Early Warning Signs in Complex Projects

Complex projects are often the most high-profile projects within an organization. How can early warning signs be identified and acted upon, so that problems are avoided and projects are successful in delivering the expected value for their owners and other stakeholders? What signals should we look for? Looking for early warning signs takes more than a keen eye.

Collaborating with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, Ole Jonny Klakegg, Terry Williams, Derek Walker, Bjørn Andersen, and Ole Morten Magnussen have expanded on their research of governance frameworks and guidelines as well as provided interviews with experts and case studies from Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

This international report identifies early warning signs in highly complex projects and offers tips on how to combat them. It goes beyond the formal practice of project assessments to identify how and to what degree the right early warning signs are identified.

Reviews, audits, health checks, benchmarking, and post-project evaluations all have different ways of analyzing and extracting indications of past, present, and future performances. Choosing the right method and focusing on a relevant indicator will be invaluable for your project's success.

Early Warning Signs in Complex Projects will help you see through the complexity of project assessments to recognize problems before it is too late and to improve the possibility for successful projects.