ABSTRACT
In order to justify the application of project management principles to the success of R&D initiatives in Chapter 1, we have reviewed the contents of some relevant publications. The aim of this chapter is to review other recent publications to assess the current knowledge of managing projects in R&D. It is important to identify which framework works in which R&D environment and where the major gaps are. I do not wish to reinvent the wheel if it is running well. Neither do I wish to promote a rigid governance of projects to fit all types and sizes of R&D initiatives. The need to uncover what is already known in the body of knowledge prior to initiating any research study should not be underestimated (Hart 1998) and this need also applies to writing an evidence-based book. When I started this book preliminary research clearly indicated a gap in the published work on the application of project management tools and techniques in R&D; however, progressive investigations have unfolded yet more publications and research papers in this area than expected, though the gap still remains. This chapter will first look at publications on managing R&D projects in use over the last two decades and assess the critical success factors of each. Then we will look at the extent of their applicability in the present environment of R&D initiatives.
