Disputes Resolved
Cases Analyzed
Continents
Losses — Lead Expert
Not a survey.
A forensic reconstruction.
Most annual industry reports ask executives how they feel about risk. The WCL Global Forensic Governance Report asks what the evidence proved — after the controls failed and the projects went to tribunal.
Built on real disputes, real findings, and real outcomes, this report introduces the Governance Failure Stack™ — a forensic framework mapping where and how project controls break down between status reporting and actual performance.
Every finding is held to the same evidentiary standard applied in tribunal. Every data point is traceable. Every conclusion is defensible.
What the Industry Measures
- Survey responses
- Delay statistics
- Average dispute values
- Schedule performance indicators
- “Average dispute value: $52M”
What PSC Reconstructs
- Governance failure causation
- Decision breakdown points
- Evidence preservation failures
- Schedule narrative disconnect
- Governance exposure index: 63/100
The Governance Failure Stack™
Every dispute begins with a governance failure long before the claim exists. The Governance Failure Stack maps the forensic anatomy — from narrative disconnect at the surface to evidence failure at the foundation.
88% of disputes in the dataset exhibit schedule narrative disconnect — the most prevalent failure and the one that enables all others to persist.
Baseline integrity failure carries the highest average exposure at $94M per dispute.
Key Insights from 80+ Disputes
Forensic reconstruction of $10B+ in capital program claims across six continents.
Governance Failure Is Visible Early
88% of disputes exhibit schedule narrative disconnect months before formal claims emerge.
Baseline Integrity Drives Financial Exposure
Baseline integrity failures carry the highest average exposure at $94M per dispute.
Decision Gateways Fail Before Schedule Collapse
73% of disputes exhibit decision gateway collapse before critical path disruption.
Governance Failures Are Global
Same failure patterns across six continents and four major contract regimes.
Programs Operate Below Forensic Levels
Typical programs at Level 2–3 governance maturity. Tribunal-defensible requires Level 4.
Global Dispute Exposure: 63/100
Average capital program exhibits governance failures across six of eight taxonomy categories.
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When Controls Lie — The Newsletter
Ongoing forensic governance insights, case analysis, and new research findings. Published on LinkedIn.