This book supposes you want to plan and complete a ‘project’. Why might you fail? What can you do to reduce the chances of failure? This book looks at where projects fail, the causes, and what measures can limit failure.

Failures and the reasons for them are examined. Areas discussed include unclear objectives; evaluating alternatives; the planning fallacy; misperception of the nature of risk; devising risk appetite; overly narrow risk assessment and identification; undervaluing natural capital; lack of stakeholder engagement; unclear responsibility assignment; and conflicting interests. Machiavellianism can make things happen when they shouldn’t, or obstruct them when they should happen. The book concludes with a concise one-page risk management guide.

As well as pulling together and summarising relevant literature sources, the author draws on more than fifty years’ experience in small and large-scale project management including water supply, biodiversity and environmental management, and work with the extractive industries.