Survivor bias refers to the logical error of concentrating on individuals or things that have "survived" a process while overlooking those that did not because they are no longer visible or present. This bias can lead to a distorted understanding of a situation, as the analysis is based only on the surviving elements rather than the entire set.

Survivor bias in project management can manifest when evaluating the success factors or lessons learned from completed projects. If the analysis focuses only on projects that were successful and met their objectives, there's a risk of overlooking critical insights that can be gained from projects that faced challenges or failed. This bias may lead to an incomplete understanding of potential risks and strategies for improvement.