Date of Publication :5th December 2024

Abstract: This study’s investigation into micro and small business (MSB) project planning was prompted by a serious Australian project management failure due to a mobile home being dropped on two homes during a crane lift because of the inadequate planning and method statement of the project. Fortunately, nobody was killed, however the construction company went bankrupt and as a result employees were made redundant. Many project planning issues were discovered after this failure including no method statement or risk assessment and project governance lacking. This led to poor project planning that would have prevented this outcome from the onset. This is a common general and engineering project issue that needs to be addressed and improved.
This study is significant due to the 27 EU member survey showing a 5-year survival rate of only 44% in MSBs and indicates a need to stem project performance decline and improve project governance. Project governance is failing due to poor leadership and commitment from the inception to appoint a project leader and establish a team with clear, defined and agreed project governance. The literature review initiated a sixteen-question investigative interview process which was ethically approved, and pilot trialled and found to be fit for purpose which allowed the main investigation to be undertaken with twenty present and former MSB management and stakeholders. Content Analysis was used in data analysis.
Five research study questions were created to focus on the challenges and improvement of MSB project planning governance (PPG). The research study’s aim to create an MSB PPG protocol was met with a MSB PPG front end planning process to minimize the chal lenges a MSB project team with limited resourced faces in MSB PPG implementation.
The study’s knowledge and practice contribution will be to have a universally developed MSB project planning governance protocol which will lead to a significant improvement in project outcomes.

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