This question is designed to demonstrate the importance of project management.

IT projects often fail in some way. Schedules overrun, budgets are exceeded and delivered systems don't do what users need.

In most cases, this is because the project was not managed effectively, either by the client, the developers or both.

This should take around 5 hours in total - we suggest 3 hours for the research and 2 hours to write a report.

This question makes use of the Catalogue of Catastrophe page on the Calleam Consulting Ltd (formaerly the International Project Leadership Academy) website that you have already seen in Block 3 Part 1, Section 2.3, Activity 1.4.

We have chosen this particular website because the projects listed in the report are reasonably well known and documented. This should give ease of access to resources that you can use to investigate each case. Although some of the reports were written several years ago, the lessons learned from these cases are still relevant to project management today

On the '2015' section of the Catalogue of Catastrophe page, choose one of the following two IT projects:

• 3. Los Angeles Unified School District (https://calleam.com/ WTPF/ ?p=7626)
• 6. Ontario Provincial Government (https://calleam.com/ WTPF/ ?p=7597)

Read the articles cited by the description of your chosen project and undertake some internet research to investigate the project further. Write a short report about the report which should contain the following elements.

The name of the project and a brief description, including the main details and history of the project. Explain why you picked this project.

Explain the form that the problems took. Problems can include:

• cost overrun
• delay
• cancellation
• failure to meet the users' needs
• other - describe the kind of problem and explain what form it took.

If known, give the scale of the failure - for example size of cost overrun, length of delay, consequences for users.

The possible reasons for the failure, either based on information from the sources you have researched or on your knowledge of project management.

Your own conclusions including lessons learnt and recommendations for future projects of this sort.

You should cite at least one other authoritative article in addition to those cited in the description of your chosen project.

Insert a reference to the project report you have selected, the additional source you have found and any other materials you have consulted.

Remember to produce explanations in your own words and to use quotation marks and citations to refer to any passages of cited material. Do not forget to include references to any such material at the end of the question.

Write no more than 450 words for Question 6, including headings and citations but not references.