This paper provides an overview of the full extent of early warning detection approaches, which are directly or indirectly addressed in the literature. These approaches can aid project managers in taking corrective actions timely enough for preventing failures. This paper is based on a review of the current literature within the field of early warning in project management and on the authors' experiences gained from practice. It also builds upon the authors' experiences in various forms, both through advising and supervising project management teams and through observations and studies of projects. The authors extract possible approaches for early warning signs (EWS) from the literature and practical experience, and make a thorough discussion of their strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, the paper addresses these questions: (1) What approaches exist for detecting early warning signs and how can they be categorized; and (2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of different EWS detection approaches under different circumstances? The authors conclude that the choice of the most effective approach is arguably dependent on the type of project, organizational culture, and the project environment.

Complex projects are often the most high-profile projects within an organization. How can early warning signs be identified and acted upon, so that problems are avoided and projects are successful in delivering the expected value for their owners and other stakeholders? What signals should we look for? Looking for early warning signs takes more than a keen eye. Collaborating with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, Ole Jonny Klakegg, Terry Williams, Derek Walker, Bj&ørn Andersen, and Ole Morten Magnussen have expanded on their research of governance frameworks and guidelines as well as provided interviews with experts and case studies from Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom. This international report identifies early warning signs in highly complex projects and offers tips on how to combat them.

Despite the application of project management tools and techniques in projects worldwide, still a large number of projects fail to meet their objectives. Based on studies on the history of failed projects, it is obvious that projects do not result in failure overnight. With hindsight, project managers are often able to point out the most likely factors leading to project failure. One approach towards prevention of project failure or deviation from the main goal is to attempt to detect possible signs of project failure in early stages of projects. These signs are referred to as Early Warning signs. The challenge for project managers is to identify these signs and attempt to respond to them in order to prevent the negative circumstances. Although it is not a proven fact that identification of EW signals is a guarantee against project failure, there are a number of resources which consider paying attention to these signals and attempt to respond to them as a contribution to project success. This book provides better understanding of the Early Warning phenomenon, possible approaches for identifying them and the barriers against effective responses to these signs in practice.

This paper considers how project assessments may be used to identify early warning signs in projects, and how complexity influences it. This study confirms the main findings in earlier literature and gives an overview of current documented practice. Then comprehensive empirical research is performed to expand this. Results show that project professionals are not very good at detecting early warning signs and even less good at acting on them. Barriers that lead to this are identified. Identifying and acting on early warning signs is particularly important in the initiation or set-up phase of the project, but also relevant in later phases, including execution. The nature of early warning signs and the way these can be detected change over time and with the evolving situation. We see that project assessments, typically performed as part of gateways, are useful in identifying early warnings connected to the documentation and formalities of the project. As the complexity increases, the assessments have more limited use, and the project is increasingly dependent on detecting early warning signs by informal "gut-feel" approaches. This indicates the increased importance of knowledge, experience, and communication skills in complex situations. The paper concludes with a list of early warning signs.

Practitioners operate in a necessary reality. We work in a space where project performance is above theory or methodology. In the best environments, delivery and an affirmative culture are what matter most. In the worst, it is politics and survival. In any environment we are challenged to adopt best practices and adapt our style to the environment in which the project is occurring. This is a book about those best practices and practitioner experiences. It is a must have reference and guide book for project managers, general managers, business leaders and project management researchers. This book is the result of the hard work and dedication of more than 35 authors from more than 15 countries across four continents. It brings a diversity of experience, professional and personal. It includes practitioners, leading academics, renowned theorists and many who straddle those roles. The chapters cover experiences in software, large scale infrastructure projects, finance and health care, to name a few. The chapters themselves take many forms. Check out the table of contents to get a deeper sense of the topics included. All provide real-world guidance on delivering high performing projects and show you how to build, lead and manage high performing teams. The Practitioners Handbook of Project Performance is complete in itself. It can also be an enticing start to an ongoing dialogue with the authors and a pleasurable path to get deeper into the subject of project performance. Find your favorite place to begin learning from these chapters, to begin taking notes and taking away nuggets to use in your everyday. But don’t stop there. Contact information and further resources for this diverse team of experts authors are found throughout. The Practitioners Handbook is a modern guide to the leading edge of project performance management and a path to the future of project delivery.

In recent years, our world has experienced a profound shift and progression in available computing and knowledge sharing innovations. These emerging advancements have developed at a rapid pace, disseminating into and affecting numerous aspects of contemporary society. This has created a pivotal need for an innovative compendium encompassing the latest trends, concepts, and issues surrounding this relevant discipline area. During the past 15 years, the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology has become recognized as one of the landmark sources of the latest knowledge and discoveries in this discipline. The Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition is a 10-volume set which includes 705 original and previously unpublished research articles covering a full range of perspectives, applications, and techniques contributed by thousands of experts and researchers from around the globe. This authoritative encyclopedia is an all-encompassing, well-established reference source that is ideally designed to disseminate the most forward-thinking and diverse research findings. With critical perspectives on the impact of information science management and new technologies in modern settings, including but not limited to computer science, education, healthcare, government, engineering, business, and natural and physical sciences, it is a pivotal and relevant source of knowledge that will benefit every professional within the field of information science and technology and is an invaluable addition to every academic and corporate library.

Managing large and complex organizations; balancing the needs of business-as-usual, new products and services and business change; assuring risk across everything the business does; these are all core requirements of modern business which are provided by the discipline of portfolio management. The Handbook of Project Portfolio Management is the definitive publication that introduces and describes in detail project portfolio management in today’s ever-changing world. The handbook contains the essential knowledge required for managing portfolios of business change with real-life examples that are being used by today’s organizations in various industries and environments. The team of expert contributors includes many of the most experienced and highly regarded international writers and practitioners from the global project portfolio management industry, selected to provide the reader with examples, knowledge and the skills required to manage portfolios in any organization. Dennis Lock and Reinhard Wagner’s definitive reference on project portfolio management explains: the context and role of the discipline; the practical processes, tools and techniques required for managing portfolios successfully; the capability required and how to develop it. The text also covers the recognized standards as well as emerging issues such as sustainability and environment. Collectively, this is a must-have guide from the leading commentators and practitioners on project portfolio management from across the world.