Before Lightning Strikes: A Project Rescue Playbook

Many projects stumble. In deep tech and space programs, trouble might seem like a bolt out of the blue. But that is rarely the case. Like a rocket launch during stormy weather, the conditions leading to a lightning strike build up over time.

And inadequate systems engineering is often the culprit: ConOps poorly understood, requirements left vague or incomplete, interfaces only partially documented, or tests overlooked in the rush to build. When lightning strikes, the difference between collapse and recovery is whether a project has a disciplined playbook for rescue.

Here’s how a project management and systems engineering (SE) team can bring a project veering off course back under control and restore investor and customer confidence:

1. Audit

Capture the state of systems engineering planning and execution. What shape are the SE artifacts in? Do complete and clear requirements exist? What verification artifacts are on record or planned, and what’s missing? The goal is clarity, not blame. A good audit sheds light like a flash of lightning. It reveals what’s really there, not what was assumed.

2. Scrub Assumptions & Interfaces

Hidden risks often live in the gaps. Assumptions never validated, and interfaces never fully defined. These are like unnoticed storm clouds: unobtrusive until lightning reveals them. Surfacing them early prevents expensive late surprises.

3. Map to the INCOSE V

Align historic and current efforts with the expected lifecycle checkpoints. Which parts of the V-model were covered? Which were skipped or only partially addressed? This mapping shows stakeholders where the program stands in objective terms, like checking radar before launch. It ensures everyone sees the same weather picture before committing to flight.

4. Close Gaps

Once the map is clear, close the gaps with targeted fixes, not blanket rework. Prioritize getting the requirements right, completing the set of verification activities, double-checking safety-critical functions, and ensuring that all efforts reasonably flow toward ROI. It’s the equivalent of reinforcing your lightning protection system, not just hoping the next strike misses.

5. Rebaseline & Communicate

Rebaseline the plan with realistic dates, resources, and risks, then communicate it openly. Transparency resets confidence and turns inadequate planning from a liability back into a solid game plan—and ultimately, a strength. Clear communication here is like mission control talking a damaged spacecraft safely through reentry.

6. Incorporate Feedback and Execute

As the new plan evolves, incorporate feedback quickly and iterate. Keep your door open so stakeholders can flag risks and bring forward constructive ideas. Replanning followed swiftly by renewed execution discipline will cement recovery turning what could have been a fatal strike into a come-from-behind victory.

Why It Matters

A project rescue isn’t just about checking boxes. It’s about credibility. Investors, customers, and leadership want assurance that the program’s path to ROI is intact. A restructured playbook provides that assurance.

Done right, the project not only returns to green, it stays green because stakeholders know there’s a system in place to prevent the same mistakes from happening twice. Like Apollo 12 surviving its lightning strike, a program with the right playbook can absorb shocks, recover, and still deliver mission success.

This is how disciplined engineering and project management turn risk into resilience.