Service
Project Recovery
A structured intervention for programs that have stalled, gone over budget, lost the confidence of key stakeholders, or reached a point where delivery has become genuinely uncertain.
The problem
Enterprise technology programs fail in predictable ways. The original schedule proves unrealistic, costs escalate beyond the approved envelope, the vendor relationship becomes adversarial, or the executive sponsor loses confidence in the delivery team's ability to complete the work.
By the time the situation surfaces in a steering committee report, the program has usually accumulated months of risk that was not escalated, scope changes that were not formally governed, and a team dynamic that has made honest assessment difficult.
What is needed at that point is not more optimism. It is a clear-eyed assessment of what has actually gone wrong, what it will take to recover, and whether recovery is the right decision at all.
When to use this service
- A program has missed multiple milestones and the team is providing explanations rather than solutions
- Costs have exceeded the approved budget and a supplementary business case is needed
- The executive sponsor or steering committee has lost confidence in the current delivery approach
- A vendor relationship has become adversarial and contract management is consuming delivery capacity
- The program has accumulated significant governance debt that needs to be cleared before delivery can resume
- A new program manager has been appointed and needs an independent assessment of inherited risk
- An independent review has been commissioned and the program needs preparation or response support
What Sky Lavelle provides
Recovery engagements begin with a structured diagnostic. This is a rapid assessment of the program's actual state across delivery confidence, governance health, stakeholder alignment, financial position and vendor relationships.
The diagnostic produces a written finding - an honest account of what has gone wrong, what the realistic options are, and what recovery will require in terms of time, money, governance decisions and stakeholder communication.
From there, the engagement can take several forms depending on what the situation requires: hands-on delivery support to stabilise the program, targeted intervention on a specific problem such as a vendor negotiation or a governance reset, or preparation of the executive-level communications needed to reset expectations.
Likely outputs
Enquire about project recovery
If you are dealing with a program that needs senior attention, describe the situation and what you need. An initial conversation is a useful starting point.
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