Disruptions in consulting engineering projects in a scenario of organizational restructuring

In the early 21st century, consulting engineering in Brazil experienced significant growth driven by the strong demand for infrastructure projects. Following accelerated economic development and a large influx of capital – through abundant and easily accessible public financing – a scenario of neglect emerged, with projects being executed without prior planning. Planning strategies, the application of established management tools, and good administrative practices were disregarded. Problems arose, including prolonged project stoppages due to sudden changes in the political and economic environment, corporate involvement in activities that created legal uncertainty, and the depletion of public funding, resulting in the lack of defined timelines for many Brazilian projects. This scenario highlights the importance of good planning and management, ensuring that the risk of project stoppage is known, minimized, and its potential effects mitigated.The objective was to guide the project manager in choosing the best and most appropriate management tools and to highlight the need for their correct use. Through a case study of a past event in an executive sanitation project, it is shown that the absence of basic project management elements, especially in the initial phase, contributed to greater exposure to organizational risks and a greater impact resulting from project stoppages. The lack of elements supporting adequate planning, such as: Work Breakdown Structure [WBS]; Risk Breakdown Structure [RBS]; "Detailed schedule" and "Financial requirements collection" were decisive in the failure to achieve the project objectives.