The likelihood and impact of changes of key project personnel on the design process

Both the construction and the risk analysis and management literature have overlooked the highly disruptive influence of the loss of key project personnel. It is clear from other industries involved in managing projects, such as information technology, that the likelihood of this adverse event is openly recognized. The construction literature looks at a series of issues which all relate to communication and information transfer but fails to isolate one of the key issues which, when it materializes, seriously undermines the essence of design - the complete integration of the creative contribution of all the participating design disciplines. The risk analysis and management literature recognizes the significance of risk identification but pays scant attention to discontinuity, and the borrowed identification techniques are reliant solely on subjective judgements. Propositions for examination are tested against a documentary analysis of twenty-two projects to establish the existence of this threat to a project's objectives. Of the sample of projects examined, changes to personnel are commonplace, and clearly lead to project overruns.