Project success criteria, level of difficulty and performance in large engineering projects

Abstract

This study examines the level of difficulty and performance in large engineering projects and key stakeholders perception of success criteria. The rationale for this study is that large engineering projects have different stakeholders with conflicting interests which scholars consider as causes of project difficulties. It is however not known whether there is a relationship between important project success criteria and the level of difficulty within large engineering projects in South Africa. The study employed a systematic review

of extant literature and a mixed method approach to elicit empirical data from key achieve the research objectives. The study results established that there is a high level of difficulty encountered by stakeholders on the sites, delays and potential cost overrun. It also emerged that while there is no significant difference in the perception of stakehol d- ers of important project success criteria, there is a significant relationship between qual ity

project success criterion and project difficulty. This knowledge and the findings that the projects procured by the SOC in this study are not at optimal performance levels suggests

that the lack of emphasis on quality by the project stakeholders may be responsible for the poor project performance experienced on these projects. This will therefore form the basis of future research in this area of engineering project performance.