What factors lead to software project failure and whose fault was it?

While research on project failure tends to supply lists of risk and failure factors, and negative business effects, the objective of this research is to identify specific factors behind failure and who is to blame. We analyze practitioners\u0027 perspectives on 57 development and management factors for projects they considered failures across 70 failed projects. Results show that all projects reviewed suffered 6 to 48 failure factors. While no single set of factors is identified, nearly all projects suffered from organizational factors outside the project manager\u0027s control. We conclude with suggestions to minimize the most common ones.