How consultants can help when projects go wrong
Whether it’s due to insufficient planning, poorly managed change, financial constraints, unrealistic expectations or something completely left field, a project can veer off course when up against obstacles. Entec Si CEO Eman Al-Hillawi explains how enlisting experts can turn a failing project around, by creating the experience and expertise to form the right teams, culture, governance and processes.
In recent media reports, there have been a number of public sector projects in the spotlight, and not always for the right reasons. Project failures can be multifaceted and complex, resulting from a combination of factors, rather than one single root cause, a phenomenon known as the Swiss cheese effect.
A common downfall is underestimating the amount of work required to properly execute projects, while balancing this against time restraints. Such misjudgements can be due to a lack of skills and experience in project management, insufficient funds and resources, as well as unrealistic business cases, or no business case at all.
However, the most common issue is scope creep, when changes are made to a project that digress from the original plan. This can cause delays and cost increases, sometimes sending things off track. To mitigate this, organisations should assess which changes are essential and which may be lower priority, so that any increase in scope is a conscious decision that factors in time, effort and cost.
Problems also arise when organisations try to pursue bespoke development of a trusted supplier’s existing system, rather than adjusting their own processes to improve the current model. Although some bespoke development is sometimes necessary, if implemented, it can escalate costs and aggravate project delays as well as creating additional requirements for ongoing support and maintenance.
The first warning signs that a project is going off track are typically slipping deadlines and increasing costs. It can be tempting to push deadlines back at first to accommodate delivery; however, the danger is that these adjustments, although seemingly small initially, snowball into longer delays until the project finds itself falling significantly behind schedule. As for cost, a project using its budget more quickly than planned, particularly when completion is a long way off, can be a telling sign that the project is going off the rails. The key is to identify early warning signals, then take the necessary measures to get things back on track.
When stepping in to rescue a project, the first move is to pause, take a step back and re-evaluate. Reviewing a failing project can take a while, and stakeholders can get restless during the process, but it’s essential to establish what’s realistic from the outset. Investing the time up front will help in the long run, ensuring a smooth delivery that achieves outlined objectives. Working to a continually shifting deadline is not only demoralising for a team but also uses up valuable time that would be better spent on doing a reassessment. By establishing the right scope, timeline, budget and resource requirements, an organisation can mitigate some of the risks before relaunching a project.
Navigating senior stakeholders can be difficult when reporting on a project or programme that isn’t going to plan, particularly when public sector funds are so scarce. Working directly with stakeholders to understand their challenges, identifying the best reporting mechanisms, and clearly stating the business case for this new stage of change, can help to instil confidence in the project. Even if it takes weeks or sometimes months, it is essential to help navigate them through the process so that everyone remains on the same page.
Re-energising a demotivated workforce is another critical part of any project and, whilst a good communications strategy is definitely helpful, a more holistic approach may be required to reignite team morale. Making change on a small scale is a good starting point; getting the project team into a position where it’s able to carry the rest of the organisation on a broader change journey is the first step in recovering the project. This can be achieved by initiating one-to-ones, getting groups together and giving ear to concerns and new ideas. Taking these measures not only helps to create a sense of togetherness but is also an extremely rewarding part of project recovery.
Creating the right teams, governance and processes is a key step in rescuing a struggling project. To do this, it’s important to understand the stakeholder map and get to know individuals’ strengths, motivations, and areas of improvement. By taking this personal approach, team members can be assigned to work they are best suited to, ensuring a happy and efficient workforce.
Even if a project starts to go off track, it’s rarely the end, and there are measures that can be taken that mean it can be rectified. This does depend on the willingness of an organisation to seek an external perspective and accept advice. Rescuing a failing project is ultimately a partnership and, when everything comes together, a project can be turned around, potentially delivering better results than originally hoped for.
Eman Al-Hillawi is CEO of business change consultancy, Entec Si.
