The Sink Side of “Sink or Swim”

Lesson learned: Quantify a candidate's experience. Category: Leadership development / hiring. The following post is a "Lesson Learned" that comes from the analysis of the failed projects documented in the "Catalogue of Catastrophe" or from the experiences the editorial team have had working with clients around the world. The post is published here to spark discussion and help individuals and organizations think about what it takes to improve project success rates. Everyone understands...
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Department for Communities and Local Government – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Department for Communities and Local Government - UK Project : FiReControl Project type : Integration of emergency services dispatch centres Date : Sep 2011 Cost : £460 GBP Synopsis : Efforts to integrate 46 regional emergency response control rooms with 8 integrated centres is abandoned after 6 years of effort and £460 GBP ($727) is spent.  Although const...
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BC Ferries

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. BC Ferries - Government of British Columbia - Canada Project : Fast ferries Project type : Design, build, deploy high speed ferries Date : Jun 2002   Cost :$460M CAD Synopsis : Driven in part by congestion problems being experienced at one of the main ferry terminals in Vancouver British Columbia, the government of British Columbia decided that a new fleet o...
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Victoria Police Department

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Victoria Police Department - Australia Project : LINK Project type : Law enforcement assistance program Date : Apr 2011 Cost :$100M AUD Synopsis : Project aimed at implementing a new Law Enforcement Assistance Program to replace an 18 year old system are suspended for 6 months due to technical and cost related issues.  The implementation of a package sys...
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Department of Defence – Australia – Landing Craft

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Department of Defence - Australia Project type : Design and development of naval vessels Date : Feb 2011 Cost :$40M AUD Synopsis : Australian Defence Minister scraps a $40M project to build 6 new landing craft for use by the Australian Navy.  The boats were to be launched from a larger transport ships (HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla) which are already in serv...
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City of New York

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. City of New York - USA Project : CityTime Project type : Employee time recording Date : Dec 2010 Cost :$540M over original budget Synopsis : City's new time recording system for employees goes 10 times over budget and is delivered 6 month late. The 10 year project was originally estimated at $63M but ended up costing in excess of $600m.  Although the system...
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Virtual Border

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Dept. Homeland Security - USA Project: Secure Border Initiative Network Project type : Virtual border control system Date : Oct 2010 Cost :$1B Synopsis : The Department of Homeland Security refuses to renew a contract for the construction of a virtual border control system. Aimed at controlling the flow of drugs and weapons, the system was designed to levera...
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Queensland Health

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Queensland Health - Government of Queensland - Australia Project type : Payroll (ERP) Project name : Shared Services Initiative - LATTICE replacement Date : Jun 2010 Cost : $64.5M AUD direct cost + $1.2B AUD for 8 years of subsequent operations. Synopsis : In an effort to save costs, the Queensland Government initiated a "shared services" program in 2003. Th...
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National Offender Management Service

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. National Offender Management Service - UK Project type : Integrated offender management system Project name : C-NOMIS Date : Mar 2009 Cost :$375M Synopsis : Efforts to integrate prison and probation systems from different local authorities into one national system fail.  Despite a two year delay and life-cycle costs that have risen from $375M to $1.1B the UK...
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