13: Making the decision of project termination during the delivery stage: the Keystone XL pipeline

This case study delves into the complex decision of project termination during the construction stage and its implications for project management. Despite the general belief that, once started, projects are rarely terminated, relevant examples show that this is not always the case and happens more often than we are comfortable with. Construction projects face a variety of challenges that can trigger termination, including political polarisations, financial or regulatory constraints, or changes in strategic priorities. This case study analyses a construction project in which the student should understand the context, assess the information provided, decide whether the project should be terminated, and explain the reasoning. The case study shows the need for robust decision-making and adaptive project management strategies to respond to evolving project dynamics in changing political environments, ensuring that project termination does not necessarily translate into wasted resources or compromised reputation.