AAAAR - Why do people "screw up" and projects fail in organizations?

I screw up all the time, so I try to not repeat my mistakes as much as possible for the sanity of my friends.

Some of the ideas I've read about project management have percolated in my mind recently.

It seems to me that success of a project depends on the level of

• Authority
• Accountability
• Autonomy
• Ability
• Responsibility

among the people in the team.

Imagine that you are responsible for the outcome of a project, but you are given insufficient authority, are not held accountable, do not possess the required ability and do not enjoy sufficient autonomy. Sounds like a recipe for failure..

Inappropriate levels of any of the five parameters will increase the chances of the project failing.