Tools and Tactics to Recover Troubled Projects

Complex development projects often veer off schedule or budget, threatening product timelines and dependent initiatives. This course gives engineers and technical leaders a structured approach to identify, assess, and recover failing projects at any stage. You'll walk away with actionable strategies to regain control and deliver results under pressure.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Diagnose early warning signs and root causes of troubled projects.
  • Evaluate project health across all phases—from conception to delivery.
  • Develop and implement recovery strategies that align with technical and business priorities.

Who Should Attend:

  • Engineers and technical leads managing or contributing to product development.
  • Project managers working on high-stakes or interdependent technical initiatives.
  • Cross-functional team members involved in planning, executing, or rescuing complex projects.

Upcoming dates coming soon!

Take course number RA00043 when it’s offered next.

Course Details: RA00043

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Course Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Identification of troubled projects
  3. Environmental factors leading to troubled projects
  4. Types of Troubled Projects
  5. Assessment and troubleshooting in:
    • Early stages – conception, initiation
    • Planning – prioritization, resourcing
    • Executing & Controlling
    • Rollouts, Delivery, Closing
  6. Recommending and Executing Recovery Options

Program Director & Instructors

  • Shawn Belling

    UW InterPro and Farwell Project Advisors

    Shawn Belling is a technology executive, speaker, instructor, and author based in Madison, WI. Shawn has held executive and management roles in health tech, higher education, software, consulting, bio-pharma, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance sectors. 

    Shawn is a Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro) within the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. Shawn is also the Delivery Experience Officer at FarWell Project Advisors LLC of Madison, WI. Areas of professional and academic practice include project and program management, agile practices, organizational change management, software and IT strategy and delivery, new product development and remote work.

    In addition to over 30 years of technology and project leadership experience, Shawn teaches, speaks and consults for businesses, universities and professional organizations on various leadership and management topics and practices. Shawn released his books Succeeding with Agile Hybrids in November of 2020 and Remotely Possible in June of 2021.

    Shawn is certified by PMI as a Project Management Professional and Agile Certified Practitioner and is also a Certified Scrum Professional and Registered Scrum at Scale Practitioner.

    Shawn earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and Master of Science in Project Management from UW – Platteville. Shawn earned a certificate in Organizational Change Leadership from UW-Platteville and Doctor of Education in Leadership at the University of the Cumberlands. 

     

  • Program Director

    Blake Suhre

Total Credits:
CEU 1.4
PDH 14
Certificate Compatibility:

Course Administration

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Payment Options

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

  • Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
  • Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
  • You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

  • Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
  • Provide the registrations representative with:
    • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
    • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
  • You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

  • Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
  • Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
  • Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
  • You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Course Notes

This course is part of the Technical Leadership Certificate and Project Management Certificate. Course may be taken individually as well.

Create a custom learning experience

We can deliver this course as an on-site learning experience tailored to your organization’s specific training needs.