Rescue Management of a Failed Project: An empirical case study of the Subordinate Expertise Empowerment (SEE) model

Abstract

This paper introduces a management model applied to rescue a failed digital documenting services contract involving a large multinational vendor, referred to as Vendor A (VA), a large universitiy in the United States, referred to as X University (XU). The author’s objective is to tests the theory, in a case study setting, that a failed contract could be measurably salvaged through the real-time observed application of a rescue effort which emphasizes a Subordinate-Expert Empowerment (SEE) model in project rescue from its post-failure status. As a part of the literature review, an overview of project failure and varying rescue methodologies is given with an assessment of backgrounds, environments and strengths and weaknesses. Results of the study indicate the model’s ability to address the difficult issues of complex contracts by placing subordinate expertise at the forefront of dilemmas to grapple with the intricacies involved in escalated scenarios. Support of the model’s effectiveness was verified with a component listing of the resurrected project elements coupled with the survey results of all key individuals of the rescue process.