A new sponsor wants to cancel the project. What should the team provide?
Project termination decisionPrepare an evidence-based view of remaining value, cost to complete, exit obligations, and operational consequences. The decision should compare future options rather than defend sunk effort.
What to do now
- Summarize current commitments and delivered value
- Estimate continuation and exit consequences
- Identify reusable outputs and transition needs
- Obtain and implement the authorized decision
When to escalate
Escalate when
Cancellation affects contractual, safety, or essential service obligations.
Who decides
The sponsor or formally delegated governance body
Example
A sponsor compares finishing a limited usable release with a controlled shutdown of the initiative.
Mistake to avoid
Arguing that prior expenditure alone justifies continuation.
Prevent a repeat
Review overdue decisions and confirm that decision makers have the authority and evidence they need.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Approvals
- Documents
- Projects
Attach the decision brief and evidence to a configured approval route only after confirming the actual authority and delegation rules. See the platform
Related cases
- The sponsor is unavailable when we need approval. What should we establish?Unavailable decision authority
- A governance committee has no quorum. Can the project continue?Invalid decision process
- The sponsor wants a solution before we understand the problem. What do I do?Solution-first initiation
- The sponsor wants a green status despite serious delays. How do I report honestly?Pressure to distort status