The Fundamental Changes to Rescue a Project

When rescuing a project, you must alter the project management deliverables and approaches to control it. Your rescue effort and personal approach must be different. Otherwise, the project will end up troubled once again!

Although you may need to modify some control deliverables, a few are typically adjusted as part of the “rescue proposal.” These deliverables are intended to provide confidence to key stakeholders, such as your sponsor and customer. Here are changes to the project approach that can help you define a new path to success.

First is the communication plan. Rarely does a project go off the rails and overtly announce that journey. Communication needs to be improved. Seek to understand what the sponsor and customer need to gain confidence. As you rescue the project, they will want to know precisely what is happening. Increase the frequency of communications if needed until confidence is regained. For your project team, focus the communications plan on their roles and the information they need to develop the project’s product, ensuring they are aligned with your customer’s needs.

Another common issue that often plagues troubled projects is a shortage of skilled resources. Often, these exist in the organization but have not been sufficiently applied to the project. A proposal to obtain or use the needed resources will bolster the project team’s and other stakeholders’ confidence.

As troubled projects typically don’t deliver business value, key stakeholders will want to see benefits quickly. (I, for one, have never been asked to rescue a project slowly!) It is a good idea to deliver business value in pieces, with the first value deliveries being made as quickly as possible. This will not only move the business forward but will help boost the confidence of your sponsor and the customer. In addition, it should also help your project team gain momentum. When rescuing a project, a reworked project schedule and a revised product implementation plan should be included in the initial deliverables.

So, let’s review. You will want to update your Communications Plan, resource allocation for the project, and the Product Delivery Schedule. Utilize these tools to steer your project in a different direction and garner the support of your stakeholders.