An empirical analysis of the relationship between project planning and project success

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between project planning efforts and project success. Three planning aspects are considered (requirements definition, development of technical specifications, and project management processes and procedures), along with three perspectives on project success (end-user, project manager, and contracting office). The study is based on data from more than a hundred defense research and development projects (aimed at the development of weapon systems and support equipment) performed in Israel and includes an analysis of the statistical correlation between the two sets of variables. The findings suggest that project success is insensitive to the level of implementation of management processes and procedures, which are readily supported by modern computerized tools and project management training. On the other hand, project success is positively correlated with the investment in requirements’ definition and development of technical specifications.