Projects fail in the beginning and not at the end because there are several “unknowns” in the early days and the risks are highest in the early phases of the project! This fact is well known and understood by seasoned and experienced project managers. Large and complex projects essentially have long durations, large capital budgets and scopes that are likely to change, and that creates a major risk to project success. The seeds of failure are sown early in the life of the project because there are so many unknowns at the start.