Why Projects Fail: 5 Root Causes Every PM Must Know

Industry failure rates have barely improved despite new tools, because the same fundamentals keep getting skipped or rushed. This course treats project failure as a discipline problem rather than a tooling problem. It starts with an honest definition of failure and then examines the five root causes that keep repeating, along with the practices that prevent each one.

Who this course is for

• Project managers who want to diagnose why a project is struggling
• PMs and leaders reviewing the health of projects currently in flight
• Professionals who may need to recommend stopping a project that no longer justifies investment

What you'll be able to do

• Assess outcomes across four dimensions: scope and quality, time and cost, stakeholder satisfaction, and team health
• Diagnose the five root causes: unclear requirements, poor stakeholder engagement, inadequate risk management, unrealistic estimates, and skipped closure
• Apply the preventive practice for each cause, from testable requirements to a real lessons learned session
• Spot warning signs such as over-optimistic status reports and a stale risk register, and intervene decisively
• Recommend a controlled shutdown when the business case no longer holds

Complete the video and knowledge check to earn up to 2.0 PDUs, credited from your recorded learning time.