Published by JMB Project Management Co. LLC
A recovery plan needs to explain how the remaining work can be delivered under revised conditions. Begin by establishing the current position, then make the required changes explicit.
Avoid starting with a replacement completion date. The date should emerge from an assessment of scope, dependencies, resources and approval requirements. Otherwise, the project can acquire another target without resolving the problems behind the previous one.
Establish the remaining commitments
Identify what has been accepted, what is partly complete and what has not started. Review outstanding requirements and supplier commitments with the relevant owners.
Record uncertainty where evidence is missing. The plan should identify how and when each uncertainty will be resolved, including its possible effect on delivery.
For example, an unresolved integration issue may require a technical assessment before the team can estimate the remaining development and testing. Treat that assessment as work with an owner and a deadline.
Agree the changes needed
Recovery may require a narrower scope, different sequencing, additional capability or changes to governance. Set out the options and their implications for the sponsor.
Some objectives may no longer be achievable within acceptable constraints. Include the possibility of pausing or closing the initiative where the assessment supports it. The recovery recommendation should reflect the evidence available.
Build a plan with named responsibilities
For each corrective action, identify the owner, intended output, deadline and dependencies. Confirm that the person has the authority and capacity to perform the work.
Connect actions to milestones that demonstrate progress. A milestone such as acceptance of the revised requirements is easier to assess than a general commitment to improve stakeholder alignment.
Restore decision and reporting arrangements
Define how urgent decisions will be made and which changes require approval. Establish the reporting needed to show progress against the revised plan.
Give the sponsor visibility of assumptions that remain unresolved. A forecast can change as evidence improves; the reporting should explain why and show the consequences.
The UK Government Project Delivery Functional Standard offers a useful reference for the wider governance and control environment. The corrective actions themselves must be specific to the project under review.
Retain the route into operations
Include testing, readiness, acceptance and handover in the remaining work. Removing these activities to protect a launch date can leave the organization with unresolved operational commitments.
Agree what evidence will support a decision to proceed, and what would require further escalation. Review the plan at a frequency suited to the urgency and complexity of the recovery.
JMB supports project recovery and delivery planning, helping organizations assess options and implement an agreed response.