Should a project continue when the remaining cost exceeds the remaining value?
Continuation decisionReassess future costs, benefits, obligations, and exit consequences with the investment authority. Prior expenditure is relevant history but should not by itself justify further spending.
What to do now
- Estimate remaining value and cost
- Identify obligations and exit impacts
- Compare continuation with alternatives
- Obtain an authorized decision
When to escalate
Escalate when
The project lacks a credible future justification or stopping creates serious obligations.
Who decides
The product or business benefit owner
Example
A sponsor compares finishing a smaller usable outcome with ending the remaining development.
Mistake to avoid
Continuing only because stopping would admit that earlier assumptions were wrong.
Prevent a repeat
Compare observed outcomes with the baseline and separate forecast benefits from benefits actually measured.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Projects
- Tasks
- Documents
Keep the intended outcome and measurement plan with the project, and assign improvement work to an accountable business owner. See the platform
Related cases
- Can customer feedback replace business metrics?Incomplete value evidence
- The project creates savings for one team but extra work for another. How should we assess it?Shifted cost mistaken for value
- A governance committee has no quorum. Can the project continue?Invalid decision process
- The deadline never changes, but the remaining work keeps growing. What should we show?Forecast-baseline disconnect