50+ CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FAILURE

There are many  causes of Construction project failure, whether a small or complete failure, and most failure are a result of more than one cause. Some cause may directly or indirectly affect to other causes. For example, political problem can lead to planning and execution failure.

For easy understanding i have divide project failure in three categories

1)planning/execution failures
2)Governance/stakeholder failures
3)Political failures

Lets discuss one by one.

1)Planning/execution failures:

1. Business case deterioration.
2. Business case requirements changed .
3. significantly over the life of the project.
4. Technical obsolescence has occurred.
5. Technologically unrealistic requirements.
6. Lack of a clear vision.
7. Plan asks for too much in too little time.
8. Poor estimates, especially financial.
9. Unclear or unrealistic expectations.
10. Assumptions, if they exist at all, are unrealistic.
11. Plans are based upon insufficient data.
12. No systemization of the planning process.
13. Planning is performed by a non planning group.
14. Inadequate or incomplete requirements.
15. Lack of resources.
16. Assigned resources lack experience or the necessary skills.
17. Resources lack focus or motivation.
18. Staffing requirements are not fully known.
19. Constantly changing resources.
20. Poor overall project planning.
21. Established milestones are not measurable.
22. Established milestones are too far apart.
23. The environmental factors have changes causing outdated scope.
24. Missed deadlines and no recovery plan.
25. Budgets are exceeded and out of control.
26. Lack of replanning on a regular basis.
27. Attention does not  provided to the human and organizational structure aspects of the project.
28. Project estimates are best guesses and not based upon history or standards.
29. Not enough time provided for estimating.
30. Miss data of important mild stone.
31. Team members working with conflicting requirements.
32. People are shuffled in and out of the project with little regard for the schedule.
33. Poor or fragmented cost control.
34. Weak project and stakeholder communications.
35. Poor assessment of risks if done at all.
36. Wrong type of contract.
37. Not clear understanding of whole project.
38. management, especially virtual team members.
39.  Technical objectives are more important than business objectives.
40. Not sufficient time to important work.
41. Poor performance tracking metrics.
42. Poor risk management practice.
43. Insufficient organizational process asset.

2) Governance/stakeholder failures:

1. End-use stakeholders not involved throughout the project.
2. Minimal or no stakeholder backing; lack of ownership.
3. New executive team in place with different visions and goals.
4. Constantly changing stakeholders.
5. Lower organisation does not know about goals of company/project.
6. Unclear stakeholder requirements.
7. Passive user stakeholder involvement after handoff.
8. Organizational process vary with each stakeholders,it will create problem.
9. Weak project and stakeholder communications.
10. Inability of stakeholders to come to an agreement.

3) Political failures:

1.  New elections resulting in a change of power.
2. Changes in the host country’s fiscal policy, procurement policy and labor polic.
3. Civil unrest resulting from a coup, acts of terrorism, kidnapping, ransom, assassinations, civil war and insurrection.
4. Significant inflation rate changes resulting in unfavorable monetary conversion policies.
5. Contractual failure such as license cancellation and payment failure.