Common reasons for project failure were:
. Poor project planning (specifically, risks
were not addressed or the project plan was
weak).
. The business case tor the project was
weak in several areas or missing several
components.
. A lack of management involvement and
support.
The most common reason for project failure
was poor project planning ± in two distinct
areas.
First, risks were not addressed as part of
the project planning process. Respondents
ranked various risks as being particularly
significant, with slippage from the schedule
coming first (see Table II).
Some comments from respondents:
. ``The original time line was unrealistic,
and not revised once completion of enhancements
was identified.''
. ``I attribute the failure of this project
primarily to the management of the scope
of the project. Changes in scope that were
introduced were not properly evaluated
prior to inclusion in the project.''