Nearly 40 per cent of IT projects in the UK are on course to fail, according to a survey of 182 project managers.

That is according to the research commissioned by Axelos, the joint venture set up in 2014 by the government and Capita, to develop, manage and operate qualifications in the project management methodology PRINCE2.

Over the last year as many as 31 per cent of British projects have failed, it said.

Asked why IT projects fail, responded blamed: significant changes to the project brief (45 per cent); unrealistic timeframes (41 per cent); an incomplete understanding of the risks (48 per cent); projects not resourced with the right people (42 per cent); lack of a clearly defined goals (49 per cent), and overrun budgets (32 per cent).

Last year the UK's spending watchdog warned that one-third of the government's major projects due to be delivered over the next five years are on track to fail.

The National Audit Office said, in its progress report on major government projects, that 37 out of the 106 projects due to finish by 2021 are "in doubt or unachievable if action is not taken to improve delivery."

There are currently 149 projects in the Government Major Project Portfolio, with a combined lifetime cost of £511bn and an expected spend of £25bn in 2015-16. Of those, 40 are IT projects, with a whole lifetime cost of £20bn. ®