ABSTRACT
The public is skeptical of our ability, as a profession, to accurately estimate (i.e. predict) the final costs of large, complex public projects and also of our ability to manage these projects to established budgets. The public asks us:
• “Why do costs seem to always go up?” • “Why can’t the public be told exactly what a proj-
ect will cost?” and, • “Why can’t projects be delivered at the cost you
told us in the beginning?”
