Why do projects fail?

Written by Kaung Kin Soe @ Christine

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 Why do projects fail?
We’ve all carried out a good amount of projects in our lives. From working on school projects to
planning birthday parties, it’s safe to say that we’re no strangers when it comes to carrying out
projects. Furthermore, we’re also very familiar with failure, as humans, we’re wired to make
countless mistakes which sometimes cause our many projects to fail. A failed school project will
most likely earn us a bad grade and a bad birthday party could lead to a small emotional breakdown.
But the good news is that we can afford to fail with these projects; they’re disposable, minuscule,
and insignificant when compared to projects worth fortunes. Companies and businesses need to
avoid project failures but things happen and projects fail. In this essay, I will try to provide the many
reasons why I think companies and businesses fail to successfully carry out projects and what one
should do to avoid such failures.

So, what is a project? Simply put, a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique
product, service, and or result. The characteristics of a project are as follows:

• Projects are temporary; they have a start date and an end date. Some projects can last
several years, such as construction projects, but even those projects don’t last forever.
• Every project is different and unique from one other and is constantly creating and evolving
into something new. They bring about change.
• Projects have boundaries; every project big or small operates with certain constraints of
resources, people, scope, and/or schedule.
• A project must and is required to have someone managing it or overseeing it every step of
the way. It requires a leader.
• Lastly, every project must have its goal.

So, when is a project considered a failure? As I mentioned above, all projects no matter the scale or
scope must have an end goal and failure to achieve that goal means the project is a failure.
Additionally, failure to finish the project on time is also considered a project failure. Here are five
reasons why I think projects fail:

1. Unclear goals and objectives

Project goals are the things you want to achieve at the end of the project and the objectives are
the steps you carry out in order to achieve said goals. Goals and objectives should be specific,
time-bound, realistic and measurable. Without these characteristics it will be difficult for any
team to stay on track or even figure out if they’re project was a success or a failure.

Setting clear and straightforward goals and objectives early on in the planning process helps you
and your team mates keep track of your progress and avoid wasting time on unnecessary work.

2. Unrealistic expectations

Overly ambitious goals and objectives can be dangerous for any project. If a project’s objectives
are too ambitious it can lead to unnecessary stress to team members and missed deadlines
which ultimately leads to project failure.

You should be realistic when it comes to your team’s capabilities, deadlines and the resources
available.

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 3. Limited resources and lack of resource planning

Resources are the things you need to complete projects, things like labour, money, and
materials are just some of the many resources used to successfully complete a project. A lack of
resources can delay a project and or completely stop it.

Furthermore, having enough resources and not utilizing them efficiently can also hinder the
progress and outcome of your project. Not making a budget baseline or a financial plan at the
start of the project will most likely lead to budget overruns. Project managers who don’t know
how to properly plan, manage and track a project’s resources will likely cause the project to fail

Preventing a resource shortage should be a project manager’s top priority throughout the
project lifecycle and the best way to do that is to develop a method of monitoring the resources
throughout the project lifecycle. Managers should compile the necessary documents on
resource allocation, budget limitations and the project schedules.

4. Lack of communication

Studies show that poor communication is the main cause of at least one third of project failures.
Furthermore, lack of communication or transparency is a major problem when it comes to
allocating project resources and we know, from the previous passage, that lack of resources is
like kryptonite to any project. Lack of communication within the team can cause detrimental
effects on the project and its participants- loss of productivity, stressed team members, mistrust
and poor collaboration are just one of the many consequences of lack of communication.

Making a clear communication plan that includes the frequency, channel, audience, and the
medium in which information will be communicated is a great way to avoid delays and
misinterpretations throughout the project lifecycle.

5. Not prioritizing project management

Not taking project management seriously and thinking that anyone can manage a project is a
recipe for failure for any project. A project manager is responsible for the day-to-day
management of their project’s specific goals and objectives. They have to make sure the
project’s goals are achieved before the deadline and they must make sure everything runs
smoothly, effectively and efficiently before the deadline.

Carefully picking out the right leader for specific projects will not only boost your organizations
productivity but it will also save you a lot of resources when carrying out projects.

Starting a new project is always daunting and challenging, many of us look forward to the
challenges in the beginning but we tend to lose the focus and motivation to go through with
finishing our projects due to the many reasons I’ve stated above. However, by carefully laying
out and understanding your project through its many stages you’ll be able to avoid or even
prevent such obstacles ultimately leading you and your team to success.