| We often hear or read about various success stories. | | | | manager have no impact on project success". It is |
| But what is success and what criteria should | | | | very interesting to investigate why a highly respectable |
| organizations use to identify success? What factors | | | | professional body for project managers published such |
| lead to a successful project? The purpose of this | | | | a contradictive position. A possible answer could be |
| article is to define project success criteria, clarify their | | | | found in the fact that project manager’s results |
| difference with success factors and analyse their | | | | are difficult to prove and even more difficult to |
| importance in project management methodology. | | | | measure. If the project is successful, senior |
| One of the vaguest concepts of project management | | | | management will probably claim that all external |
| is project success. Since each individual or group of | | | | factors were favourable. On the contrary, if it turns to |
| people who are involved in a project have different | | | | be a failure, project manager easily becomes the |
| needs and expectations, it is very unsurprising that | | | | scapegoat. |
| they interpret project success in their own way of | | | | 2. The project team |
| understanding (Cleland & Ireland, 2004, p2). "For | | | | Project managers are very lucky if they have the |
| those involved with a project, project success is | | | | option to choose their project team. More often, their |
| normally thought of as the achievement of some | | | | team is inherited to the project from various sectors of |
| pre-determined project goals" (Lim & Mohamed, | | | | the organisation. It is vital to have a good project team |
| 1999, p244) while the general public has different | | | | to work with, with core skills that can be evolved to |
| views, commonly based on user satisfaction. A classic | | | | core competences and capabilities for the whole |
| example of different perspective of successful project | | | | organisation. All members of the project team must be |
| is the Sydney Opera House project (Thomsett, 2002), | | | | committed to the success of the project and the |
| which went 16 times over budget and took 4 times | | | | overall mission of the company. Apart from their skills |
| more to finish than originally planned. But the final | | | | and commitment, project team members should have |
| impact that the Opera House created was so big that | | | | clear communication channels to access "both the |
| no one remembers the original missed goals. The | | | | functional manager and the project manager within a |
| project was a big success for the people and at the | | | | matrix organization. Effective management of this dual |
| same time a big failure from the project management | | | | reporting is often a critical success factor for the |
| perspective. On the other hand, the Millennium Dome in | | | | project" (PMBOK Guide, 2004, p215). |
| London was a project on time and on budget but in | | | | 3. The project itself |
| the eyes of the British people was considered a failure | | | | The type of a project underlines some factors that |
| because it didn’t deliver the awe and glamour | | | | are important to success. For example, if a project is |
| that it was supposed to generate (Cammack, 2005). | | | | urgent, the critical factor in that case is time. The |
| "In the same way that quality requires both | | | | Wembley stadium is expected to be fully operational |
| conformance to the specifications and fitness for use, | | | | due to May's 2006 FA Cup Final and that is the |
| project success requires a combination of product | | | | primary target. However, the increase of cost "that |
| success (service, result, or outcome) and project | | | | has thrown the management's calculations out of kilter" |
| management success" (Duncan, 2004). | | | | (Evans, 2005) was not a big issue at that time. The |
| The difference between criteria and factors is fuzzy | | | | size, value of a project and it’s uniqueness of |
| for many people. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's | | | | activities can be a puzzle for the project manager |
| Dictionary describes a criterion as "a standard by | | | | who is used to planning and co-ordinating common and |
| which you judge, decide about or deal with something" | | | | simple activities (Belassi & Tukel, 1996, p144). |
| while a factor is explained as "a fact or situation which | | | | 4. The organization |
| influences the result of something". Lim & | | | | Top management support is the principal success |
| Mohamed applied those definitions to project success | | | | factor for many independent research groups (Tukel |
| and illustrated the difference as show in Figure 1. It is | | | | & Rom, 1998, p48) (CHAOS Report, 2001, p4) |
| clear now that critical factors can lead to a series of | | | | (Cleland & Ireland, 2002, p210) (Tinnirello, 2002, p14) |
| events which ultimately meet the overall success | | | | , which means that no project can finish successfully |
| criteria of the project, so they shouldn’t be used | | | | unless the project manager secures true support from |
| as synonymous terms. | | | | the senior or operational management. It is extremely |
| Success Criteria | | | | difficult to work in a hostile environment where nobody |
| Many lists of success criteria have been introduced in | | | | understands the benefits that the project will deliver to |
| the previous decades by various researchers. Primal | | | | the organisation. "Stakeholder management and |
| success criteria have been an integrated part of | | | | contract strategies (number of and size of the |
| project management theory given that early definitions | | | | contracts, interface between the different contracts |
| of project management included the so called | | | | and the management of contracts) are separate |
| ‘Iron Triangle’ success criteria – cost, | | | | success factors which are also considered part of |
| time and quality. (Atkinson, 1999, p338) | | | | organization issues" (Torp, Austeng & Mengesha, |
