Course Details

Project Recovery and Turnaround Strategies Training Course: Rescuing troubled projects and bringing them back on track

Introduction

Transform project failure into triumphant success with our "Project Recovery and Turnaround Strategies" training course. In the complex world of project management, even the most meticulously planned initiatives can derail due to unforeseen challenges, budget overruns, or scope creep. This intensive 10-day program equips project professionals with specialized, actionable strategies to diagnose deeply troubled projects, stabilize chaotic situations, re-engage disheartened teams, and reset them on a clear path to successful delivery. Learn to apply proven recovery methodologies, make tough decisions, and lead with resilience to rescue critical investments and restore stakeholder confidence. Become the indispensable leader who turns crisis into a comeback story.

Duration

10 Days

Target Audience

This course is crucial for experienced project managers, program managers, PMO directors, functional managers, executive sponsors, and consultants who may be called upon to assess, recover, or lead projects that are significantly off track, failing, or at risk of cancellation. It is particularly beneficial for those in:

• Organizations with a history of challenged or failing projects.
• Roles requiring conflict resolution, crisis management, and strategic decision-making.
• Industries with complex, high-stakes projects (e.g., IT, construction, product development).
• Professionals seeking to develop advanced leadership skills for high-pressure situations.
• Leaders aiming to build organizational capability in project problem-solving.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of the "Project Recovery and Turnaround Strategies" training course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the common causes and early warning signs of troubled projects.
• Develop a rapid and comprehensive diagnostic approach to assess the true state of a failing project.
• Master techniques for stabilizing chaotic project environments and stopping the bleed.
• Formulate a realistic and actionable project recovery plan, including scope re-baselining and resource re-allocation.
• Implement effective strategies for re-engaging disheartened project teams and rebuilding morale.
• Develop robust communication plans to restore trust with disillusioned stakeholders.
• Navigate the political complexities and emotional challenges inherent in project recovery.
• Understand the critical decision points: Recover, Reset, or Terminate the project.
• Leverage lessons learned from recovered projects to prevent future failures.
• Formulate a personalized action plan for leading successful project recovery efforts.

Course Modules

Module 1: Understanding Troubled Projects

• Defining a "troubled project": Beyond minor variances to significant distress.
• Common symptoms and early warning signs of project failure (e.g., persistent budget/schedule overruns, scope creep, low morale, missed milestones).
• Root causes of project failure: Poor planning, ineffective leadership, communication breakdown, stakeholder misalignment, technical issues.
• The psychology of failure and resistance to admitting problems.
• Case studies of high-profile project failures and the cost of inaction.

Module 2: Rapid Project Health Assessment and Diagnosis

• The critical first step: Stopping the bleed and gathering facts quickly.
• Conducting a comprehensive, objective project audit: Scope, schedule, budget, resources, quality, stakeholder engagement.
• Interview techniques for uncovering hidden issues and team morale.
• Data analysis: Interpreting performance metrics, risk logs, and issue registers.
• Identifying the true root causes, not just the symptoms, of project distress.

Module 3: Stabilizing the Troubled Project

• Immediate actions for stabilization: Freezing scope, securing critical resources, triage of immediate issues.
• Establishing interim governance and clear lines of authority.
• Gaining control of financials and critical path.
• Communicating immediate actions to restore a sense of order.
• The role of a dedicated "recovery team" or project turnaround specialist.

Module 4: Developing the Project Recovery Plan

• Defining a new, realistic project baseline: Scope, schedule, budget.
• Re-evaluating project objectives and strategic alignment: Is the original goal still valid?
• Identifying critical success factors for recovery.
• Resource re-allocation and acquisition for the recovery effort.
• Creating a detailed, actionable recovery roadmap with short-term wins.

Module 5: Re-engaging and Motivating the Disheartened Team

• Understanding the emotional impact of project distress on team members.
• Transparent communication with the team: Acknowledging past issues, sharing the new vision.
• Rebuilding trust and morale through empathetic leadership.
• Empowering the team with ownership over parts of the recovery plan.
• Celebrating small wins and showing visible progress to rebuild confidence.

Module 6: Restoring Stakeholder Confidence and Communication

• Identifying disillusioned or hostile stakeholders.
• Developing a targeted stakeholder communication plan for recovery.
• Communicating bad news effectively and transparently.
• Rebuilding trust through honest assessments and realistic commitments.
• Managing expectations and gaining renewed buy-in from key sponsors.

Module 7: Navigating Political and Emotional Challenges

• Managing resistance from entrenched interests or those unwilling to admit failure.
• Dealing with blame, defensiveness, and personal agendas.
• The emotional burden on the recovery leader.
• Conflict resolution techniques for high-stakes environments.
• Building a coalition of support for the recovery effort.

Module 8: Decision Points: Recover, Reset, or Terminate

• Establishing clear criteria for evaluating project viability.
• Cost-benefit analysis of recovery vs. termination.
• The "sunk cost fallacy" and objective decision-making.
• If termination is necessary: Managing the graceful shutdown of a project.
• Lessons learned from successful terminations.

Module 9: Sustaining Recovery and Preventing Relapse

• Implementing robust controls and monitoring mechanisms for the recovered project.
• Continuous risk management and issue resolution to prevent new problems.
• Handover strategies for the recovered project to standard operations.
• Capturing comprehensive lessons learned from the recovery process.
• Integrating recovery insights into future project planning and organizational PM practices.

Module 10: The Recovery Leader's Mindset & Personal Action Plan

• Qualities of an effective project recovery leader: Resilience, courage, decisiveness, empathy.
• Managing stress and maintaining objectivity under pressure.
• Building a personal toolkit for diagnosing and recovering projects.
• Self-reflection: Identifying your strengths and development areas in crisis leadership.
• Creating a personalized action plan for applying recovery strategies to your projects.

CERTIFICATION

• Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

• Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

• Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com