When to call in outside help on a failing project
While every project has challenges and may need adjustments, few project management professionals expect a project to outright fail. Good project managers use the planning phase to think through obstacles that may arise and craft crisis plans before they’re needed. But sometimes planning for challenges is not enough, and forces outside our control (or our own unanticipated mistakes) can send a project to its doom.
Projects can fail for many reasons. If you’re actively keeping tabs on progress and course-correcting, you’ll most likely catch that failure is coming well before you reach the end of the project. Perhaps it’s clear that the budget is going to run out and there's absolutely no more funding to be found, or a project is so far off schedule that it’s in danger of being canceled. Sometimes these failures can stem from issues that could have been workshopped in the planning phase. Lack of detailed, thoughtful planning upfront can cause miscommunication and disconnect later on. Resource issues can also put an abrupt end to a project (something many project managers have had to deal with during the COVID-19 pandemic). Lastly, if leadership isn’t invested in the project, isn’t willing to listen to those on the ground, or is just an all-around poor leader, a challenged project can quickly become a failed one.
If you see signs that your project is careening toward failure, one option is to outsource support. Bringing in an expert with a specialty in one area such as project controls or bringing in a firm that rescues failing projects can turn things around. If there’s room in the budget, bringing in outside experts can save the project. There are three situations where calling in additional experts could be the answer.
1) Emotions are running high
Projects falling off course create stress among team members. This can lead to miscommunication, some team members feeling the heat for serious mistakes, and tension between leadership and on-the-ground staff. As much as some team members may try to keep things to the business and numbers aspects, the human factor cannot be ignored. Bringing in an outside specialist can help smooth things over. An outsider doesn’t have the “baggage” the current project manager may have with the team and can provide a fresh set of eyes without the emotions.
2) You’re using a complex approach like EVM
Earned value management is an approach that involves a lot of complexities and nuances. EVM is common in government work, where your project will be required to undergo regular audits and reviews. Even managers experienced in EVM can become quickly overwhelmed when a project is far off course. Calling in an outside expert or firm with insight into your particular approach can be hugely helpful. They will be aware of details that can’t be missed and understand the seriousness of a failing project in a bureaucratic sector like government.
3) Jobs or brand reputation are on the line
Sometimes a failed project means that team members’ jobs or the organization’s brand reputation will be at risk. Given the severity of those outcomes, project managers will want to do everything they can to rescue a project headed toward failure. Investing in an outside resource will be money well spent if it saves your team from the unemployment line or avoids the need for a crisis communications plan to be implemented.
MRC’s Project Recovery is an expert in stepping in and helping to get projects back on track. If your team is facing any of these situations, we’re ready to jump right in when you need us. Contact us for more details on our approach, and about how The Hammer Solutions can be a part of it.