FPOST-GRADUATE

Masterof Science inProject Management

Coursecode:-PMgt-642
IndividualAssignment-1

ReviewonFactorsInfluencingSuccessofProjects
Set by: Tiruneh Defaru

IDNo:-ACFU/MPMR/0099/23

Submittedto:-

Dr.MekonnenM.Submission date:

- Nov, 2023Furi,Oromia, Ethiopia

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 Abstract
This paper deals with a qualitative content analysis which was performed in the study to
analyzeopinionsofITprofessionalsaboutfactorsthatmaketheirprojectssuccessful.Theanalysisresults
answered all research questions positively, with different levels of significance. 38 factorsare
obtained through the qualitative content analysis of data collected via survey of 108
ITprofessionals, through one open-ended question. The results extend and support findings of
theformer quantitative study and the resulting project success model. The proposed model
indicatesthesameconclusion,meaningthatresultsinthisstudysupportfindingsintheformerquantitativ
e study. An interesting remark is that while results of the quantitative analysisfind
theprojectteamtobe themostsignificantprojectsuccesscomponentfollowedby the projectcontrol,
this study results find the project control to have a slightly higher impact on the
projectsuccesscompared to theproject team

Acknowledgement

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I would like to express my special gratitude to my teacher Dr. Mekonnen M. for giving me
agolden opportunity to work on the review articles related Decision Theory and Project
RiskManagement journals (Review on Factors Influencing Success of Projects) and which has
helpedme to know so many new things on the significance each and every factors on projects
underprogress,whichIam reallythankful for.

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Tableofcontents

TableofContents
Abstract.............................................................................................................................................i
Acknowledgement...........................................................................................................................ii
Tableofcontents..............................................................................................................................iii
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
1. An overview of thestudy..........................................................................................................1
1.1. Statementofthe Problem....................................................................................................1
1.2. Purposeofthe study............................................................................................................2
2. ResearchMethodologies...........................................................................................................3
2.1. ResearchDesign.................................................................................................................3
2.2. StudyParticipants...............................................................................................................4
2.3. DataAnalysis Method........................................................................................................4
3. Summary..................................................................................................................................4
4. Conclusionand Recommendations...........................................................................................5
4.1. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................5
4.2. Recommendation...............................................................................................................6
5. CriticalEvaluation....................................................................................................................6
5.1. Strength..............................................................................................................................6
5.2. Weakness...........................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................7

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 Introduction

1. Anoverview ofthestudy
To maintain a successful performance and reach their business goals, organizations
todayconstantly need to adapt to changing market conditions and exponential technology and
socialchanges.Despitetheefforts,wastesproducedbyfailedorchallengedprojectsinsuchenvironments
are still high. PMI reports that in 2017 the “underperforming” organizations, whichare
organizations with less than 60% of projects being completed within time, budget and
scopeconstraints, managed to complete around 38% of their project successfully. Another 38%
wascompleted with challenges, and 24% was a complete failure. In 2018 and 2019 it was
reportedthat organizations lost even up to 12% of their investment due to the poor project
performanceandfailed projects.

Figure1Project successmodel[1].

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 1.1. Statement of theProblem
Reasons for project failures may be numerous. The PMI survey results from 2018 report
that41% of projectsinobservedorganizationsfaileddue toinadequate leadershipandsponsorsupport.
52% of organizations experienced the scope creep, which even increased from 43%measured in
2013, and 5% of underperforming organizations didn’t have capabilities to
deliverprojectswithexpectedvalues.Ingeneral,successofIT projectsmay depend on factors
thatcomefrom five dimensions:

a)Processsuccess, b)Projectoutcome(product)success,

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c) Operationsuccess, e) Strategic success and
stakeholdersatisfaction.
d) Businesssuccess,and

[1] With the aim of improving the project success statistics, Handzic & Durmic developed
anempirically tested project success model which clarifies factors that are critical for
successfulproject performance. The model connects people and process project aspects by
combining
theProjectmanagementpracticesandconceptsofknowledgecapital,whichisexpectedtobeengagedmo
reintoallsegmentsoftheprojectdevelopmentprocessforbetterprojectperformance at all levels. The
model is a result of a quantitative analysis of IT professionals’assessments of the quality of
different project aspects and performance of project steps for
theirselectedITprojects.Whilethemodelisstatisticallytestedtobereliable,itsqualitativeconfirmationi
ssuggestedasthenextstep.Asaresponsetothisfutureresearchdirectionsuggested by Handzic &
Durmic, the goal of this study is to test the proposed model and furtherclarify the significance of
each model component through qualitative analysis of opinions
andexperiencesofITprofessionals,relatedtofactorsthatmade projectsintheir
environmentssucceedor fail [1]

