Project success: a multidimensional, strategic concept

Abstract

Summary form only given. What does project success mean? When a project is completed on time and within the original budget, is it a success? Or even when it fails to meet these objectives but succeeds in meeting its specified requirements, is it then a successfully completed project? The objective of this work is to develop a universal framework for the assessment of project success to help organizations cope with the above questions. We view project success as a strategic multidimensional concept where project efforts must be aligned with the strategic long-term goals of the organization. We employ in this study a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, and two data sets which included more than 140 projects. Using a project specific approach, our analysis resulted in four distinct success dimensions: (1) project efficiency, (2) impact on the customer, (3) direct business and organizational success, and (4) preparing for the future. These dimensions represent different points of view, different concerns of the organization, and different time horizons. We demonstrate how the relative importance of these dimensions varies with the time passed since project completion, as well as with the project type. Finally, we provide a set of guidelines for project managers and policy makers at the top level.