Cross-learning between project management and international development: Analysis and research agenda (original) (raw)
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Development in Practice, 2020
In order to identify their different knowledge areas, concepts, tools and emphases, this article compares project management standards from two non-profit, one parastatal and two governmental organisations working in international development against the standards of the Association for Project Management (APM) and the Project Management Institute (PMI). It finds that the international development and noninternational development standards have quite different ideas of what project management entails. International development standards emphasise beneficiary participation, environmental impact, gender, unintended consequences of projects, soft objectives, evaluation techniques, and cross-cultural issues more than the APM or PMI standards. The latter standards have strengths in scoping and scheduling.
International Journal of Project Management, 2014
This article aims at making international development (ID) projects critical. To that end, it shows that project management (PM) in ID has evolved as an offshoot of conventional PM moving like the latter, but at varying speeds, from a traditional approach suited to blueprint projects where tools matter (1960s-1980s); towards eclectic and contingent approaches suited to process projects where people matter the most (1980s-now); and finally pointing towards the potential contribution of a critical perspective which focuses on issues of power (1980s-now). Consequently, it points to a confluence between the Critical Project Studies movement and Critical Development Studies movements. More specifically, it argues that the postdevelopment, the Habermasian, the Foucauldian and the neo-Marxist lenses may be effectively called upon in that scholarship. Thus, it suggests a framework to encourage project actors to reflect on their personal positions in light of the power relations which shape PM in ID. Keywords – critical project studies; critical development studies; international development; project management approaches; history; power.
Sustainable Development and Project Management might, at first glance not be related. However, when taken with the quest for economic development , the commitment of governments in developing countries to withdrawal from direct involvement in infrastructural projects and the consequent emergence of public-private partnerships to deliver major infrastructural projects; the linkages between the process of maximizing project success, ensuring the delivery of infrastructural projects that will deliver integrated social, economic , and environmental concerns becomes even more visible. In this setting, there would be need for the recruiting of multi-disciplinary teams with specialist backgrounds to implement these projects. How is project management as a profession faring in this regard? We present evidence that project management is being increasingly seen not as a professional with a clear educational path, but as a skill that can be acquired with experience and as a second degree speci...
The project planning myth in international development.
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2012
Purpose - In order to improve our understanding and practice of project management, this paper assesses whether two of its core myths also prevail in international development (ID): first, that project managers (PMs) plan fully for project success, including implementation success and end-user satisfaction; and second, that they can focus on ‘getting things done’, free of concern for strategic issues. Design/methodology/approach - The analysis of a high-profile World Bank project and of the policies and rules under which their PMs operate serves as a means to carry out the research. The authors uncover certain "facts" that challenge the myths that prevail in standard project management. Furthermore, they examine how these facts and the corollaries they produce guide the behaviours of project managers differently in the ID field. Findings - In the ID field, and contrary to the standard practice in project management, it is found that: 1. PMs are not involved in overall planning, and are limited to implementation planning, because they lack the necessary latitude. Hence, they practice project implementation as the art of avoiding making mistakes as they juggle donor procedures and guidelines. 2. PMs are well informed about the overall strategy of their project, which is articulated by the donors and the beneficiary country, but they are limited in their ability to contribute directly to its success. Thus, they may fail to deliver the intended development strategy even if they ‘get things done’. Research limitations/implications - This paper argues that these two core project management tenets are convenient myths at best given the asymmetrical distribution of power, the strong front-end activity, and the procedures orientation of international development projects.
International development agencies (IDAs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) execute projects in some countries with the view to alleviate poverty where the projects are to be domiciled, ensure development, amongst stakeholders. Subsequently, over the years researchers have viewed such projects to be successful when x-rayed under the prism of the various derived Project Management Methodologies (PMMs)/tools by Project Managers in the organizations to monitor the projects. Unfortunately, researchers were silent on what made the tools effective. To bridge this gap, and to understand the role of PMMs in project monitoring in IDAs and NGOs, this study review and synthesises the little existing research evidence through a systematic literature review. A range of peer reviewed journal articles between 2010 and 2020 (inclusive) that address the application of PMMs/tools in project monitoring in IDAs/NGOs was systematically assessed. Based on inclusion and selection criteria, 10 eligible articles were selected for final review. It was revealed that there had been different adaptations of the Logical Framework (LF), and the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) used in IDAs/NGOs for project monitoring in the respective IDAs/NGOs, the study also revealed how the updated/adapted LF were made compatible with today's project management tools, making project monitoring in IDAs/NGOs effective. Consequently, the study aimed at evaluating the frameworks, its evolutions from various researchers' paradigms. The objective is to establish some level of awareness and utilization of PMMs/tools for the benefit of researchers, students, and stakeholders in the construction industry.
Managing International Development Projects
International Journal of Rural Management, 2016
The discipline of project management has got into new areas over time, but core problems like delay and cost overrun continue to be there. In the international development projects like those related to poverty alleviation, managing projects is much more complex. This article tries to understand the project management practices followed in the implementation of international development projects. Based on the comparative study of four projects—Participatory Approach to Human and Land Development (PAHAL, Rajasthan), Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) watershed projects, Rajasthan District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP, Rajasthan) and Sujala (Karnataka)—the article finds various problems ranging from interorganizational conflicts, lack of interdepartmental coordination, fund-crunch, frequent changes in implementation guidelines, etc. Delay in progress was invariably found and progress was made through diluting quality. The main reason behind this was the dynamic nature of interven...
Project management in the international development industry : The project coordinator's perspective
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2010
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to analyze the empirical relationship between project management (PM) efforts (the extent to which national project coordinators (NPCs) -the project managers in the aid industry sector -make use of available PM tools), project success, and success criteria. Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected by way of questionnaires delivered by mail to 600 recipients in 26 different countries in Africa. Findings -The research results suggest that project success is insensitive to the level of project planning efforts but a significant correlation does exist between the use of monitoring and evaluation tools and project "profile," a success criterion which is an early pointer of project long-term impact.