Industry research reveals that enterprise IT project failures primarily result from participant capability gaps, which manifest as challenges in planning, communication, and execution. Surveys conducted between 2011 and 2024 identify key reasons for project failure, each tied to underqualification or insufficient expertise among project participants. The following summary outlines these reasons, with percentages where available, and demonstrates how capability deficiencies undermine delivery outcomes.

• 2024, Wellingtone, The State of Project Management Report: Survey of 428 project professionals cites attempting too many projects (37%), lack of skilled project managers (34%), insufficient funding (31%), inadequate planning (29%), and poor stakeholder engagement (27%) as failure reasons. These issues arise from underqualified managers who overcommit resources, lack project management expertise, or fail to align stakeholders effectively.
• 2023, BITKOM e.V., cited in Most IT Projects Fail: 75% of Projects Fall Short of Goals AvenDATA: Survey of IT professionals in German companies identifies unclear or inadequate requirements (42%), incorrect time and budget planning (38%), inadequate communication between participants (35%), and insufficient user training (30%) as primary causes. These reflect underqualified analysts missing key requirements, planners lacking budgeting skills, and trainers unprepared for user adoption.
• 2023, ProjectManagement.com, PMI-derived: Notes 44% of projects fail due to misalignment between project goals and organisational objectives, driven by underqualified leaders who cannot bridge business and IT priorities.
• 2021, Asana, Anatomy of Work Index, PMI-derived: Reports 34% of projects experience scope creep, caused by underqualified teams unable to manage scope through effective change control.
• 2017, Harvey Nash/KPMG, CIO Survey: Indicates 40% of CIOs attribute failure to overly optimistic approaches and unclear objectives, with 46% citing weak ownership, resulting from underqualified PMs who set unrealistic goals or fail to secure sponsor commitment.
• 2016, Project Management Institute, Pulse of the Profession: The High Cost of Low Performance: Survey of nearly 3,000 professionals highlights changing organisational priorities (41%), unclear project objectives (38%), inaccurate requirements definition (37%), inadequate sponsor support (36%), and poor risk management (31%) as leading causes. These arise from underqualified participants lacking adaptability, clarity in objective-setting, or risk management expertise.
• 2014, PwC: States that only 2.5% of companies complete all projects successfully, with failures linked to underqualified teams unable to deliver consistent outcomes.
• 2012, PwC, 15th Annual Global CEO Survey: Attributes 32% of IT project failures to poor estimation during planning, driven by underqualified planners missing critical cost or time factors.
• 2011, Geneca, Doomed from the Start Industry Survey: Finds 78% of respondents desire more business stakeholder involvement, 80% spend half their time on rework, and 47% of failures stem from poor requirements management, caused by underqualified analysts failing to engage stakeholders or define needs accurately.
• Pre-2023, Gartner, Why Do IT Projects Fail?: Reports that large IT projects (over USD 1 million) are 50% more likely to fail, with functionality issues (22%) and schedule overruns (28%) identified as key contributors. These failures are linked to underqualified developers or project managers who are unable to ensure system functionality or meet delivery timelines. 

These findings confirm that capability among participants is the decisive factor in successful project delivery, supported by robust processes and enabling technologies.