Peppard’s article highlights core challenges in technology projects, particularly within the public sector, by drawing attention to fragmented vocabulary and the lack of a shared mental model among stakeholders.
The use of terms like “platform,” “data lake,” or “integration” without a common understanding often leads to misalignment and divergent expectations—issues that may remain hidden until critical stages of the project.
An effective approach to mitigate this risk involves the early co-creation of shared and visually explicit mental models, supported by a working glossary that is validated by all parties and updated throughout the project lifecycle.
The use of narratives and visual analogies can also help anchor key concepts and facilitate cross-functional communication.
Regarding governance and reporting, the tendency toward overly optimistic status reports—with indicators that are perpetually “green”—presents a significant obstacle to early risk detection.
The value of traffic light systems is only realized when they are backed by objective metrics, independent reviews (“health checks”), and an organizational culture that genuinely values transparency and open reporting, treating bad news as opportunities for learning and course correction.
Another important aspect is the establishment of clear decision points along the project journey, enabling structured evaluation of whether it makes sense to continue, pivot, or close down initiatives that are not delivering value—an essential practice to avoid the sunk cost trap.
In summary, experience shows that the most successful technology projects are those that invest in:
- a shared and visual vocabulary,
- objective metrics,
- honest reporting,
- external review,
- explicit criteria for go/no-go decisions.
More than just tools or processes, it is about fostering critical thinking and a culture of continuous learning—key elements for transforming information into sustainable decisions that truly serve the organization’s best interests.
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1 reply by Maria Hrabikova
Jul 08, 2025 4:25 PM
Maria Hrabikova
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Thank you, Luis. I completely agree with your perspective.
That's why change management should come into play, and we should combine both disciplines (project management and change management) to realize the full benefits of transformation.
Maria Hrabikova This is an excellent reflection.
Joe Peppard’s article highlights core challenges in technology projects, particularly within the public sector, by drawing attention to fragmented vocabulary and the lack of a shared mental model among stakeholders.
The use of terms like “platform,” “data lake,” or “integration” without a common understanding often leads to misalignment and divergent expectations—issues that may remain hidden until critical stages of the project.
An effective approach to mitigate this risk involves the early co-creation of shared and visually explicit mental models, supported by a working glossary that is validated by all parties and updated throughout the project lifecycle.
The use of narratives and visual analogies can also help anchor key concepts and facilitate cross-functional communication.
Regarding governance and reporting, the tendency toward overly optimistic status reports—with indicators that are perpetually “green”—presents a significant obstacle to early risk detection.
The value of traffic light systems is only realized when they are backed by objective metrics, independent reviews (“health checks”), and an organizational culture that genuinely values transparency and open reporting, treating bad news as opportunities for learning and course correction.
Another important aspect is the establishment of clear decision points along the project journey, enabling structured evaluation of whether it makes sense to continue, pivot, or close down initiatives that are not delivering value—an essential practice to avoid the sunk cost trap.
In summary, experience shows that the most successful technology projects are those that invest in:
- a shared and visual vocabulary,
- objective metrics,
- honest reporting,
- external review,
- explicit criteria for go/no-go decisions.
More than just tools or processes, it is about fostering critical thinking and a culture of continuous learning—key elements for transforming information into sustainable decisions that truly serve the organization’s best interests.
Thank you, Luis. I completely agree with your perspective.
That's why change management should come into play, and we should combine both disciplines (project management and change management) to realize the full benefits of transformation. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
The first step to fail is to call <something> project to an initiative. This type of things do not exists. Saving Changes...
Thanks for sharing this insightful article, Maria. The emphasis on creating a shared mental model really resonates — clear, consistent language and aligned understanding among stakeholders are essential to avoid confusion and miscommunication in IT projects. The point about overly optimistic reporting also highlights the need for honest, transparent status updates to help boards make informed decisions. In my experience, fostering open communication channels and regular reality checks through objective data help mitigate these common challenges. Saving Changes...
In the development of technology projects, a frequent challenge that is faced is the lack of language understanding between Project Management and Technical Specialists. To overcome this barrier, it's adequate to have conversations to clarify concepts, punctuate ideas, or to gain a deeper understanding by creating a visual or physical prototype of the product.
As Luis Branco mentioned, a glossary or vocabulary of technical terms specific to the project would be a great aid in facilitating comprehension for every team member.
Regarding traffic lights in reports always green, that would be an indicator of complete comprehension of the project. Sometimes experience leads to these results, but in projects we don't have full knowledge, it's completely normal to have some orange or even red indicators. Saving Changes...
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