Collaborative Discussion 1: Project Failures Study

Question 1: What do you believe are the three most common reasons for project failure?

Poor communication, poor planning, and talent gap

Question 2: Give two examples of failures that support your choices (there are several examples in the lecturecast)

The DUA unemployment processing system modernization was failing due to poor planning and poor communication as well. From the beginning, the contract was showing only a blank page for its page titled “Deliverable Acceptance Criteria”. The state’s talent also has little experience in large-scale integration (Williams, 2014).

Another example is the State of Oregon’s project. Its own Health Insurance Exchange project failed to deliver its purpose. The site went live in production in 2013, but a year later all the processes for applicants are processed back to paper applications (Williams, 2014). It is said that from the beginning, the defined scope is too wide – beyond the ORHIX itself. Instead, the project was also about modernizing DHS.

References

Williams, T. C., 2014. Case Study: $250 Million Failure, Who Are You Going To Sue?. [Online] Available at: https://ecaminc.com/index.php/blog/item/353-case-study-cover-oregon-oregon-state-and-oracle [Accessed 4 September 2022].

Williams, T. C., 2014. Case Study: Division Of Unemployment Assistance, Massachusetts/Deloitte. [Online] Available at: https://ecaminc.com/index.php/blog/item/354-case-study-division-of-unemployment-assistance-massachusetts-deloitte [Accessed 4 September 2022].