Los valores en juego: la mayor representatividad como salida transaccional

This section explains the traditional and modern views on project success in private organisations, approaches used in non-profit sectors and finally the approach followed here to evaluate project success in NGOs.

2.8.1. Evolution of Perspectives on Project Success

Traditionally, project management success has focused on the achievements of defined objectives such as ‘within time’, ‘within budget’ and ‘according to requirements’ (quality and functional specifications) (Turner, 2009; Westhuizen and Fitzgerald, 2005). More success measures were introduced in the 1980s and 1990s and project success today incorporates a broader range of criteria including stakeholder satisfaction (Schwalbe, 2004; Baccarini, 1999), product success, business and organisational benefit (Globerson and Zwikael, 2002; Thomsett, 2002; Redmill, 1997) team development (Atkinson, 1999; Baccarini, 1999) and the quality of PM process (Ika et al., 2012).

De Wit (1988) classified project success into two distinct components: project management success and project product success. Project management success focuses on the successful accomplishment of the project with regards to cost, time and quality. Project product success

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focuses on the effects of the project’s end-product on stakeholders. While project management success can be distinguished from the project product success, their outcomes are connected (Pinkerton, 2003). Similarly, Cooke-Davies (2002) distinguishes between project management success, being measured against the traditional measures of performance (i.e., time, cost, and quality), and project success, being measured against the overall objectives of the project.

Finally, researchers have taken an even broader view of project success. Shenhar et al. (1997) assess project success along at least four distinct dimensions: project efficiency, impact on the customer, direct and business success, and preparing for the future. They also introduce the influence of stakeholders as the content of each dimension and its relative importance may change for various stakeholders. Sutton’s (2005) multi-dimensional project success model takes a complete view of the project lifecycle by considering the project impact on the project outputs and outcomes, and the organisation’s business strategy. Cooke-Davies (2002) evaluated project success in similar dimensions: project management success, repeatable project management success, project success, and corporate success. Hence, project success is defined holistically and project delivery is linked to overall organisational success.

2.8.2. Project Success in Non-profit Organisations

While the previous section examined project success in the corporate sector, little research has been done on project success in non-profit organisations. In the NGO domain, the empirical research of Diallo and Thuillier (2004) identified specific success criteria and factors of international development projects. They assess project success as perceived by seven groups of stakeholders: coordinators, task managers, supervisors, project team, steering committee, beneficiaries, and the population at large. They also outline a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria that includes satisfaction of beneficiaries with goods and services generated, conformation of the goods and services produced to project documents, achievement of project objectives, completion of the project in time and within budget, receiving a high national profile, and receiving a good reputation among the principal donors.

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Sutton (2005), examining complex, uncertain projects, introduced the concept that projects are not dichotomous and success or failure are not binary outcomes, but that there can be degrees of success and failure. Further, he identifies four distinct levels of success, each having its own discipline, tools and techniques. Thus, excellence at each level is critical for absolute success. These four levels are similar to Cooke-Davies (2002) and consist of the following: project management success; repeatable project management success; project success; and corporate success.

Conceptions of project success have evolved from measurement simply of time, cost, and functionality improvement measurement in the 1970s to a more quality-based focus in the 1980s (Pinto and Slevin, 1988). More recent research on project success today takes into account stakeholder satisfaction, product success and business overall success (Sutton, 2005; Cooke-Davies, 2002). These assessment approaches can be applied to NGO project success (Diallo and Thuillier, 2004), since these are generic ways to assess project success in any organisation, including NGOs. There was no empirical research in the past done in NGOs on assessing project success using this approach, however, Ika et al. (2012) used factors of time, cost, objectives, relevance, impact and sustainability to evaluate project success to identify the critical success factors of World Bank projects. Therefore, this researcher has selected this approach to PM success, project success and NGO success to evaluate overall project success in NGOs.

Table 2-5 summarises the previous research on levels of project success in private, public and international organisations.

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Levels of Success

Explanations Parameters Authors

PM Success

Projects are produces desired outputs.

Projects are completed according with planned time, budget, quality and scope parameters.

Time

Budget

Quality

Scope

Berssaneti and Carvalho, 2015; Ika, 2012; Ika, 2009; Westhuizen and Fitzgerald, 2005; Thomsett 2002; Cooke-Davies, 2002; Globerson and Zwikael 2002; Baccarini, 1999; Atkinson, 1999; Redmill, 1997; Blaney 1989; De Wit, 1988; Duncan, 1987.

Project Success

Projects outputs are produced the desired outcomes.

Customer Satisfaction

Project Impacts

Serra and Kunc, 2015; Ika et al., 2012; Ika, 2012; Ika, 2009; Sutton, 2005; Schwalbe, 2004; Schwalbe, 2004; Pinkerton, 2003; Jiang, Klein and Discenza, 2002; Globerson and Zwikael, 2002; Cooke-Davies, 2002; Thomsett, 2002; Baccarini, 1999; Shenhar, Levy and Dvir, 1997; Redmill, 1997; De Wit, 1988; Pinto and Slevin, 1988; Tuman, 1986.

Corporate Success

Projects outputs and outcomes are contributed to overall business success. Achieving the organisational vision, mission and objectives Sustainability

Serra and Kunc, 2015; Ika et al., 2012; Ika, 2012; Cooke-Davies, 2002; Shenhar, Levy and Dvir, 1997

Table 2-5: Levels of Project Success