| Atkinson continues that "as a discipline, project | | | | 2004, p4). |
| management has not really changed or developed the | | | | 5. The external environment |
| success measurement criteria in almost 50 years". To | | | | External environment can be the political, economic, |
| meet the urgent need of modernizing the out of date | | | | socio-culture and technological (PEST) context in which |
| success criteria, he suggest the ‘Square | | | | the project is executed. Factors like the weather, work |
| Route’ (figure 3) success criteria instead of the | | | | accidents or the government’s favourable or |
| ‘Iron Triangle’, where he groups the criteria | | | | unfavourable legislation can affect the project in all of |
| that other academics have proposed. The main | | | | its phases. "Note that if a client is from outside the |
| change is the addition of qualitative objectives rather | | | | organization, he should also be considered as an |
| than quantitative, namely the benefits that different | | | | external factor influencing the project performance" |
| group of people can receive from the project. These | | | | (Belassi & Tukel, 1996, p145). Competitors should |
| benefits are seen from two perspectives, one from | | | | also be accounted as external factors which can |
| the organisational view and one from the stakeholders | | | | undermine project success because the original |
| view. It is obvious that each part will have benefit | | | | project could be overshadowed by a more glamorous |
| differently from projects. For example one organisation | | | | and successful project launched by another |
| can gain profit through achieving strategic goals when | | | | organisation. |
| a project is completed and at the same time these | | | | Conclusion |
| goals have a serious environmental impact in the | | | | It is critical for a project manager to understand what |
| stakeholders’ community. This means that a | | | | the stakeholders consider as a successful project. In |
| successful project must bargain between the benefits | | | | order to avoid any surprises at the end of the project, |
| of the organisation and the satisfaction of end users. | | | | there is an urgent need to identify the different |
| The fourth corner of the ‘Square Root’ is | | | | perspectives of what success means before the |
| the Information System which includes the subjects of | | | | project goes live. It is also vital to remember that |
| maintainability, reliability and validity of project outcomes. | | | | success criteria are the standards by which a project |
| One of the "Square’s root" corners, | | | | will be judged, while success factors are the facts that |
| organisational benefits, drew much attention because | | | | shape the result of projects. Success criteria have |
| of it’s significance and it was further analysed. | | | | changed considerably through time and moved from |
| Kerzner (2001, p6) suggests three criteria from the | | | | the classic iron triangle’s view of time, cost and |
| organization perspective in order for a project to be | | | | quality to a broader framework which include benefits |
| successful. The first is that it must be completed "with | | | | for the organisation and user satisfaction. An additional |
| minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes", | | | | framework to capture success criteria depending on |
| even though stakeholders constantly have different | | | | time was also described. As for success factors, they |
| views about projects’ results (Maylor, 2005, | | | | were grouped into five distinct sets and the literature |
| p288). Second, "without disturbing the main work flow | | | | views were find to contradict on the issue of how |
| of the organization" because a project has to assist | | | | critical a project manager is to the final success of the |
| organisation’s everyday operations and try to | | | | project. A common factor mentioned by many authors |
| make them more efficient and effective. Finally, it | | | | is senior management support for the project and it is |
| should be completed "without changing the corporate | | | | recognized as one of the most important factors of all. |
| culture" even though projects are "almost exclusively | | | | In conclusion, early definition of success criteria can |
| concerned with change – with knocking down | | | | ensure an undisputed view of how the project will be |
| the old and building up the new" (Baguley, 1995, p8). A | | | | judged and early detection of success factors will |
| project manager’s main responsibility is to make | | | | guarantee a safe path to deliver success. |
| sure that he delivers change only where is necessary, | | | | References |
| otherwise he is doomed to find strong resistance from | | | | 1. A Guide to Project Management Body of |
| almost all organisational departments (Kerzner, 2001, | | | | Knowledge, 2004, 3rd Edition, Project Management |
| p158) which ultimately could lead to project failure. | | | | Institute, USA |
| A more structured approach to project success is | | | | 2. Atkinson, 1999, Project management: cost, time and |
| grouping the criteria into categories. Wideman (1996, | | | | quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, its time |
| p3-4) describes four groups, all of them time | | | | to accept other success criteria, International Journal of |
| dependent: "internal project objectives (efficiency | | | | Project Management Vol. 17, No. 6, pp 337-342, |
| during the project), benefit to customer (effectiveness | | | | [Electronic] |
| in the short term), direct contribution (in the medium | | | | 3. Baguley, 1995, Managing Successful Projects: A |
| term) and future opportunity (in the long term)". The | | | | guide for every manager, Pitman Publishing, London |
| characterization of ‘time dependent’ is | | | | UK, p8 |
| based on the fact that success varies with time. | | | | 4. Belassi & Tukel, 1996, A new framework for |
| Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can | | | | determining critical success-failure factors in projects, |
