Resource project delivery is increasingly balancing the divergence between what is technically feasible and what is possible or permissible. This is a material challenge for the conversion of discoveries into production assets as projects are taking longer to develop, are more contested, and are increasing in complexity (Bonakdarpour, Hoffman and Rajan, 2024; Valenta et al, 2019). Contemporary case studies and literature highlight the risks to discovery, planning, and execution, particularly in the identification and management of non-technical risks that could undermine even the most technically sound projects. For instance, a mining project might face strong community opposition or regulatory barriers, with enabling infrastructure increasingly delayed due to land access issues or environmental concers. Ensuring realistic feasibility by integrating real-world constraints into project studies-and grounding performance expectations in practical human, environmental, and legal factors-is an increasing challenge (Lèbre, 2024). To unlock critical minerals projects, proponents must build stakeholder confidence. Investors, governments, and communities are more likely to support projects that demonstrate due diligence and awareness of potential challenges. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance is essential and now central to investment and regulatory decisions; overlooking ESG considerations can lead to reputational damage or outright project denial. Recognising key project delivery factors early allows for adaptive strategies, enabling project teams to incorporate flexibility in timelines, budgets, and even core designs to better align with evolving real-world conditions. a systems-based approach is essential for understanding the multiple interconnected factors that contribute to development risk. Trust and transparency are critical, as mining projects increasingly face delays or abandonment due to direct, indirect, or cumulative risks stemming from Modifying Factors (JORC, 2024b). These Modifying Factors include-but are not limited to-mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governance (ESG), and regulatory factors (JORC, 2024a, Exposure Draft). Synthesising and decoding this diverse, interconnected, and interdependent project information is a prerequisite for managing the risks of so-called 'Frankenstein' or 'Fairy Tale' project delivery and disclosures. Frankenstein Projects arise from uncontrolled multi-factor risks created by the interactions and interdependencies between Modifying Factors. Conversely, Fairy Tale project assessments that fail to use available data to make reasonable and realistic evaluations.