The majority of problems do not simply appear without advance warning. In most cases the warning signs may have been present for a long time. There are several reason why the warning signs were not taken into account:

• Inability to interpret the warning signs because of lack of experience in the subject
• Low priority assigned to the specific problem due to the fact that it was not considered to be important.
• Absence of the necessary resources to examine the earning signs
• Deliberate ignoring of the warning signs, even though  they were evaluated as important.

The reason for collecting the background information to the problem is to be able to answer this question: “how did the problem raise? The background information leading to the problem is useful to better understand the problem and to provide a complete picture for the decision makers.

The information should clearly defines the time when the problem was identified the time when the problem came into existence, whether  the project is addressed in a timely manner and whether the project has a fair chance of success. The background information can also be added in a project database and can help in the elevation of future projects.