---
title: "Inhibitors of project success and balanced scorecard"
subject: "ICT Project Management"
chapter: 3
key: "semester_7/ict_project_management:inhibitors-project-success"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/inhibitors-project-success
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Inhibitors of project success and balanced scorecard

ICT Project Management · Chapter 3: Portfolio and Project Management Institutes’ (PMI) Framework

- Asked in: year not given
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/inhibitors-project-success
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/ict_project_management/chapter-3

## Question

What are inhibitors and inhibitors of project success? How is it related to a balanced scorecard?

## Short answer

Inhibitors of project success are factors like unclear requirements, poor planning, lack of resources, and scope creep that reduce the chance of meeting goals. The balanced scorecard links inhibitors to perspectives (financial, customer, internal process, learning and growth) to detect issues early, enabling corrective action and strategic alignment.

## Answer

An **inhibitor** is something that restricts, holds back or prevents an action or a result. **Inhibitors of project success** are factors that reduce the chance that a project meets its goals.

#### Common inhibitors of project success
- Lack of user input and unclear requirements.
- Incomplete or changing requirements and specifications.
- Unrealistic expectations, schedule or budget.
- Poor planning or no planning.
- Lack of executive or sponsor support.
- Lack of resources, skilled people or technology.
- Poor communication and weak team coordination.
- Weak risk management.
- Uncontrolled scope creep.
- Failure to monitor and control, and poor quality management.
- Resistance to change from users.

(The Standish Group's CHAOS report, cited by Schwalbe, lists lack of user involvement, incomplete requirements and lack of resources among the top reasons for failure.)

#### Relation to balanced scorecard
The **balanced scorecard** (Kaplan and Norton) is a performance measurement tool that looks at the organisation from four perspectives, not just the financial one: financial, customer, internal business process, and learning and growth.

| Perspective | Inhibitor linked |
|---|---|
| Financial | Cost overruns, unrealistic budget |
| Customer | Poor user involvement, unmet expectations |
| Internal process | Weak planning, quality and scope control |
| Learning and growth | Lack of skills, training and tools |

- Using the scorecard, an organisation sets objectives and measures in each perspective and can detect early which inhibitors are affecting the project.
- It helps link project goals with strategy, so projects that suffer from inhibitors (weak strategic fit, no sponsor) can be corrected or cancelled.

**Example:** If customer satisfaction scores fall (customer perspective), the manager traces the cause to unclear requirements and improves user involvement.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. An inhibitor of project success is:
   A. A factor that reduces the chance of meeting project goals
   B. A tool that speeds up the project
   C. A type of stakeholder
   D. A benefit of project management
   Answer: A. Inhibitors restrict or hold back results. (Key point: Inhibitor meaning)

2. Which is a common inhibitor?
   A. Strong sponsor support
   B. Clear requirements
   C. Lack of user input and incomplete or changing requirements
   D. Good communication
   Answer: C. Lack of user involvement and incomplete requirements top the CHAOS report list. (Key point: Common inhibitors)

3. The four perspectives of the balanced scorecard are:
   A. Scope, time, cost, quality
   B. Financial, customer, internal business process, learning and growth
   C. Plan, do, check, act
   D. People, process, product, price
   Answer: B. Kaplan and Norton's scorecard measures these four perspectives. (Key point: Balanced scorecard perspectives)

4. Under which scorecard perspective would lack of skills and training fall?
   A. Financial
   B. Customer
   C. Learning and growth
   D. Internal process
   Answer: C. Lack of skills, training and tools links to learning and growth. (Key point: Linking inhibitors)

## Related in ICT Project Management

- [Balanced scorecard in ICT projects](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Abalanced-scorecard) — ICT Project Management, chapter 15

## Related in other subjects

- [Need of IS and balanced scorecard](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Finformation_system%3Awhy-need-is-balanced-scorecard) — Information System, chapter 1
- [Balanced scorecard for IS](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Finformation_system%3Absc-importance-is-implementation) — Information System, chapter 5