ABSTRACT
The number of projects, along with their scale, is increasing in many societies. This chapter explores what is known about the performance of public sector projects. It focuses on how project performance is defined. The chapter discusses the development of performance measurement in the field of public administration and considers its application to projects. It considers how public sector project performance might be improved, and addresses management issues. The project management literature includes a vast body of research around the criteria used to assess project success, and factors involved in success or failure. In their study of megaprojects, Shenhar and Holzmann find that the most successful projects share three common points: there is a clear strategic vision of the project’s outcome which is communicated and understood; there is total alignment of all parties with the goals, means and difficulties expected; and project actors and structures adapt to complexity.
