Excerpt from My Project is Running Behind

You have a difficult decision to make. Do you stay with your current developer or move? It's not an easy choice. There are quite a few reasons why you should stay with your current developer and some signs it is time to move on. We hope the following lists may assist you.

Why you should stay with your existing developers:

It can take a new developer a couple of days to get their mind around someone else's code even on a small project
If you are close to finishing a development phase it may be that some band-aid might get you thru to completion. Between phases is a better time to move.
Do you even have the time to start over with someone new? Perhaps your deadline is too tight to make the move now.
Can you guarantee that your next developer will be any better?
You're going to have to explain everything all over again.

The slash and burn option

Sometimes all that is needed is some rigourous pruning of features to get a project back on budget
The pareto principle says that 20% of your features will deliver 80% of your benefit. Do you really need everything in phase 1?
Can the features that can't be removed be deferred? Can they be replaced with something simpler?
Is there a simpler way to implement a feature that would take a lot less time. Recruit your developer here. They will know better than anyone
It's better (generally) to build half an application than a half-ass application

Signs you should move on

1. The relationship with your developer has become so strained it is no longer recoverable
2. Progress has ceased. They may have "hit the wall" with their current level of skill
4. Your programmers have become demoralized or their interest has been taken by something else.
5. Communication is bad. You're not even getting your calls returned anymore.
6. You don't feel you are getting honest answers to your questions
7. Deadlines keep getting missed
8. Ultimately, you've lost confidence in your developers.

Computer programming is just like every other field. Not everyone always gets on. Every situation is not going to work out perfectly for all parties. Our general principle is always that one should always try to prevent a relationship going wrong in the first place. If it has then one should strive to fix it. But if all else fails, sometimes the only way to get back on track is to move on. The project should come first, above all things.