4/17/2025

The Lessons Learned from Failed Public Builds & How to Pivot Effectively

Public construction projects are monumental undertakings, often funded by taxpayer dollars and intended to serve the community for years to come. However, not all public builds meet their intended goals. The stark reality is that many public projects face unexpected failures that result in wasted resources, community distrust, and adverse consequences. In this blog post, we will explore key lessons learned from failed public builds and examine the effective pivot strategies that can be implemented to turn failures into opportunities for growth and improvement.

Understanding Failed Public Builds

What Causes Project Failures?

In recent discussions about failed construction procurement processes, professionals have identified several common factors that contribute to the failure of public builds, including:

Inadequate Planning: Projects often begin without a comprehensive understanding of requirements, leading to misaligned objectives.
Poor Communication: Ineffective communication between stakeholders, contractors, and owners can result in misunderstandings, delays, and increased costs.
Deficient Procurement Processes: Some projects face failures due to a lack of proper procurement processes. Owners may choose the cheapest bid without considering the capabilities of the contractors involved. As noted by Bradley Hyatt in his experience, traditional low-bid procurement methods often foster adversarial relationships, setting projects up for failure from the very start.
Inconsistent Design Standards: Variations in design standards and codes can lead to significant issues in the construction process, especially in complex projects that require specific skills and knowledge.
Failure to Incorporate Lessons from the Past: Ignoring previous case studies or lessons learned from earlier projects means repeating the same mistakes.

Public Trust: A Critical Component

When public projects fail, the consequences don't end with financial loss; they erode the trust that community members have in their local government. As public owners decide how to procure construction services, they must ensure their processes are fair, transparent, and focused on delivering value. An essential aspect of restoring this trust is developing a procurement process that instills confidence in taxpayers, allowing qualified contractors to compete effectively for projects without bias.

The Need for a Best Value Selection Process: Implementing a Best Value selection process for procuring services opens opportunities for construction firms with the right qualifications and experience, and it gives public entities the ability to gauge the expertise behind bids instead of simply relying on price.

Learning from Failure: Key Lessons

1. Analyze Failure Thoroughly

Once a project fails, it’s imperative to dissect what went wrong. Conduct a postmortem analysis that includes input from all stakeholders. This analysis should seek to answer questions like:

What were the root causes of the failure?
Was there sufficient stakeholder engagement?
Did procurement decisions align with project goals?
Were sufficient resources allocated?
How was communication handled throughout the process?

With these lessons documented, future projects can avoid similar pitfalls. As Bradley Hyatt suggests, learning from past experiences is instrumental in crafting better project procurement strategies moving forward.

2. Enhance Stakeholder Engagement

Engagement with all stakeholders (including citizens, governmental agencies, and contractors) during the planning phases is vital. More engagement leads to a better understanding of community needs and an assurance that everyone’s interests are considered. Processes like community consultations and workshops can uncover vital insights that may change the trajectory of a project.

3. Implement Better Checks and Balances

Incorporating layers of checks and balances within the procurement process can help ensure that decisions are made transparently. Regular audits and construction oversight can help identify issues before they evolve into serious problems that derail the project. As illustrated in the lessons from the failed public builds, a transparent approach can save taxpayers from witnessing how unchecked mistakes lead to disastrous results.

4. Embrace Transparency in Communication

A common issue that arises in failed builds is a lack of transparent communication between teams. Using technologies that enhance collaboration and accountability is paramount. Communication should stretch beyond internal teams, allowing for direct channels to the community, ensuring that project updates are shared openly to avoid unnecessary public disappointment or distrust.

Pivoting After Failure: A Strategy for Recovery

When faced with failure, organizations must recognize the need to pivot effectively rather than rehash the same mistakes. Below are clear steps for embracing the pivot:

Step 1: Assess the Current Situation

Understand the landscape post-failure. What resources remain? Which stakeholders are still engaged? Gathering data will help to establish a clearer picture. Sources of insight, like Arsturn with its advanced analytics tools, can track community sentiment and project expectations effectively.

Step 2: Identify Viable Alternatives

Identify potential paths forward based on assessments. In some cases, this may involve significantly updating project plans to better align with community needs. Use data-driven insights to determine the best next steps. As noted by Bradley Hyatt, leveraging different methods such as Design-Build, CM-at-Risk, or Lease Lease-Back can offer better team dynamics for successful outcomes.

Step 3: Develop a New Plan

Once alternatives are identified, it’s time to create a new plan with stakeholder input. Your new plan must be thorough and detailed, accounting for the lessons learned. Engage a diverse group of professionals to get perspectives that could enrich the new approach.

Step 4: Rebuild Trust

Undertake outreach initiatives to communicate with the community about what went wrong and how the new plan addresses their concerns. Utilizing platforms like Arsturn can streamline community engagement through AI chatbots, ensuring that residents can share feedback and receive updates quickly, easily, and transparently.

Monitoring Progress Post-Pivot

Metrics for Success

It is critical to set benchmarks to measure progress after pivoting. This includes:

Community Sentiment Analysis: How does the community feel about the project now?
Budget Tracking: Is the project remaining within budget with the new approach?
Timeline Management: Are timelines realistic and are deadlines being met?
Stakeholder Engagement: Are stakeholders feeling heard and involved?

Tracking these metrics can help keep the team accountable and project managers informed.

Conclusion

Incorporating these lessons from failed public builds can set a precedent for future successful undertakings. The emphasis on a fair procurement process that prioritizes value, engagement, transparency, and community feedback will lead to a stronger foundation for public projects. When pivoting is necessary, following a structured approach can help turn setbacks into opportunities, fostering a culture of resilience within the public sector.

With proactive measures and an adaptive mindset, the combination of thorough insights and advanced solutions like those from Arsturn can leverage community engagement, leading to successful public builds and renewed trust in governance.

By learning from the past, we can effectively invest in the future.