Point of View · Programme recovery
Recovering a programme in distress
Troubled programmes rarely recover by adding resources. They recover by taking back decisions.
ESA Alliance
· 6 min read
Establish an independent baseline
The first step is a fast, factual assessment: actual scope, remaining work, open risks. Without it, any re-planning is fragile.
Reduce before relaunching
Recovery often requires narrowing scope. Delivering less, but delivering, restores sponsor confidence.
Take back governance
Tighter forums, recorded decisions, fast escalation: steering discipline is the first recovery lever.