Tools and Tactics to Recover Troubled Projects

More often than not, project do not go according to plan. And, in fact, particularly for complex projects, they can deviate dramatically from the originally required schedule and/or budget. In some of these situations, failure is not an option – often other projects are dependent on the troubled one. In these cases, it is important to have techniques for recovery in your management toolbox. This ours provides the student with these tools.

Anyone participating in or managing product development projects.

Course Objectives:

• Identify troubled projects
• Identify root causes of troubled projects
• Assess various types of troubled or failing projects at different stages of development and evolution
• Develop and recommend options for recovery of troubled projects
• Develop and execute recovery of troubled projects

1. Introduction
2. Identification of troubled projects
3. Environmental factors leading to troubled projects
4. Types of Troubled Projects
5. Assessment and troubleshooting in:
   • Early stages – conception, initiation
   • Planning – prioritization, resourcing
   • Executing & Controlling
   • Rollouts, Delivery, Closing
6. Recommending and Executing Recovery Options

Shawn Belling

Shawn Belling is a technology executive, speaker, instructor, and author based in Madison, WI. Shawn has held executive and management roles in health tech, higher education, software, consulting, bio-pharma, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance sectors. 

Shawn is a Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro) within the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. Shawn is also the Delivery Experience Officer at FarWell Project Advisors LLC of Madison, WI. Areas of professional and academic practice include project and program management, agile practices, organizational change management, software and IT strategy and delivery, new product development and remote work.

In addition to over 30 years of technology and project leadership experience, Shawn teaches, speaks and consults for businesses, universities and professional organizations on various leadership and management topics and practices. Shawn released his books Succeeding with Agile Hybrids in November of 2020 and Remotely Possible in June of 2021.

Shawn is certified by PMI as a Project Management Professional and Agile Certified Practitioner and is also a Certified Scrum Professional and Registered Scrum at Scale Practitioner.

Shawn earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and Master of Science in Project Management from UW – Platteville. Shawn earned a certificate in Organizational Change Leadership from UW-Platteville and Doctor of Education in Leadership at the University of the Cumberlands.