1.2. Purposeof thestudy

This paper is structured as follows in four sections: section one presented a proposed
projectsuccess model, researchquestions developed, description of research methodology and
dataanalysis method. After that section two presented a summary for results and discussion of
eachresearchquestions.Thenthenextsection,sectionthreepresentedconcludingremarksandpractical
implications of the study, in the final sections which is section four presented criticalevaluationof
thepaper dependingon project management theories.

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 Considering how the proposed model defines the project execution phase, it becomes
clearthat enhanced project control and monitoring of architectural design and programming
activitiesdirectly lead to enhanced rates of project success. Among all factors, the proposed
model revealsthat project team and project control are the most significant ones, making the
biggest influenceon the project performance and the resulting outcome. They are two most
complex factors in themodelas well.Theproject teamis defined as a 5-dimensionalelement,
beingcomposedof;

i. Teamleadership, iv. Teaminterestsand

Therelationshipsbetweenprojectteamandprojectplanning,executionandcontrolarerecognized as
three most significant relationships in the model. Shortly, this element highlightsthe importance
of having a good project manager and technical team leader in the project team,their capabilities
and experience, team work, team commitment and participation in projectactivities, team
composition, achievement of personal ambitions of team members, chances
forpromotionbeinggiventoteam members,addingand removingpeople inproject team.

2. ResearchMethodologies
The methodology of this study is accomplished by preferred reporting items for
systematicreviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. At the end of the review, it is aimed
to reach onreplies for an interrogative sentence: “what gaps are observed on researches on factors
affectingsuccess of projects? How and what should have to be done to reduce such factors? And
otherrelated questions will be discussed. All information is synthesized and reported through
narrativesynthesis.

2.1. ResearchDesign
Sample of data from participants at different locations, thus survey with questionnaire as
aninstrument was recognized as the most suitable data collection method. “Which factors do
youfind to be critical for success or failure of the selected project?”. The open-ended question
designapproach was selected to be the most suitable for data collection as the focus of this
qualitativestudy was on gathering respondents’ objective opinions about the topic without giving
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them anyguidance.

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2.2. StudyParticipants
Considering that the goal of this study was to further test the proposed model within the
givenlimits, the target survey respondents were members of IT project teams located in the
sameregions. 130 IT professionals were invited to take part in the research based on their
experience,theroletheyhaveinprojectteamsandthetypeofprojectstheyhadachancetoworkon,and108
of them accepted the invitation. Data was collected by sending the survey link directly toselected
IT professionals, with explanation of the purpose of the study. Collected data werereviewed and
after the data cleaning process 4 responses were found to be irrelevant for the
studyandremovedfrom thequalitative data set.

2.3. DataAnalysisMethod
Content analysis was chosen as the most suitable method for analyzing data collected in
theform of a text.It enables a systematic and objective process of making replicable and
validresults from any type of the process for performing the content analysis was adopted
fromBengtsson, who finds that majority of researchers, perform the content analysis through
fourmajorstages:

 De-con-textualisation;  Categorizationand
 Recon-textualisation;  Compilation.

Both manifest and latent analysis levels were used to analyze the final results and
describetheir indications. Survey responses that were shorter, clear and straightforward were
suitable forthe manifest analysis, while all other responses had to be analyzed at the latent level
to beinterpreted.

3. Summary
According to study results the project control category is the most complex category
withhighest code loadings of its factors. Together with the project team, the project control phase
isfoundto be themost significant influenceof theprojectsuccess.

