Differentiate/ compare project delay, project abandonment, and project failure?

Dear Victor, Nice question to be asked hence the answer what you would get could be tricky to understand. Totally PMO has certain directives and guidelines and on those directions you define the things, whereas the PMBOK, clearly defines that these are the three stages and need to be separated from each other, the paradigm of project can be understood of these stages with "Actual Performances"

1.  Project Delay

2.  Project Abandonment

3.  Project Failure

First and second situation is an entirely different aspect of perception and perceived mechanism, and these two can be integrated or can establish the relationship with third one i.e. Project Failure; Project delay could be failure in different stream and Project Abandonment is itself a Project Failure Stage too.

But Project Failure would be having some other attributes as well, hence can be understood on the parameters of;

Cost

Quality

Scope

Risk

Benefit

As your question is having wide range, so it requires deeper perspective to understand but in nut shell or in layman language this could be the best appropriate answer.

Regards,

Sachin Sharma

Project Failure :  Is it a new project or project to develop an existing facility??

In the first case Project fails it means it is not properly detailed/ reviewed. The desired target to be achieved is not underlined effectively. SO, the  Project Manager shall verify the same before take up or else he will result an failure.

In the second case the project is unable to meet the interoperability/ integrate , productivity targets after completion/  during its final stage. Same the case as above but he did not concentrate on the offsite hookups, connections etc whether in lines of operation compatibility , capacity , targeted IRRs. Result in hand brake the project .

Ultimately, the Project Manger shall take a collective decision. If the project fails it is the outcome of his Team Management Capabilities.

Well ... well ... well !!

There is a clear difference between these three cases although something remains in common between them ... projects do no conclude successfully.

1. Project Delay:  could be no issue when the  delay is tolerable, However, if there are multiple delays, one after the other, and for unknown/unpredictible/unacceptable periods ,, then the project will not be successful
2. Project Abandonment; or project cancellation, project freezing, or project postponement for unspecified period .... all lead to the project not taking its chance for successful completeion
3. Project Failure; is in my view the worst case, because the project takes its fair chance, proceeds, and then it fails for whatever reason and never completes successfully

Is said the3rd case is the worst case for the project manager because it is "FAILURE" not "DELAY" , not "POSTPONEMENT and not "CANCELLATION".