Project Management

Project Recovery: Rescuing Troubled Projects

Every organisation has projects that are late, over budget or losing stakeholder confidence. This course teaches a structured recovery approach: recognising early warning signs, conducting a rapid independent review, diagnosing root causes, re-baselining scope, schedule and budget, rebuilding the team and stakeholder trust, and steering the project back to delivery.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

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Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Troubled projects rarely recover on their own. You will learn the steps experienced recovery managers use to turn failing projects around.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Recovery case studies, health-check exercises, re-planning workshops and stakeholder negotiation role plays.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Recognise early warning signs of project failure
Conduct a rapid project health review
Diagnose root causes of project problems
Re-baseline scope, schedule and budget realistically
Rebuild team morale and stakeholder confidence
Decide when to recover, restructure or stop a project

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

Project and programme managers
PMO managers
Project sponsors
Senior managers responsible for portfolios
Consultants and project auditors

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Project diagnosis
Re-planning
Stakeholder negotiation
Team leadership
Decision making

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Why Projects Fail

09:00–10:08Common failure patterns
10:08–11:00Early warning indicators
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Early warning indicators (continued)
11:45–12:53Optimism bias
12:53–14:00Case study: failing project

Day 2Project Health Review

09:00–10:08Rapid review approach
10:08–11:00Interviews and document review
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Interviews and document review (continued)
11:45–12:53Assessing schedule and cost reality
12:53–14:00Exercise: health check

Day 3Root Causes and Options

09:00–10:08Diagnosing root causes
10:08–11:00Recovery options
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Recovery options (continued)
11:45–12:53Stop, restructure or continue
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 4Re-baselining

09:00–10:08Scope reduction and phasing
10:08–11:00Realistic schedules
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Realistic schedules (continued)
11:45–12:53Budget re-forecasting
12:53–14:00Exercise: recovery plan

Day 5Leading the Recovery

09:00–10:08Rebuilding team trust
10:08–11:00Managing sponsors and stakeholders
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Managing sponsors and stakeholders (continued)
11:45–12:53Monitoring recovery
12:53–14:00Action plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon UK certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon UK programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

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