Environment

• Amenity values
• Conservation
• Contamination of land, water, air (deliberate or inadvertent leak, spill or release)
• Dust
• Endangered species
• Hazardous chemicals and materials
• Heritage values
• Latent conditions
• Legislative and regulatory constraints
• Noise
• Recycling

Financial

• Debt: equity ratios, gearing
• Equity funding and ownership
• Financing costs
• Funding sources
• Funding withdrawn or delayed
• Investment conditions
• Taxation effects
• Working capital requirements, liquidity

Industrial Relations

• Award suitability
• Flow-on effects
• Job security
• Labour laws, regulations
• Loss of management control
• Strength of unions
• Strike leading to delays
• Strike settlement leading to higher costs

Interpretation of the Brief, Understanding the Requirements

• Interpretation may cause overestimation and low value for money
• Misunderstanding of user expectations
• Poor technical knowledge in new area
• Quality and detail of specification
• Quality level not met
• Requirements not understood fully
• Timetable not met
• Users' expectations not met, different user groups have different expectations
• Variations in contract

Joint Venture, Partnership

• Complexity of the agreement and documentation
• Complexity of the business structure
• Level of control
• Level of responsibility
• Partner financially unstable
• Partner lacks technical resources
• Partner withdraws from joint venture
• Potential for litigation
• Probity
• Requirement for skills or equity contribution
• Staging aspects

Legal/Regulatory

• Approval processes
• Conflicts of interest
• Inadequate terms and conditions
• Lack of knowledge of applicable laws and regulations
• Unclear contract

Natural Events

• Drought
• Excessive heat, cold
• Fire
• Flood
• Landslip, subsidence
• Lightning
• Seismic event, earthquake
• Storm

Political and Social

• Community consultation
• Community support
• Government endorsement
• Government or political intervention
• Policy change
• Political change (effect of change of Government)
• Pressure groups
• Public misinterpretation of decision without all facts available

Product Life Cycle Stage

• Mature
• New
• R&D required

Resources

• Additional capital investment needed
• Availability of critical components or materials
• Availability of critical equipment
• Availability of funds (internal, external)
• New plant or equipment required

Safety

• Contract safety
• Drugs (use, testing)
• Equipment failure
• Human error
• HSE processes
• Legal requirements, local regulations
• Product contamination
• Project safety
• Safety guidelines issued in or referenced in contract