When Should You Terminate Your Own Program? Bad Business: The JASORS Debacle

Abstract

The Project Manager (PM) is typically the advocate for his program. He is the champion for his team of government and industry players, the spokesman to higher headquarters for progress in achieving the various parameters of cost, schedule and performance, and the steward of taxpayer funds -- on a constant quest for best value. He must keep the leadership and sponsors honestly informed in a timely manner, especially when things don't go as planned. He must continually assess risk, and the resources need to complete the project effort, so that he can marshal the appropriate forces against the challenges that invariably arise during the course of execution. The ultimate goal of a project being to advance warfighting capability, there is little accolade for lesser achievement. It is then perhaps easy for the manager's zeal for success and personal self-worth to become associated with the project. This can allow optimism to reign -- and cloud judgment, by unintentionally filtering and distorting information.