The various methodologies that guide project management have existed and evolved for decades. What these frameworks and practices attempt to do is help us to avoid the worst of what can go wrong with any “temporary endeavour”. From these, we can learn various detailed methods of getting projects done right, or at least done well. However, when these methods fail we are often left with few options amid the chaos.
Then we read the statistics that we already know in our hearts – that so many projects are considered a failure. Even those which appear to succeed for some are often riddled with negatives, criticisms, and poor outcomes. Often our favourite project management methods offer little to help a project that has gone so far off the rails. Serious problems need a serious response, and project recovery is exactly the kind of drastic measure that might save the day – sometimes when nothing else can.
Projects struggle for many reasons, and some are more likely than others to lead to serious trouble. Identifying which problems to worry about first is a natural part of project management. However, identifying the unresolved issues which are more likely to lead to a recovery situation is even more important. The signs are usually there well in advance of a project going red.
Individual project challenges can vary, but how they affect project recovery decisions can be divided into certain categories. Some categories of problems affect a troubled project in particular ways, which are often predictable or patterned enough that we can formulate a response before they reach their worst state. What the smoke smells like can often tell us what is probably on fire.
The investigation of a troubled project must be held to a certain high standard. Audit techniques, interviews, exploration and avoiding assumptions are part of the process. The role of the recovery manager begins here, discovering what is really going on within the project to allow the creation of a recovery strategy.
