Project Management

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When project fails , what should project manager do ?

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SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI PMO| ITC INFOTECH INDIA PVT. Ltd. New Delhi, Delhi, India
What should a project manager do when project fails ?
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Khawaja Saif ur Rehman Project Management Trainer & Consultant Lahore, Pakistan
By project fail, do you mean that the project is cancelled or funds are withdrawn etc.?
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Eric Simms Senior Program Manager Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Are you wondering what the Project Manager should do when the project first begins to fail, or after it has completely failed?
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1 reply by Khawaja Saif ur Rehman
Nov 27, 2017 6:31 AM
Khawaja Saif ur Rehman
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I'm still wondering what exactly is meant by project fail. Perhaps it has to with ROI and not just the triple constraints.
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Khawaja Saif ur Rehman Project Management Trainer & Consultant Lahore, Pakistan
Nov 27, 2017 6:29 AM
Replying to Eric Simms
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Are you wondering what the Project Manager should do when the project first begins to fail, or after it has completely failed?
I'm still wondering what exactly is meant by project fail. Perhaps it has to with ROI and not just the triple constraints.
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1 reply by Eric Simms
Nov 27, 2017 9:25 AM
Eric Simms
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'project fail' is subjective. The term is used commonly, and people often have different definitions of it, which can lead to differing expectations and severe problems in a project.
I personally define project failure as the point when the project will not meet its agreed upon objectives, which usually include the triple constraint and a certain level of customer satisfaction.
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Kiron Bondale Retired | Mentor| Retired Welland, Ontario, Canada
Shadav -

If you are referring to an early termination situation, then a PM should follow their organization's normal project closure practices.

If it's a situation where it is clear that the project's business outcomes will not be realized, then the PM should ensure that key stakeholders (especially the sponsor) are aware and have them decide whether to cancel the project to avoid additional sunk costs. Assuming that decision is taken, then they would follow normal project closure practices.

Kiron
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1 reply by SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI
Nov 27, 2017 11:55 PM
SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI
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We should follow the normal closure practices. Thanks ...
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Mansoor Mustafa Senior PM| Government Department Rawalpindi Punjab, Pakistan
Project fails when it fails to achieve its objectives for which it was initiated. For that any of these could be happened
Organization no longer wants to purse the objectives
Scope change require re planning or re initiation of project
Promised budget and resources no longer available
Etc
Depending upon the situation evaluation can be made and lesson learnt are prepared for future guidance and help
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1 reply by SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI
Nov 27, 2017 11:56 PM
SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI
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Agree with your points. prepare the lesson learnt for future . Thanks.
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Drake Settsu Project Manager / Blogger Hi, United States
If a project is deemed a failure a project post-mortem needs to be done. Assemble the team in a meeting to discuss what happened. Prepare and list of questions to ask on key areas that lead to the project failure and document the team's feedback. You can compile the lessons learned from the failed project to avoid future projects failing.
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Stéphane Parent Self Employed / Semi-retired| Leader Maker Prince Edward Island, Canada
The question makes me ask: can a project fail without being shutdown? And the opposite question: can a project be shutdown without being a failure?

There are a lot of good answers in this discussion that help answer the question of project failure and the question of project shutdown.
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Anonymous
Guys - take a break - let the guy explain the question. Otherwise, we can speculate endlessly :)
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Eric Simms Senior Program Manager Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Nov 27, 2017 6:31 AM
Replying to Khawaja Saif ur Rehman
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I'm still wondering what exactly is meant by project fail. Perhaps it has to with ROI and not just the triple constraints.
'project fail' is subjective. The term is used commonly, and people often have different definitions of it, which can lead to differing expectations and severe problems in a project.
I personally define project failure as the point when the project will not meet its agreed upon objectives, which usually include the triple constraint and a certain level of customer satisfaction.
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Sergio Luis Conte Helping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based Organizations Buenos Aires, Argentina
First of all you have to take into account what will be the measures to determine if a project fails or not. I have discussed it with PMI Global lot of years and some changes have been introduced into the new PMBOK. Most of the measures are related to product instead of project. Second, as @Eric stated above, the first thing to do as project manager is to be aware that defintion of "project fail" will not be subjective. Mos of the time is like @Eric stated above. You will get it by defining the right metrics. Third, you have to define your governance process (something introduced into the new PMBOK but that is not new) to deliver information about your project to people that have the whole picture and could decide about what to do with the project, mainly portfolio and program managers. THEN, with all these on hand, the project is IMPOSSIBLE to fail. At least, the project will not achieve the objectives BUT people who have the responsability to decide about the project will decide to kill, stop, hold the project BEFORE it fails. If the project manager did not take into account all these then she/he must be fire.
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1 reply by SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI
Nov 27, 2017 11:57 PM
SHADAV MOHAMMAD ANSARI
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Hi Sergio , well explained . Noted with thanks.
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