When projects fail to adequately meet requirements, organizations are forced to either abandon the project or to initiate a new project to address the original project requirements. Because the organization already has experience with and exposure to many project details, it is possible that the second attempt to address the original requirements (a rework project) will create different challenges for the project team. The purpose of this study was to examine risk indicators for rework projects and to determine whether or not risk indicators were the same or different for rework projects. A risk indicator is a factor that has predictive power about the likelihood of a risk occurring in the course of a project's life cycle. The projects studied for this research were undertaken by a large engineering design organization. The results show that there are some important differences in the types of risk indicators experienced by project managers and project teams in rework projects. Specifically, the risks associated with project urgency, quality, and technological changes were more common in rework projects. By understanding and attending to these differences in rework project risks, project managers will be better equipped to successfully guide rework projects to completion.

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Engineering design projects can be characterized by three dimensions: duration, budget, and scope. As projects grow in any of these three dimensions, there will be increased opportunity for uncertainty, and subsequently, increased risk. This study explored the relationship between the number of project activities and the presence of risk indicators. A risk indicator is a particular state of affairs that has potential predictive power about the likelihood of a risk occurring during the course of a project. This study was completed by examining eleven projects that were conducted within one division of a large engineering design firm. Projects were divided into groups according to the number of activities associated with each project, and interviews were conducted with employees, who worked in a variety of positions. A comparative analysis of risk indicators was then completed to identify potential “watch” areas and provide a basis for risk mitigation planning. The study provided conclusive evidence that the most frequently occurring risk indicators vary with the number of activities involved in a project. Project managers can use this information to create more specific risk management plans tailored to the types of risk indicators most frequently associated with the number of activities within a project.