Lessons learned continually highlight weaknesses in project enabling capability that cause major projects to fail.

Most of these common causes of failure are evident early on and are preventable with a ‘fit-for-purpose’ approach to capability assurance embedded within its Business Framework.

An enterprise approach to capability assurance

  • A whole of business integrated approach that assesses both the enterprise capability and its deployment to major projects.
  • An evidence based approach that draws from both the root causes of project failure as well as the key drivers for project success.

A project lifecycle approach to capability assurance

  • An end-to-end integrated approach with a strong focus on ‘positioning’ pre-contract and on performance and accountability for outcomes thereafter.
  • A pragmatic (‘fit-for-purpose’) approach focussed on deploying the ‘right capability at the right time’ – no more and no less.

For major projects based organisations there is a need to consider capability as an interconnected whole and not as a collection of discrete parts. As with any integrated structure, overall enterprise capability is only as strong as its weakest link.

The Boardroom Report

Risk Management Institute