As per Fridlund & Hildingh, the sample size of 104 responses is found to be more
thansufficient for performing the qualitative analysis. 54% of respondents were based in Europe,
and46% were based in the American region, 87% male and 13% female. 62% were technical
stuffholdingdifferentrolesindevelopmentteams,and38%weretechnicalandnon-technical

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managers.ThegoalwastoinvolvebothtechnicalandbusinessaspectsoftheITprojectdevelopment
process, thus it was necessary to involve the non-technical roles in the research aswell. The
majority of respondents were aged between 31 and 50, 66% exactly. 19% belong to
theagegroupof22to30,andtheremaining15%werebetween51and61yearsold.Therespondents had 16
to 20 years of experience on average. 64% of them had a Bachelor level ofeducation,33%held
Masters and3% held PhD degrees.

Generally, occasional rewards for the project accomplishments usually make the
projectsuccess a personal ambition for team members. For this reason, study participants find
thatrewarding project team members is also a factor that makes a positive impact on project
success.ThisobservationisalsosupportedbyZouaghi&Laghouag.However,whiletheformerquantitat
ive analysis and the proposed model rank the motivation, rewards and team
recognitionveryhighontheprojectsuccessfactorscale,thisstudyfindsthemimportant,butnotassignific
antas other project team related factors.

Findingsinthisresearchquestionconfirmthesignificanceoftheprojectteamcomponent for
the project success indicated by the proposed project success model. The
mostimportantprojectsuccessfactorsinthisstudy are alsolistedasthe
mostimportantsuccessfactorsintheprojectteam componentin theformer quantitativestudyandthe
proposedmodel.

4. ConclusionandRecommendations

4.1. Conclusion
Theresultsindicatethatprojectcontrolcomponentrepresentingaphaseofaprojectdevelopment
process focuses on close project monitoring first, followed by issue managementwith the aim of
removing any impediments to success that may arise, and completes the
processwithqualityassuranceactivitiesthatensurefunctionalqualityoftheresultingproductthatwillbe
delivered to customers. Technology and its application was not recognized as a significantfactor
of the project execution phase in the proposed model and the quantitative study, this
studyrecognizes it as a factor that is the most responsible for success of a project execution
phase, inthe range itisdefined by the study results.Study participantsfind thattechnology
challengesmayslow down theexecution phasein caseof morecomplexprojects.

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 On the other hand,well selected technology may ease the projectexecution phase whichthen
contributes to a more successful project performance. After although quality assurance andcode
testing was recognized as a significant success factor, the expectation was that it has higherfactor
loadings, which was the case in the former quantitative study. Based on the views of
studyparticipants, good management of project activities by project manager and other team
members,togetherwithregularmonitoringoftheprocessoutcomesbystakeholdersiscrucialforensurin
ga good project monitoring. In addition, the way changes are being managed, communicated
andimplementedaffectsthe projectperformancepace andthefinalprojectoutcomesignificantly.

4.2. Recommendation
While reviewing this paper, I have noticed lots of problems to be investigated further for
thefuture. So I highly recommend potential researchers to work on in depth on factors
influencingsuccessof projects.

5. CriticalEvaluation
In general terms, a project evaluation process goes over the project constraints including
time,cost, scope, resources, risk and quality. In addition, organizations may add their own
businessgoals, strategic objectives and other metrics. But for this specific paper let’s consider the
strengthand weakness in terms of the result obtained from the study since it’s a qualitative
research anddoesn’tmentioned parametersofevaluation asperthetheoriesofproject management.

5.1. Strength
The proposed model indicates the same conclusion, meaning that results in this study
supportfindings in the former quantitative study. An interesting remark is that while results of
thequantitative analysis find the project team to be the most significant project success
componentfollowed by the project control, this study results find the project control to have a
slightly higherimpacton theproject success compared totheproject team.

Among all factors, the proposed model reveals that project team and project control are
themost significant ones, making the biggest influence on the project performance and the
resultingoutcome.

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5.2. Weakness
This study doesn’t find support for a technical team lead to be a success factor for the
projectteam component, which is recognized to play an important role in project team according
to theformer quantitative study results.Furthermore, this study also doesn’t find support for
factorslikerespectforteamhierarchy,teambuilding,teamcomposition,educationandtrainingprovisio
n, company interest being aligned with personal interests, which rank as fairly highfactors of the
project team component in the proposed model. So, doesn’t recognize these factorsasdrivers of
aproject success.

References
[1] N. Durmic, “Factors influencing project success: A qualitative research,” TEM J., vol.
9,no.3, pp. 1011–1020, 2020, doi: 10.18421/TEM93-24