| be really difficult, because in some cases they | | | | International Journal of Project Management Vol. 14, No. |
| don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to | | | | 3, pp. 141-151, [Electronic] |
| know what the project is trying to achieve after | | | | 5. Cambridge University, The Cambridge Advanced |
| completion time so that success criteria are clearly | | | | Learner's Dictionary, 2005, 2nd Edition, Cambridge |
| defined in the early stages. This is quite a different | | | | University Press, UK |
| approach, because the focus moves from the present | | | | 6. Cammack, 2005, Principles of Project Management |
| success criteria to the future, in a way that a project | | | | - 1st session, MSc in Project Management, Lancaster |
| can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by | | | | University |
| criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can | | | | 7. Cleland & Ireland, 2002, p210, Project |
| turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this | | | | Management: Strategic Design and implementation, |
| hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, | | | | McGraw-Hill Professional, USA |
| Greece, which received mass criticism both during the | | | | 8. Cleland & Ireland, 2004, Project Manager's |
| planning period, due to delays in construction time, and | | | | Portable Handbook, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, USA, |
| when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the | | | | page 210 |
| benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic | | | | 9. Cooke-Davies, The "real" success factors on |
| Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 | | | | projects, International Journal of Project Management |
| years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com). | | | | vol.20, pp. 185–190, [Electronic] |
| All the above success criteria "should be simple and | | | | 10. Duncan, 2004, Defining and Measuring Project |
| attainable and, once defined, they should also be | | | | Success, Project Management Partners, [Online], |
| ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, | | | | Available: , [2005, Nov.4] |
| 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand | | | | 11. Evans, 2005, Overdue and over budget, over and |
| by everyone involved in the project and therefore | | | | over again, The Economist Jun 9th 2005, [Electronic] |
| commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a | | | | 12. Kerzner, 2001, Project Management - A Systems |
| ‘failure’ label on many projects because of | | | | Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling, 7th |
| the unreachable standards, can generate low team | | | | Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York |
| esteem and team performance in future projects and | | | | 13. Kerzner, 2001, Strategic planning for project |
| finally generate unfair disappointment among | | | | management using a project management maturity |
| stakeholders. As for priority issues, it is inevitable that | | | | model, Wiley & Sons, New York, page 158 |
| things will go wrong and the project manager will be in | | | | 14. Lim & Mohamed, 1999, Criteria of project |
| a tough situation where he must make the right | | | | success: an exploratory re-examination, International |
| decision having in mind that he has to sacrifice the | | | | Journal of Project Management Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. |
| least important success criterion. | | | | 243-248, [Electronic] |
| Success Factors | | | | 15. Maylor, 2005, Project Management, Third Edition |
| As mentioned earlier, "success factors are those | | | | with CD Microsoft Project, Prentice Hall, UK, p288 |
| inputs to the management system that lead directly or | | | | 16. Rad & Levin, 2002, The Advanced Project |
| indirectly to the success of the project or business" | | | | Management Office, St.Lucie Press, USA, page 18 |
| (Cooke-Davies, 2002, p185). Some project managers | | | | 17. Right Track Associates, 2003, Defining project |
| "intuitively and informally determine their own success | | | | success, [Online], Available: , [2005, Nov.5] |
| factors. However, if these factors are not explicitly | | | | 18. The official website of the Athens 2004 Olympic |
| identified and recorded, they will not become part of | | | | Games, [Online], Available: [ , [2005, Nov.6] |
| formal project management reporting process nor | | | | 19. The Standish Group International, 2001, Extreme |
| they become part of the historical project data" (Rad | | | | CHAOS: The Standish Group International, [Electronic] |
| & Levin, 2002, p18). Belassi & Tukel (1996, | | | | 20. Thomsett, 2002, Radical Project Management, |
| p144) classified these factors into 5 distinct groups | | | | Prentice Hall, USA, page 16 |
| according to which element they relate to: | | | | 21. Tinnirello, 2002, New Directions in Project |
| 1. The project manager | | | | Management, Auerbach, USA, page 14 |
| Having a project manager is not going to guarantee | | | | 22. Torp, Austeng & Mengesha, 2004, Critical |
| the success of a project. He must have a number of | | | | Success factors for project performance: a study |
| skills to use during the project to guide the rest of the | | | | from from-end assessments of large public projects in |
| team to successfully complete all the objectives. In the | | | | Norway |
| 2001 CHAOS report (The Standish Group International, | | | | 23. Tukel & Rom, 1998, Analysis of the |
| 2001, p6), business, communication, responsiveness, | | | | Characteristics of Projects in diverse industries, Journal |
| process, results, operational, realism and technological | | | | of Operations Management, Vol 16, pp43-61 |
| skills are mentioned as some of the most important | | | | 24. Turner & Muller, 2005, The project |
| skills a project manager should have to deliver | | | | manager’s leadership style as a success factor |
| success. However, more resent research by Turner | | | | on projects, Project Management Institute, Vol. 36, No. |
| and Muller (2005, p59) has concluded that "the | | | | 1, pp 49-61 |
| leadership style and competence of the project | | | | 25. |